Quote:
Originally Posted by skierman64
Except it is not called an automatic, not by BMW or by the vast majority of DCT owners. I would say the majority of those who call the DCT an automatic do not understand the difference and/or don't car about the difference to include the advantages of DCT over an automatic.
For me, I've used the D mode probably less than 30 miles of the 6000 I've put on my car so far.
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As with VAG (and now Porsche), BMW calls their transmission something other than the norm because it's a (relatively) new design, and they wish to differentiate. They'd be crazy if they didn't.
When GM introduced the first mass production automatic, they called it a "Hydra-Matic", and for decades, people said hydramatic when they referred to anyone's automatic, no matter the name. Other manufacturers thought up names for their own automatics (i.e. - Fordomatic, Flightomatic, Torqueflite, Powerglide, Powerflite, etc.), but it took a couple of decades for the "hydramatic" term to drop from the everyday lexicon.
Many VAG, BMW (and now Porsche) owners don't refer to their brandy-new transmissions as automatics for several reasons:
1. The manufacturer calls out and publicizes new designs, as do car salesman, etc.
2. A minor touch of OCD.
3. Fear of scrotum shrinkage.
In the fullness of time, I believe these double-clutch designs will continue to proliferate, and will inevitably become known as automatics (all this assuming the internal combustion engine has a fairly long future).
Then, maybe someone will come up with a new type of automatic, and will definitely call it something else.
I'm perfectly content with you and anyone else calling the M-DCT whatever you like, but not content with M-DCT cops policing what others (including me) call this transmission.
See 2 and 3, above.
Bruce