My very first new car in 1961 was VW naturally with a stick. From 1961 on I mainly drove American cars until 1987 when I purchased my first new BMW a 535is we still have her and never will sell her, she has a 5MT and shifts smooth like silk.
The next M3 was a SMG transmission and the next two M3's were with 6MT. The M3 I now drive has DCT and I do like it. If the manual in my last M3 would have been as smooth shifting as our 1987 535is I would have never changed to a DCT. As it is I now love the DCT especially when I use the paddle shifter.
PS. I had two Z4's one e85 and one e89 they both had the paddle shifters as well. Both those cars I purchased used, I only wanted to satisfy myself how it feels to drive a convertible curiosity and desire
we had fun with them, then traded back to the e92.