Pic/Info Request: M3 GTS MDrive interface

[mkoesel]

If anyone has seen pics of this, please post. Owner's manual information would be great too.

In all liklihood, this is the same interface that will become standard on all M3s in September.

[aajami]

The M3 GTS doesn't come with iDrive. Single hump only!

[Scoobe]

Originally Posted by aajami

The M3 GTS doesn't come with iDrive. Single hump only!

Think it has the new non-iDrive Mdrive options, that the OP is talking about.

[Great White]

No i or M drive at all! It´s completely manual setup.

By great_white at 2010-07-20

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Great White

No i or M drive at all! It´s completely manual setup.

Is that a production car? In one of the reviews I saw a pic of the steering wheel with what I'd sware was an M Button. I'll try to track down the pic.

At any rate, from the reviews, we know it has MDM mode for certain. I would be somewhat surprised if it does not have adjustable Servotronic steering and Sport Plus throttle too. If it does, there must be some way to set them, obviously. And even if it doesn't, I am still very curious about MDM mode on this car and how you active it. Like I said in my OP, I'd love a PDF of the manual to help sort out all of these unknowns.

Originally Posted by aajami

The M3 GTS doesn't come with iDrive. Single hump only!

Definitely, yes. Not what I was asking about, though.

[mdosu]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

At any rate, from the reviews, we know it has MDM mode for certain. I would be somewhat surprised if it does not have adjustable Servotronic steering and Sport Plus throttle too. If it does, there must be some way to set them, obviously. And even if it doesn't, I am still very curious about MDM mode on this car and how you active it. Like I said in my OP, I'd love a PDF of the manual to help sort out all of these unknowns.



Definitely, yes. Not what I was asking about, though.

If i were designing the GTS I would not have an option for Sport Plus and Serovtronic. It's suppose to be a track car like the GT3RS, so no need for any of those, and with no IDrive, you'll need to have some sort of race-mode default when you hit the M button and assumptions of nomal default and M default will have to be made.

So this is what I think happens:
There's a button for DSC on/off at any time.
Sport Plus or non-Sport Plus through the "Power Button". (only 2 options)
The M button would put it all in some sort of race-mode default with MDM on, though user has option to turn DSC on/off in M mode with DSC button.
Servotronic is default regardless of mode, or will only be active with M on.

simple enough, no need for IDrive. It should be brainless where if you hit "M" you know it's on race mode, not "did I grab my wife's key b/c her M setting doesn't have Servotronic on, and she likes it on Sport not Sport+"

seriously, the 100+ possible combo of configuring the iDrive M3 is tedious and needlessly complicated.

[Great White]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Is that a production car? In one of the reviews I saw a pic of the steering wheel with what I'd sware was an M Button. I'll try to track down the pic.

At any rate, from the reviews, we know it has MDM mode for certain. I would be somewhat surprised if it does not have adjustable Servotronic steering and Sport Plus throttle too. If it does, there must be some way to set them, obviously. And even if it doesn't, I am still very curious about MDM mode on this car and how you active it. Like I said in my OP, I'd love a PDF of the manual to help sort out all of these unknowns.



Definitely, yes. Not what I was asking about, though.

My mistake sorry I f***ed up ! Of course it has M Drive NO iDrive though!
The MDM is set to your specific setup which I believe has to be done at the garage or over Laptop.
Yes this is a production GTS. the first customer car. Here´s my thread :
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=410483

BTW the rest of the buttons on the steering wheel don´t work.. they should have just done it like the CSL: one button

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by mdosu

If i were designing the GTS I would not have an option for Sport Plus and Serovtronic. It's suppose to be a track car like the GT3RS, so no need for any of those,

I can appreciate that possibility but I am looking for firm info. I don't necessarily agree that there is "no need for any of those". The Sport Plus is mostly useless on or off track perhaps, but having the ability to use the less aggressive steering when off the track would still be something that some owners might want.

and with no IDrive, you'll need to have some sort of race-mode default when you hit the M button.

No, not necessarily. Instead you could just use whatever the new non-IDrive-dependent MDrive interface that is coming in September is going to be. In fact, until now, I was thinking that it was because of the GTS that BMW developed this and was making it available to all M3s. Now, that's sounding a lot less likely.

So this is what I think happens:
There's a button for DSC on/off at any time.
Sport Plus or non-Sport Plus through the "Power Button". (only 2 options)

I think it would remain Sport and Normal, because as I said, IMHO Sport Plus has limited value.

The M button would put it all in some sort of race-mode default with MDM on, though user has option to turn DSC on/off with DSC button.
Servotronic is default regardless of mode, or will only be active with M on.

That's all plausible, yes. I am hoping we can get some of this minutae confirmed.

simple enough, no need for IDrive.

Right, but again, that's not what's in question here.

Originally Posted by Great White

My mistake sorry I f***ed up ! Of course it has M Drive NO iDrive though!
The MDM is set to your specific setup which I believe has to be done at the garage or over Laptop.
Yes this is a production GTS. the first customer car. Here´s my thread :
http://www.m3post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=410483

BTW the rest of the buttons on the steering wheel don´t work.. they should have just done it like the CSL: one button

Thanks for the link - I'd seen that thread but somehow missed the steering wheel pic. Contrary to your second statement, then, it seems like it probably does not have MDrive after all.

Interesting info about the steering wheel buttons not working. I'd like to have seen simple "blanks" there, but I suppose that's a nitpick that owners won't give a second thought too.

I very am curious about this "has to be done over a laptop" situation you mention. Certainly that would just be for calibration, if anything, right? To activate MDM mode itself, you need a button at the very least.

[Uli_HH]

Hi ... I send the owner of the first GTS an PN in the german MPW forum if he could explain me how the mDrive were programed in his car.

Wait what he answers me!

Uli_HH

[mkoesel]

Thank you Uli_HH - I appreciate that. Looking forward to his answer.

[donovan]

Nice...reminds me of my car. Without all that random CRAP. lol

[Green///Hell]

If someone could crack the software and carryover the increased limitations of the new Mdrive for the GTS to our cars I'll jump on it

[southlight]

Since there's no Car Information System in the M3, BMW had to find another way to allow setting the M Drive. Here's how it works in the GTS, courtesy of the M3 GTS aftersales document found here:

1) Ignition on

2) Set M-DCT and Power mode as you wish it to be (via the buttons on the center console, i.e the 'Power' button and DKG setting rocker switch)

3) Push and hold down the M button on the steering wheel for more than two seconds.

Servotronic Sport and MDM are always activated when M Drive is selected, and there's no way for the customers to change that theirselves.

The 'Normal' power mode was dropped, so there's only Sport and Sport Plus. Also, without changing the settings as mentioned above, the M Drive comes preset with Sport Plus and S5.


Best regards,
south

[mkoesel]

Thank you very much southlight!

Some questions come immediately to mind:

1) First and foremost - why doesnt the pic posted above show an M button? Or maybe it does and it just doesn't look like it?

2) Why did they drop "Normal" power mode? Many people like that for the track - including the M School in the US for example. But, maybe they have remapped the Sport and Sport Plus settings so they are more like in between the normal M3s Normal and Sport, and Sport and Sport Plus settings?

3) Not being able to use Servtronic Sport setting with DSC Off seems like a pretty big limitation to me. Edit: I guess you probably can do this but you have to hit the M Button and THEN turn DSC Off, right?

4) The most burning question in my mind: is this the same way BMW has implemented the standard MDrive for the standard M3 starting September?

Despite the drawbacks, I have to say that this is cleverly simple. I would love to see the ability to retrofit this to any pre-September 2011 M3.

[Great White]

Originally Posted by southlight

Since there's no Car Information System in the M3, BMW had to find another way to allow setting the M Drive. Here's how it works in the GTS, courtesy of the M3 GTS aftersales document found here:

1) Ignition on

2) Set M-DCT and Power mode as you wish it to be (via the buttons on the center console, i.e the 'Power' button and DKG setting rocker switch)

3) Push and hold down the M button on the steering wheel for more than two seconds.

Servotronic Sport and MDM are always activated when M Drive is selected, and there's no way for the customers to change that theirselves.

The 'Normal' power mode was dropped, so there's only Sport and Sport Plus. Also, without changing the settings as mentioned above, the M Drive comes preset with Sport Plus and S5.


Best regards,
south

South
That was well needed info as I heared that the GTS was, as you write, not changable by the customer. The garage has to connect it to the laptop or PC or whatever to do the settings.
Thanks !

[aajami]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Definitely, yes. Not what I was asking about, though.

Sorry. What exactly is "M Drive", then?

[Great White]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Thank you very much southlight!

Some questions come immediately to mind:

1) First and foremost - why doesnt the pic posted above show an M button? Or maybe it does and it just doesn't look like it?

2) Why did they drop "Normal" power mode? Many people like that for the track - including the M School in the US for example. But, maybe they have remapped the Sport and Sport Plus settings so they are more like in between the normal M3s Normal and Sport, and Sport and Sport Plus settings?

3) Not being able to use Servtronic Sport setting with DSC Off seems like a pretty big limitation to me. Edit: I guess you probably can do this but you have to hit the M Button and THEN turn DSC Off, right?

4) The most burning question in my mind: is this the same way BMW has implemented the standard MDrive for the standard M3 starting September?

Despite the drawbacks, I have to say that this is cleverly simple. I would love to see the ability to retrofit this to any pre-September 2011 M3.

1) it is the button you just can see it
2) as do the trainers over here too
3) I would imagine so. I or Uli_HH will get some answers soon for you
4) ???

[Great White]

Originally Posted by aajami

Sorry. What exactly is "M Drive", then?

OMG please don´t say you have an M3 E92 without M-Drive PLEEEEASE !

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by aajami

Sorry. What exactly is "M Drive", then?

M Drive is the system whereby you can set up a profile that specifies your preferences for various parameters of an M vehicle's sub-systems and then call them up all at once with the touch of the M button.

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Great White

South
That was well needed info as I heared that the GTS was, as you write, not changable by the customer. The garage has to connect it to the laptop or PC or whatever to do the settings.
Thanks !

I am still curious about what the purpose of the laptop is here. Are you saying that you can use the laptop to program the M Button such that it does not activate Sport Servotronic and activates some DSC mode other than MDM? If so, that is neat. Nevertheless, its not correct to say that the GTS is not customizable by the customer. The customer can, in fact, set the "Power" and Drivelogic MDrive settings to whatever he wishes via the console buttons as southlight described - just not the DSC and Servotronic settings.

Originally Posted by Great White

OMG please don´t say you have an M3 E92 without M-Drive PLEEEEASE !

I do. Quite a few of us do in fact. It's not really something to make fun of, IMHO. Didn't you just scold someone for taking cheap shots at the Corvette in another thread?

Anyway, thanks for your contributions to this thread. I see now that the button actually is an M Button as I had originally thought.

[southlight]

Originally Posted by mkoesel

Thank you very much southlight!

Some questions come immediately to mind:

1) First and foremost - why doesnt the pic posted above show an M button? Or maybe it does and it just doesn't look like it?

2) Why did they drop "Normal" power mode? Many people like that for the track - including the M School in the US for example. But, maybe they have remapped the Sport and Sport Plus settings so they are more like in between the normal M3s Normal and Sport, and Sport and Sport Plus settings?

3) Not being able to use Servtronic Sport setting with DSC Off seems like a pretty big limitation to me. Edit: I guess you probably can do this but you have to hit the M Button and THEN turn DSC Off, right?

4) The most burning question in my mind: is this the same way BMW has implemented the standard MDrive for the standard M3 starting September?

Despite the drawbacks, I have to say that this is cleverly simple. I would love to see the ability to retrofit this to any pre-September 2011 M3.

Pleasure! Every now and then, it's of benefit to speak German.

2) It's just a matter of what mappings they use. That's somewhat off topic, but I'm under the impression (wrongfully?) that the Normal setting for the regular M3 got even softer after some software updates, and Sport became the new Normal, while Sport Plus became the new Sport. If the M3 GTS follows that rule as well, Sport and Sport Plus are perfectly fine.

3) I'm quite sure that's possible exactly in the way you're describing.

4) Maybe. Though, using the Car Information display in the instrument cluster might be a more convenient way to set M Drive, so I tend to think BMW will go that route.


Best regards,
south

[mkoesel]

Originally Posted by Green///Hell

If someone could crack the software and carryover the increased limitations of the new Mdrive for the GTS to our cars I'll jump on it

I think you meant "increased limitations of the new MDM mode for the GTS", right?

This actually reminds me of another question. That is, is the more forgiving MDM mode found in the GTS essentially the same as that for the M3 ZCP MDM mode? In other words does the ZCP allow the same level of traction loss, yaw, slip, etc, as the GTS, or is the GTS MDM mode even "harder core"?