Test drove DCT e90 m3 today...

[Bimmr7]

Originally Posted by Trevor .:R

It was from bob smith BMW in calabasses, I didn't loose to much on the trade in not enough to complain! But if you want more details pm me.

No Thanks I was just wondering. Picked up my 13 ZCP this past Saturday. Congrats!!

[Denk]

Coming from an e46 w/SMG, I planned on getting the e92 in manual. I test drove both and was totally shocked by the DCT, loved it! Too bad BMW didn't have their DCT for the e46.

[CSanto]

Originally Posted by CBS

DCT on the track is pretty nuts - I love it!
Allows me to concentrate more on my line and believe me I need all the help I can get.

DCT with Wife (as the passenger) is awesome too - use your imagination......

haha. Post of the day!

[Mr Gunfun]

I had a DCT E92 M3, now a 6MT E90 M3 and an IS-F.
I can assure you that I totally miss the DCT!!! (on track/street)
6MT feels a bit "cheap" to me since it isn't a perfect feeling shifter (i even ssked it).
Heel and toeing and rowing gears is a diff story.
IS-F tranny is brutal compare to the DCT.

[zsx_m]

Does anyone else think the sedan feels more rigid and "planted" than the coupe like OP mentioned? I kinda had this feeling too but my friend thought it was in my head.

[Mr Gunfun]

Originally Posted by zsx_m

Does anyone else think the sedan feels more rigid and "planted" than the coupe like OP mentioned? I kinda had this feeling too but my friend thought it was in my head.

It is more rigid.
I confirmed this when I drove my E90 on the track.

[Kasé Zomé]

As much as I love rowing my own gears, the DCT is amazing and my next car will probably have some derivative of it.

[Porrado]

Love the dct too. Congrats!

[exmowner]

Originally Posted by freeman727

I too come from a manual transmission background. I have an e90 M3 with DCT and I like it, but I'm glad I still have my 07 MCS w/ manual transmission! I can't get use to manually shifting the DCT.

My thoughts exactly!

When I traded my 01 6sp m3 in for a then new smg version I like it when I was driving aggressively but I could never get use to shifting on a daily basis.

Then I got into reading about DCT and how superior it was to the Smg and I bought a 08 M3 e90. DCT is night and day to SMG, having multiple clutches really smoothes everything out. Driving it quickly was an absolute blast! Again I found it awkward shifting in day to day driving conditions and felt like I was always in the wrong gear.

Now I'm in a 09 6Sp e92 and I guess I'm a row box type of guy

[exmowner]

Originally Posted by CBS

^ Corrected my post above....

[bigjae1976]

The DCT is a superior gearbox but I still think a 6MT is more satifying to drive.

Personally, I find the DCT more difficult to drive on the track. Its much harder to get into a rhythm and there's more shifting. I actually kind of find it distracting. Its so easy to grab the wrong gear...just takes a flick of the paddle. Maybe I need a louder exhaust so I can hear the engine better.

Vs my 6SP 330. I clearly know what gear I am in. There's something about the slotting in of the gear lever while YOU blip the throttle and the bark of the engine...done by your own foot.

[STi_traitor]

Originally Posted by bigjae1976

The DCT is a superior gearbox but I still think a 6MT is more satifying to drive.

Personally, I find the DCT more difficult to drive on the track. Its much harder to get into a rhythm and there's more shifting. I actually kind of find it distracting. Its so easy to grab the wrong gear...just takes a flick of the paddle. Maybe I need a louder exhaust so I can hear the engine better.

Vs my 6SP 330. I clearly know what gear I am in. There's something about the slotting in of the gear lever while YOU blip the throttle and the bark of the engine...done by your own foot.

+1

I enjoy the DCT, it IS the greatest transmission I have ever had. On the Nurburgring I found it slightly boring and difficult at times with selecting a gear and when trying to get that gear working for it. I couldn't imagine on another track that requires more frequent shifts. Great experience but not like my last 6SPD on the track, just slam into the gear you want. Nothing can truly replace the ultimate feel of a 6SPD but nothing can compare to the DCT performance. I did an airfield event and found the DCT to be best in this situation, almost like an auto-x event but free for all style. I did notice for drifting events DCT is the way to go, never had to remove my hands from the wheel.

The most important this is that I can talk on my phone, drink my Monster and drive all at the same time with DCT. Just kidding!

[peeti]

I've been driving stick for the last 30 years with one diversion to a Mercedes C63 which only came with a slushbox. Now that motor was so near perfect, that it didn't bother me that I had an automatic (not even a dual but an honest to goodness slushbox). Then life threw me a curve and I had to sell it.

I went back to stick, drove a JCW mini, a 135 and a 335 since. All 6 speed. Recently, life threw me another curve. A medical condition that causes me tailbone pain from sitting in general but even worse when shifting it turns out. Seems the action of working the clutch increased my pain tremendously. There is no cure, just management, so I resigned myself to getting another auto.

I ran across a fantastic condition 2011 with DCT and jumped in. Honestly, other than my foot randomly looking for a clutch pedal, I don't miss rowing at all. I love the snick-snick sound the powertrain makes when shifting. I love being able to put it in D (5 FTW!) whenever I need to just chill out and not participate as much. Most of all, the experiment worked. The pain has lessened.

While my situation is unique - the need. The feeling of not needing a stick shift is not. I can finally agree that MT is an antiquated technology and we've been holding on because of our emotional attachment.

If you're on the fence, go drive one and you'll soon join the supposed "dark side."

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by CBS

DCT with Wife (as the passenger) is awesome too - use your imagination......

We always have to make the better half happy

Example ...

Had a perfect nice ///M3 2012 e92 all loaded

Wife said "We should go to only one car!"

after long discussion on this subject she agreed to get another Bimmer once I told her and convinced her (a little strong arming was used I must confess) the ///M3 also comes in automatic

So we changed form a 2012 (with only 2000 KM on the odometer) back to a new e92 2011 all loaded (of course) with DCT.

Three weeks later she changed her mind and told me "I will keep my car, yours' is too noisy for me and shifting is too confusing"

Of course she got no argument from me (internally I smiled and was happy as hell). I must admit after driving two ///M3s' with MT I do prefer the DCT. I say this since shifting the gears was never as smooth as on my original 1987 5 Speed MT on our 535is. Guess I was spoiled way back in 1987

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by peeti

I've been driving stick for the last 30 years with one diversion to a Mercedes C63 which only came with a slushbox. Now that motor was so near perfect, that it didn't bother me that I had an automatic (not even a dual but an honest to goodness slushbox). Then life threw me a curve and I had to sell it.

I went back to stick, drove a JCW mini, a 135 and a 335 since. All 6 speed. Recently, life threw me another curve. A medical condition that causes me tailbone pain from sitting in general but even worse when shifting it turns out. Seems the action of working the clutch increased my pain tremendously. There is no cure, just management, so I resigned myself to getting another auto.

I ran across a fantastic condition 2011 with DCT and jumped in. Honestly, other than my foot randomly looking for a clutch pedal, I don't miss rowing at all. I love the snick-snick sound the powertrain makes when shifting. I love being able to put it in D (5 FTW!) whenever I need to just chill out and not participate as much. Most of all, the experiment worked. The pain has lessened.

While my situation is unique - the need. The feeling of not needing a stick shift is not. I can finally agree that MT is an antiquated technology and we've been holding on because of our emotional attachment.

If you're on the fence, go drive one and you'll soon join the supposed "dark side."

Sorry to hear about some of life's curves crossing your path. I just like to pass along that once I started driving my DCT toy I often pretended to shift (hand on the stick), my mind would say shift now! just to see how close I was to the computer shifting

When I use the paddles some folks follow me then stop when I stop and say "man great exhaust note on you ///m3 love it" that mostly happens when I downshift using the paddle shifter.

Yes I love my DCT now ... once I was on the fence, no more

[W///]

Originally Posted by shaq diesel

Your definition of "lunatic" must be pretty broad...

Just look at the number of DCT transmission BMW has sold and the number of people who have mechanical horror stories. Lets also add this transmission is also slated to make it to two generations of M3's. I just don't see the need for the amount of fear people are tossing around with this transmission.

But to each his/her own...

It depends on everyone's situation, but I plan on keeping my M3 for a while (unless something unexpected happens). How many DCT's have actually gone over 100k? It's just too early to tell.

Having said that, when I was shopping for an M3, type of transmission wasn't a high priority for me. I've driven DCT before so I knew I'd be happy with either. Glad the car I found was 6MT though. The engine and electronics is complicated enough, I don't need the DCT to be in the back of my head as well.

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by peeti

While my situation is unique - the need. The feeling of not needing a stick shift is not. I can finally agree that MT is an antiquated technology and we've been holding on because of our emotional attachment.

If you're on the fence, go drive one and you'll soon join the supposed "dark side."

I think it would be stupid if BMW decided to ignore its potential customer base and stick with MTs because that's "pure". Your situation is a great example of this. But I hope that M continues to offer MT's.

Originally Posted by STi_traitor

I did notice for drifting events DCT is the way to go, never had to remove my hands from the wheel.

The most important this is that I can talk on my phone, drink my Monster and drive all at the same time with DCT. Just kidding!

Actually, no. Its a PIA for drifting. Clutch kick? No. Only option is to give it a bootfull which, at least for a drifting noob, is not the best option.

[tony093]

Originally Posted by canadian stig

I agree with dave. I'm sure the dct feels great and shifts awesome, but unless you are buying the car semi-new or cpo, only a lunatic would own a dct used car out of warranty.

+1 on that

[TVMA Doc]

Originally Posted by sycd

I used to drive manuals only, but when it came to an E92 M3 went with the DCT and never looked back.

I have only had manual transmissions-other than my e90. I still have a 6 speed manual in the S2000, so every time I get in the S2000 I am reminded why I drive a manual, and every time I get in the M3, I'm reminded why I have an M-DCT. It's all rather confusing, but in a pleasantly enjoyable way.

[JulieDriving]

Originally Posted by TVMA Doc

I still have a 6 speed manual in the S2000, so every time I get in the S2000 I am reminded why I drive a manual, and every time I get in the M3, I'm reminded why I have an M-DCT. It's all rather confusing, but in a pleasantly enjoyable way.

I get what you're saying. The S2000 shifter is sublime... And there are some cars I must have in manual (like our Miata).

Yes, I think the 6MT will have less potential issues down the road, but I really prefer the DCT mated to the current M3. So it was more important to me to enjoy it for as long as I have it, than to worry about "what if" down the road...

I recently tested an F30 335i M-Sport with the M-Sport short shifter. Wow, much nicer than the E92 335i M-Sport with M-Sport short shifter. If I were buying a 335i sedan today, I'd get a manual over the new, faster-shifting and more fuel efficient 8AT. I would also consider a new M3/M4 with manual, depending on how nice the manual feels. I suspect however, BMW will do what they did with the E9x M3 and F10 M5: build the new car with a dual clutch transmission in mind

[bigjae1976]

Originally Posted by JulieDriving

Yes, I think the 6MT will have less potential issues down the road, but I really prefer the DCT mated to the current M3. So it was more important to me to enjoy it for as long as I have it, than to worry about "what if" down the road...

Oddly...the best 6SP gearbox in the BMW family was the one used with the M54 in the non-Ms (330/530/Z4 3.0). That is the crispest shifting gearbox, more so than the E46 and E9X M3 gearboxes. Its also stronger allegedly...

[positiveions]

I test drove a DCT once, and never looked back.