On your car what Transmission did you pick and why

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Looks like this poll has slipped to page 2 of this forum ... does that mean that only 233 are M3 drivers? Just an observation on my part ...

What you think?

[JB_Vert]

6MT because I wanted a manual tranny. I guess I like the challenge of trying to perfect the shift myself. Gives me something to do.

JB

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by JB_Vert

6MT because I wanted a manual tranny. I guess I like the challenge of trying to perfect the shift myself. Gives me something to do.

JB

And you be perfectly correct makes one feel the road too so much more fun.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

As I have stated here before the level of insistance on the superiority of manual transmissions tends to be inversely proportional to the level of skill at driving one.

CA

While that may be true, that has no bearing on the amount of fun that a manual provides over a DCT (..my opinion of course!).

[Nine]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

As I have stated here before the level of insistance on the superiority of manual transmissions tends to be inversely proportional to the level of skill at driving one.

CA

[JB_Vert]

Originally Posted by Rolf-Dieter

And you be perfectly correct makes one feel the road too so much more fun.

A relatively old-school (no DI, FI) V8 with a stick just seems about perfect to me. I think it goes back to my childhood. First car was a Mustang 5.0 w/ stick. Hitting 6K RPM in that thing was a bit un-nerving, but I hated to let it go after 11 years--on the original clutch, which was still working fine the day I sold it.

In between the Mustang and M3 was about 10 years of practicality--with no MTs. Come early 2009, I ended up with a little extra money to spend, so I pulled the trigger on the M3 6MT and bought the extended warranty the same day. Plan to keep it a long time, God willing.

It doesn't hurt that my wife can't drive a stick. She has a knack for making a new car look ten years old in about a week!

JB

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by JB_Vert

A relatively old-school (no DI, FI) V8 with a stick just seems about perfect to me. I think it goes back to my childhood. First car was a Mustang 5.0 w/ stick. Hitting 6K RPM in that thing was a bit un-nerving, but I hated to let it go after 11 years--on the original clutch, which was still working fine the day I sold it.

In between the Mustang and M3 was about 10 years of practicality--with no MTs. Come early 2009, I ended up with a little extra money to spend, so I pulled the trigger on the M3 6MT and bought the extended warranty the same day. Plan to keep it a long time, God willing.

It doesn't hurt that my wife can't drive a stick. She has a knack for making a new car look ten years old in about a week!

JB

My first new car in the 60s was a VW Beetle naturally it had a stick and I loved it as for my wife she hated it so naturally the next car was an automatic the ladies always seam to win Then in the late 80s when I saved enough money and was able to get that second car I got my first Beamer (we still have it and I am restoring it right now - photos in my photo album see below and click on 535 is once you open the link). The e28 was a stick as well and seen the roads from coast to coast as well as north to south. One of the reasons the car is still in the family and will soon turn 25 years young

I drove many other cars all automatic then in 2004 I tasted the //m3 for the first time and was hooked what can I say. A fine piece of engineering it is as is our now e92 and I think it is a keeper.

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by JB_Vert

6MT because I wanted a manual tranny. I guess I like the challenge of trying to perfect the shift myself. Gives me something to do.

JB

There is a great deal of satisfaction in executing a perfect rev matched shift.

CA

[JB_Vert]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

There is a great deal of satisfaction in executing a perfect rev matched shift.

CA

Agreed! A seamless (rev-matched, smoothly braked) heel-toe downshift into 2nd is hard to come by (for me). But, it sure is fun to practice. It's kinda like my golf swing. When I get it just right, I'm never exactly sure what I just did to make it right.

JB

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by JB_Vert

Agreed! A seamless (rev-matched, smoothly braked) heel-toe downshift into 2nd is hard to come by (for me). But, it sure is fun to practice. It's kinda like my golf swing. When I get it just right, I'm never exactly sure what I just did to make it right.

JB

It is a matter of practice and experience. Eventually it becomes second nature and while it is still satisfying it is no longer challenging and you are free to concentrate on other areas of high performance driving,

CA

[JB_Vert]

Originally Posted by Rolf-Dieter

My first new car in the 60s was a VW Beetle naturally it had a stick and I loved it as for my wife she hated it so naturally the next car was an automatic the ladies always seam to win Then in the late 80s when I saved enough money and was able to get that second car I got my first Beamer (we still have it and I am restoring it right now - photos in my photo album see below and click on 535 is once you open the link). The e28 was a stick as well and seen the roads from coast to coast as well as north to south. One of the reasons the car is still in the family and will soon turn 25 years young

I drove many other cars all automatic then in 2004 I tasted the //m3 for the first time and was hooked what can I say. A fine piece of engineering it is as is our now e92 and I think it is a keeper.

Neat e28 story! And I agree--it's nice to drive a finely engineered car.

My parents have a 15-year old (approximately) 528. When they were shopping for a new car at the time, they were looking at Cadillac, Buick, Lexus, Acura, etc., and I told them they should look at a BMW. Being the Baby-Boomers they are, the idea of a BMW was a bit novel to them. One test drive was all it took. I got to drive it a bit later on the West Virginia Turnpike--bumpy, curvy mountain interstate--and was immediately impressed by the night and day difference between it and the various Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets, and Oldsmobiles I had grown up with. The BMW was on rails, even over chatter bumps! Naturally, then, my mind went to BMW when I had my own chance in 2009.

I'd like to think I could give my M3 to my 2-year-old son when he graduates from high school. I'm a little concerned about the upkeep of the convertible top mechanism, but so far it's flawless.

JB

[JB_Vert]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

It is a matter of practice and experience. Eventually it becomes second nature and while it is still satisfying it is no longer challenging and you are free to concentrate on other areas of high performance driving,

CA

Also true of golf, I'm told.

JB

[ES_TRADER]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

There is a great deal of satisfaction in executing a perfect rev matched shift.

CA

Wish I knew about this tactic when I had my scion xbox. I put 175k miles on it, original clutch when sold and never did a rev match. Didn't even know what it was

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by JB_Vert

Neat e28 story! And I agree--it's nice to drive a finely engineered car.

My parents have a 15-year old (approximately) 528. When they were shopping for a new car at the time, they were looking at Cadillac, Buick, Lexus, Acura, etc., and I told them they should look at a BMW. Being the Baby-Boomers they are, the idea of a BMW was a bit novel to them. One test drive was all it took. I got to drive it a bit later on the West Virginia Turnpike--bumpy, curvy mountain interstate--and was immediately impressed by the night and day difference between it and the various Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets, and Oldsmobiles I had grown up with. The BMW was on rails, even over chatter bumps! Naturally, then, my mind went to BMW when I had my own chance in 2009.

I'd like to think I could give my M3 to my 2-year-old son when he graduates from high school. I'm a little concerned about the upkeep of the convertible top mechanism, but so far it's flawless.

JB

You should do just that keep the M3 for your son as long as you keep it in good shape all will be well. I know what you mean about the mechanism (I had a sDrive Z4 35i before this M3 e82). I think if you keep an eye on the mechanism have it looked at yearly it should be just fine. You can check it out yourself too if you are so inclined, much info to be found on the web on this subject.

Mind you I did a lot of my own maintenance on the e28 and treated the car with kid gloves. So naturally it is in great shape. When my daughter finished her first 4 years at the university I wanted to get her a new 3 series and all she said was "Please dad can I have your 528is instead" and naturally she got it and I got myself the e46. Now we are restoring the e28 completely, new front fenders, complete paint job with original factory ordered paint, some minor maintenance she never plans to sell it. It is just that great a car.