6MT, forgive me I have sinned

[SD-E93-11]

Originally Posted by artar

Let's hope your mastery of shifting is better than your mastery of writing. "Your" a genius.........

OK, I used the incorrect "your" twice out of three...and used the correct instance once, you got me. Does that make you feel better about your 6MT transmission?

Let's see, here's some recent contributions from you in your last page of posts.

On 10/4 you managed: "+1000 for MR color! dig it. "

On 8/5, you contributed: "yes. Yes. YeS. YES. YES YES YES YES YES!"
Good one, I like how you really worked that lower case to upper case motif.

On 7/26, you came up with: "Mine's referred to as 'my Johnson' "
That's pretty intellectual.

On 7/23, you could only muster: "Like."
Great post, cuz we needed to know that.

7/14, you contributed with a "+1000".
Thought-provoking.

So yeah, compared to contributions like that, I am a genius and master of writing.

[duk]

my 6mt is amazing

[767IJP]

E93-11

Dude what is your problem? You come in like a bull in a china shop why? Because we all don't take your personal preference as the word of God? People answered to my concern and I'm thankful. Why don't you just relax if you can and just ignore these threads? It appears you lack the self control to enter one and not make yourself out to be a complete know-it-all.

Go play with your paddles. I'm glad you enjoy em. But dude.... Ya gots to chill man.

[M3x5]

I'll tell you my experience with the DCT. My first two e92 m3's were DCT. However, for my current m3 figured out why I was bored with the m3, so I got it in manual. Now, it's much more fun to drive. I remember why I loved my e46 so much. It was for the experience of driving.


Keep the stick shift

[flpnout]

Excellent choice! It may have a bit of a longish throw, but I still love shifting with a 6 speed manual any day!

[SD-E93-11]

IJ,

This may come as a shock to you, but I honestly don't care if you order the inferior transmission, I actually have much love for MTs. And it doesn't get any more "chill" than driving an e93 in sunny San Diego.

However, if you post with "how's the 6mt in the m3?" and the board comes back to you with "fair to middling...has some issues like your Porsche", and you respond with "great, I'll get that, then!"...I'm going to laugh. Openly. If that makes you uncomfortable, then sorry...row in peace.

As for Artar, he wanted to be an Internet grammarian, which is fine, I'm sure he's on a noble mission. But if you're going to play that card you should try contributing something more to the forum than "Like" and "+1000" because it's people posting something substantive that keep this from being a dull place.

[luis_m3]

I'm a DCT owner and love it, especially during heavy traffic and at the track; it is a lot of fun. But truth be told, I still miss the ability to shift and use the clutch.
Get a MT... Because you WILL miss it as well.

[TQPDWN]

I drive a 2011 E93 6MT its my first 6MT but 2nd car, this thing is easy and a beast!

[M5Hambre]

I've had a 6MT for several months now. Up until now, I was thinking about almost switching to a DCT car as the shifts were long and often notchy. The ZHP shift knob def helped.

What really helped, though, was getting the UUC SSK w/ DSSR being installed (ordered from Turner). Now, the shifts are much shorter and buttery smooth, even 1-2 shift. It almost feels like my old Honda tranny now, much easier and more fun to drive. Def worth the money. You won't regret it!

After getting this installed, I am def glad I stuck with 6MT.

[Tony B]

I had a 2008 E92 with 6MT, which followed 2 E46 M3s with SMG. I definitely struggled with the vagueness of the clutch for quite some time, and with that car the change into 2nd - up or down - was always a bit of a pain.

I now have a 2012 E92, 6MT, and the feel of the clutch is quite different, heavier ( but not too much) and the take up seems more clearly defined. The change into 2nd is waaaayyy better than before.

I chose manual because I wanted a more involving experience and whilst the first time around I wondered for some time whether I had made the right decision, this time around I have absolutely no doubt. Every gearchange is an experience to be savoured.

[jonasaurus]

OP, in short its not as good as a Porsche 6MT (from my past experiences) but its not so drastic that you're going to want a refund. As eluded to in earlier posts, if you really dislike it for the long throw, imprecise shifts there are partial remedies for it. I personally recognise the deficiencies in it but have not felt the need to make any modifications to how it came stock 1 year ago.

[KASM3]

I've had both transmissions: pros and cons of both. I 'felt' more in love with my 6MT e92. There is something about shifting a MT that connects you. The DCT is a superior tranny. On track it's monster. For daily driving it makes the car 'easy' to live with and I guess that's part of the problem. 80% of the time it's just a car until you push it or the M button. You can't go wrong with either but if you like shifting it's great. If not, DCT. If you track a lot, DCT. If not, MT. Traffic where you live, consider DCT.
I will admit many times I miss the MT! Ohh yeah, slightly better mileage with DCT because it will try to get you to 7th gear from 30 mph. I hope I didn't confuse you more. Good luck

[heart_doctor]

Love my 6MT.. Takes about 3500 miles to loosen a bit .. Se notchyness when going from 1st to 2nd, but that has improved and is almost gone.

I didn't like the DCT, my main gripe is that it is on the steering wheel. I was always searching for the shifter when I was trying to shift while turning.

My friend has a GTR where the paddles are on the column, much better ....

[Doc V.]

No complaints about or issues with my car's 6MT.

[armyav8tor]

Originally Posted by KASM3

I've had both transmissions: pros and cons of both. I 'felt' more in love with my 6MT e92. There is something about shifting a MT that connects you. The DCT is a superior tranny. On track it's monster. For daily driving it makes the car 'easy' to live with and I guess that's part of the problem. 80% of the time it's just a car until you push it or the M button. You can't go wrong with either but if you like shifting it's great. If not, DCT. If you track a lot, DCT. If not, MT. Traffic where you live, consider DCT.
I will admit many times I miss the MT! Ohh yeah, slightly better mileage with DCT because it will try to get you to 7th gear from 30 mph. I hope I didn't confuse you more. Good luck

What you wrote makes perfect sense for most drivers but in this case SD-E93-11 made some very good points. To the OP, I look forward to your honest assessment of the 6spd when it arrives. I test drove an e92 M3 6spd as the M-DCT was not available yet and I disliked it enough to gamble on the DCT. I was coming from a 335i manual and while it was an improvement over that, it still didn't impress me like the what the guys coming from better transmissions like the s2000s and the 911s said.

After assessing this debate over the years, I've come to the conclusion that the s65 is meant to be mated with the M-DCT. The DCT takes advantage of the high rev nature of the V8. This reasoning was further cemented when I spent a few days in a VW Jetta TDi loaner with a DCT (or whatever the VW one is called). I was impressed with how the transmission was able to take full advantage of the power band. That thing is fast, and there is no way a manual can do what this tranny was doing, and I've had a long relationship with manual diesels because I was stationed in Germany for over 7 years.

So, the bottom line is that the new automatics are amazing. They are very technologically advanced as is the e92 M3 and not mating the 2 together means you are crippling the car's full potential. Some people are fine with that but not for me. Not for my M3. I've felt the full potential of this car and it is extremely rewarding. Heck, it's been almost 3 years since I've felt it but that memory alone will forever be ingrained in my brain and enough to justify that I'm driving an automatic. I love my clutch pedal as much if not more than any car enthusiasts which is why I bought a Mazdaspeed3 just to satisfy that need.

[LarThaL]

Originally Posted by 767IJP

New to forum, new to BMW. Just ordered 2012 E92 M3. Going with ED first week of May. Can't wait.

I have searched threads, and have to ask about the 6MT. I have seen a lot of griping about this tranny. I drove a 2002 Boxster S 6MT for 4 years and loved it.

I test drove the DCTand enjoyed it and was shocked at the responsiveness but I didn't find it to be as engaging. Nothing against it, just a preference. I did not test drive the 6MT, figured what could be wrong? Then I see all these people complaining about the shift/clutch feel.

How bad is this tranny? Are these complaints petty gripes or should I change the order to the DCT? I would only do so if this tranny was complete garbage.

Thanks in advance, sorry if this is a dupe thread. Can't wait for the car.

Just to clarify. 6MT is far and away first choice. I don't like the shifter, too long and will replace it with the OEM short shifter after second delivery.

Cheers, Merry Christmas.

I have driven manuals my entire driving life. My previous car before my M3 was an Audi RS4. I have driven a Cayman S, and I would imagine the Boxster feels very similar. So, with this preface in mind, here's what I think:

The clutch in the M3 is very nice IMO. It is light, easy to modulate and makes for very fast shifts. It is a little lighter than the Cayman, and a good deal lighter the RS4.

The shifter is the M3's weak spot. When the car is new, the shifter feels a bit "rubbery". By that, I mean that the shifter does not have a solid mechanical engagement feel to it when it slides into gear. I actually think this gets slightly better with time. Also, the shifter is very light...too light. It simply needs more weight to it. That being said, its lightness, again, makes for very fast shifts once you get used to it.

I test drove many dual clutch cars before I ordered my manual M3. Dual clutch is simply not involving enough for me in a car like this, and I think the technology still needs a little work. If you really like manuals, you will not be happy with DCT.

Bottom line, the manual is just fine. It may seem a bit different at first, but once you get used to it, the weaknesses don't bother you, and the lightness really makes for fast shifts.

[lukester]

If you love beeing engaged and and having to "work". 6MT.
If you love the feeling of sitting in front of your Playstation playing Gran Toursimo. DCT.

If you wanna race that car on the track and you want to find every single tenth of a second -> DCT
If you wanna race that car on the track but you're looking for days where you have to drive, brake, clutch, shift, .... -> 6MT. And once you get along with heel and toe braking and you hit the rev when you clutch in it's gonna be one of the best feelings you'll ever had.

I drove the DCT 2 days on the Nordschleife (BMW Driving Experience). Just some weeks later I ordered a 6MT due to mentioned reasons.

Now - yes. The clutch is too soft and you have to get used to it. If your M3 is gonna be your only car you'll drive day by day you'll forget that clutch within days. But if you're switching between many manual shifter cars nearly every day it's gonna hurt you.

But the answer is easy: Get a race clutch for your 6MT. It's gonna give you exactly that feeling everybody is looking for. Harder pedal feeling & a better feedback of when the clutch plates start to contact.

From that point: If you every have driven a Porsche 911 GT3 RS MKII which has the mother of all manual transmition ever build and you're looking for that feeling just add a short shifter linkage to your 6MT (UUC SSK w/ DSSR e.g. from Turner Motorsports).

That's it.
Now we have a superb clutch feeling, a superb shifter and you are the driver. Not the computer.

[bobbyd1961]

Originally Posted by immiketoo

I don't have any issues with either of my M3s. Some do. Time for

i love my mdct

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Getting comfy with my watching the sparks fly

[Mr. ///M3 RD]

Originally Posted by Doc V.

No complaints about or issues with my car's 6MT.

That is (I think) the right answer and as a price there are 4 more ring avatars for you to chose from

[Drjoeb]

At first I was digging it, then hating it, now loving it. I'm not expert on transmissions or shift boxes or anything but it seems fine to me. One thing I did notice, if the engine is cold and i go from 1st to 2nd it might grind - not all the time strange. Other then that it's fine. It really doesn't bother me as I'm not perfect either, car has some charm, makes me love it that much more.

[TTSam]

Coming from an auto transmission with paddles (F10 535) - I really appreciate getting back into a MT. Especially with this car.

I knew going in the DCT was faster and more efficient. It is just not as engaging. Plus my left leg muscles are in better shape...........

M3 with MT is not really a stoplight racer in part because of the first to second shift - but from second on it is a monster.

Even first to second is fine once you get used to it; and without question you need to take it easy until the engine warms up.

The only other time I might miss DCT is highway cruising in 7th gear. 6th in the MT is relatively 'revvy' almost like it needs another gear.