Quote:
Originally Posted by Muffnbluff
I couldn't disagree with you more. There are so many people who buy DCT M3s because they have money, can't drive a stick shift and want a cool car that stands out from the regular 3 series. There are those people, and the people who are older and have driven a manual for 30 years and are tired of it. Of course the people who can't drive stick are going to say they bought the car because it's faster, sounds much cooler than, "I've never driven a manual car in my life so I got the DCT, but hey it's a lot faster".
I don't think many people opt for the 6mt because they think it's cool. A majority of people get a 6mt because they enjoy driving a manual car, and there is probably a smaller proportion who didn't want to spend the money on the DCT.
Hell, using the logic of this forum, you could buy a 6MT, save the $2,900 the DCT costs and get turner test pipes with a tune and you'll be faster than a stock DCT car guaranteed.  |
Well without any real evidence or data either way, we will never know for sure. All I was really trying to say is that it is silly to assume most DCT owners choose that transmission because they can't drive a 6MT. Of the 3 DCT owners I know personally, they can all drive 6MT quite well. One bought a DCT because it was "new" technology, one bought it because he thought it would be better at the track and the last bought it because he had a 6MT before (not an M3) and just thought it was time to change. Me, it was a knee issue.
Although there are some who would undoubtedly buy a DCT because they can't drive a 6MT, my bet is they are far from the majority. Those folks would, IMO, buy an M5 or Merc AMG.
There is a definite stigma for DCT owners from some die hard 6MT lovers (as evidenced by this forum)... I would bet the "perception" of choosing a DCT would cause some to get the 6MT even if they had an inclination to go DCT. Funny, and true, story... a few years back a buddy and I were walking past a Corvette and he looked inside and made a comment about how it was a shame that the car was an auto (well, in this case it was a true auto). Just as the comment was coming out of his mouth, the owner walked up to the car. You could tell it really bothered him. I think it is this stigma that would cause some, not all, buyers to choose a 6MT when they would secretly like to go DCT.
On top of that, how many times on this forum has someone commented about regretting not going DCT or saying their next M3 would be DCT? Lots... and they all currently drive a 6MT... just saying.
Anyway, like I said, we won't ever really know the stats for sure so at this point it is pure speculation.