Who's the best?

[m3esque]

Manual 6 spd or SMG gearbox for the M3
i've got the manual but is the SMG good?

[runetang]

*sees hawks flying in up ahead*

oh shit here somes the manual nazis run!

[J Clark]

so true, so true.

Originally posted by runetang
*sees hawks flying in up ahead*

oh shit here somes the manual nazis run!

[tdc]

SMG I sucked ass. That's one of the main reasons it never came to the States.

SMG II on the other hand (found on E46 M3's) is nothing short of true Formula 1 technology found in a street car.

One thing to remember is that the SMG II is a true 6-speed gearbox with a hydraulic clutch controlled by computer. Take that hydraudlic unit off the transmission and it looks exactly like the 6-speed manual transmission.

However, is it as fun to drive as rowing through the gears yourself? I'd have to say no. Nothing can replace the joy of shifting through the familiar H-pattern and getting that heel-toe shift just right. To me, that's part of the driving experience. I think the SMG just takes away too much of the driver participation to make it truly a driving experience.

[PeugeotSepp]

A friend of mine works at M Gmbh in Munich. So I was able to enjoy the M3 for 3 days. It had SMG II. You need about two hours to get used to this system. After that, I found out that this SMG is the best sequential system I ever drove. Much better than Alfa's Selespeed or the old SMG I. Perhaps even better than Maserati's Cambiocorsa. So, If I bought a new M3 I would take one with SMGII.

[illegalprelude]

My 97 prelude has Sport Shifter so u can shit but no clutch. U just move it up and down to shift up or down. then my 01SH prelude is manual and nothing beats that man. Just the sheer joy of shifting and dropping it down 2 gears and poping it into N and stuff....nothing can replace that.

[sfzBimmer]

The 97 Prelude had a manual-gear selectable automatic? Wow, I thought BMW was ahead of the curve with the steptronic.

[Alex Mc]

tdc- The clutch is still a manual friction clutch, just hydraulically controlled.

[PortalBMW]

Originally posted by tdc
SMG I sucked ass. That's one of the main reasons it never came to the States.

I doubt that was the reason. I can't tell if you are being facetious or not.

[Alex Mc]

SMGI was plagued with problems.. SMGII is awesome, but drive-by-wire makes it blowsy out of slow corners sometimes.

[tdc]

Originally posted by Alex Mc
tdc- The clutch is still a manual friction clutch, just hydraulically controlled.

Isn't that what I said?...(going to check what I wrote)

Nevermind, I messed up the wording. But that is what I meant. The SMGII is by all accounts a 6-speed manual transmission, with the only difference is that it has a clutch that is controlled hydraulically by the computer so you don't need the clutch pedal.

And PortalBMW, I'm not being facetious when I say SMGI sucked ass. It did and does suck ass. They were plagued with problems when introduced in Europe so they never brought it over to the NA market.

[VANOSNinja]

Anybody care to share with me what the SMG-I is?? I know all about SMG-II, but I honestly have no knowledge of SMG-I... help us ignorant States-dwellers out

[Ghettoraid]

I want to try one of those sequential shifters someone posted a week or two ago

[PortalBMW]

Originally posted by tdc


And PortalBMW, I'm not being facetious when I say SMGI sucked ass. It did and does suck ass. They were plagued with problems when introduced in Europe so they never brought it over to the NA market.

Believe me, I know it sucked ass or I would have considered an M3 with SMG. But, I am saying is thats probably not the reason the US BMW market never saw them.