Going from Stick to DCT. For those who did it, how do you feel about it????

[armyav8tor]

Originally Posted by trendy26

Ok, so I've been driving stick my whole life. Would have never thought about buying a car of this nature in anything other than stick. BUT, now I'm in a dilemma" Test drove a DCT, and was completely amazed by it! It is an amazing transmission, and now am actually considering going that route.

My questions is: For those of you who have driven stick most of your lives and went with the DCT, how do you like it? Ever have any regrets by not going with the manual?

My wife wanted me to get the 6mt but if I was going to sell my 335i (6mt) it had to be for the DCT. I test drove 2 6MT M3s before I decided on selling the 335i as the DCT was not available yet. So I ordered my M3 with the DCT believing blindly that the DCT would be great and as luck would have it, I was right. At the track, I feel one with the car. The transmission shifts so crisply through the gears, it's amazing. The high rev V8 is a perfect mate for the DCT. The DCT is not for everyone, but it matches my driving style perfectly.

Here's how my M3 w/ DCT sound at the Nurburgring:

Here it is at the 1/4 mile track using LC:

Here's me having fun at an autox event with some light drifting mixed in:

Doing the same 1 month earlier at the autox:

Don't take my word for it, find out for yourself if the DCT is right for you. My other 2 cars are still manuals and yeah, I like to row my own gears on the street (to include in traffic) but nothing beats the DCT if you drive like I do at the track. I can heal-toe with the best of them, but not having to spend that extra 1% of my concentration on my left foot has made it that much more enjoyable when I'm focusing on the lines. It opens up a whole new dimension.

[Nawaaz]

^ Whoa! Did that stock M3 just beat that Z06 at the dragstrip?!?

[armyav8tor]

Originally Posted by Nawaaz

^ Whoa! Did that stock M3 just beat that Z06 at the dragstrip?!?

Nope, I caught him sleeping at the line. He blew by me toward the end.

[Nawaaz]

Originally Posted by armyav8tor

Nope, I caught him sleeping at the line. He blew by me toward the end.

hahahehe.....Yeah, the Z06 always gets stronger expecially at the end. I hate that!

[skierman64]

Originally Posted by armyav8tor

At the track, I feel one with the car. The transmission shifts so crisply through the gears, it's amazing. The high rev V8 is a perfect mate for the DCT. The DCT is not for everyone, but it matches my driving style perfectly.

Here's how my M3 w/ DCT sound at the Nurburgring:

+100, I like your description of DCT.

Nice 8:20 BTG time at the ring, with 5-10 seconds hold up due to traffic. Please tell me that wasn't your 2nd lap ever there. You had a lot of great lines throughout the whole run, so I'm guessing you've been around there a few time previous to this run.

[skierman64]

Originally Posted by Nawaaz

hahahehe.....Yeah, the Z06 always gets stronger expecially at the end. I hate that!

It's hard to overcome the laws of physics, in particular the 350 lb weight advantage the plastic car has.

[Nawaaz]

Originally Posted by skierman64

It's hard to overcome the laws of physics, in particular the 350 lb weight advantage the plastic car has.

True................Wait! Are you sure?

[Los Angeles]

Originally Posted by SenorFunkyPants

As a lifelong manual gearbox driver (all performance cars mostly 911/911 turbos) I switched to an SMG E46 and then to an E92 DCT M3 and never ever looked back. I had an E92 manual loaner the owner day and it quickly reminded me what an awfully archaic and counter intuitive system a manual gearchange is. Don't be fooled by all the "MT is more connected" BS that will hit this thread sooner rather than later, the DCT gives you all the connection and control that an MT gives you without all the pointless jamming up and down of your left leg and stirring a stick around with your hand.

However even a manual M3 is better than no M3 at all!

[quality_sound]

After driving a DSG for the last 2 years and test driven the M-DCT twice I think that the M-DCT is far less involving and does indeed disconnect you from the car. I'm sure the M-DCT is much better for track use and it's definitely faster and gets slightly better mileage but it's nowhere near as involving as the 6MT.

[SenorFunkyPants]

Originally Posted by quality_sound

After driving a DSG for the last 2 years and test driven the M-DCT twice I think that the M-DCT is far less involving and does indeed disconnect you from the car. I'm sure the M-DCT is much better for track use and it's definitely faster and gets slightly better mileage but it's nowhere near as involving as the 6MT.

I'm thinking of fitting a clutch pedal to my computer desk to try and improve my computer connection.

[MTROIS]

...I wish I could afford two M3... one of each!!

- e90 with DCT for GF (and the track?)

- and a 6MT e92 for me

...but, wait!! I already have a e92 6MT!!!

[armyav8tor]

Originally Posted by skierman64

+100, I like your description of DCT.

Nice 8:20 BTG time at the ring, with 5-10 seconds hold up due to traffic. Please tell me that wasn't your 2nd lap ever there. You had a lot of great lines throughout the whole run, so I'm guessing you've been around there a few time previous to this run.

Thanks, definitely not my 2nd lap ever. I've put probably ~50 laps in with the M3 and ~20 laps with the 335i before that. I've actually gone faster (I won't say how fast since I don't have a video to back it up) but I didn't record those laps on account of getting kicked out if the stewards catch you recording. That was my last weekend before shipping the car back to the States so I figure, what the heck. Unfortunately, I didn't take the wife's advice to change my brakes and tires before going there (I was trying to save money by waiting till the car was back in the States). My front discs were badly warped and my front tires had absolutely no sidewalls left so I didn't have nearly as much confidence in my braking and cornering as my other weekends and the shitty part was I ended up changing tires and brakes anyway because the car was undriveable after the weekend. She still gives me shit about it because she wanted to get a sub 8 min lap on video.

The DCT is a great piece of work. Could it be any better? Not at the track (the downshift issue was resolved for me after the software update). In daily driving? for sure, but the M3 is not my daily driver. I'm very happy to hear BMW is going back to the slush box and moving away from the V8. We definitely have something special and I'm going to hold on to it for a very long time.

[Brosef]

Originally Posted by armyav8tor

Thanks, definitely not my 2nd lap ever. I've put probably ~50 laps in with the M3 and ~20 laps with the 335i before that. I've actually gone faster (I won't say how fast since I don't have a video to back it up) but I didn't record those laps on account of getting kicked out if the stewards catch you recording. That was my last weekend before shipping the car back to the States so I figure, what the heck. Unfortunately, I didn't take the wife's advice to change my brakes and tires before going there (I was trying to save money by waiting till the car was back in the States). My front discs were badly warped and my front tires had absolutely no sidewalls left so I didn't have nearly as much confidence in my braking and cornering as my other weekends and the shitty part was I ended up changing tires and brakes anyway because the car was undriveable after the weekend. She still gives me shit about it because she wanted to get a sub 8 min lap on video.

The DCT is a great piece of work. Could it be any better? Not at the track (the downshift issue was resolved for me after the software update). In daily driving? for sure, but the M3 is not my daily driver. I'm very happy to hear BMW is going back to the slush box and moving away from the V8. We definitely have something special and I'm going to hold on to it for a very long time.

your wife sounds like Marisa Tomei in My Cousin Vinny.

"Cause Chevy didn't make a 327 in '55, the 327 didn't come out till '63. And it wasn't offered in the Bel Air with a four-barrel carb till '64. However, in 1964, the correct ignition timing would be four degrees before top-dead-center."

[skierman64]

Originally Posted by armyav8tor

Thanks, definitely not my 2nd lap ever. I've put probably ~50 laps in with the M3 and ~20 laps with the 335i before that. I've actually gone faster (I won't say how fast since I don't have a video to back it up) but I didn't record those laps on account of getting kicked out if the stewards catch you recording. That was my last weekend before shipping the car back to the States so I figure, what the heck. Unfortunately, I didn't take the wife's advice to change my brakes and tires before going there (I was trying to save money by waiting till the car was back in the States). My front discs were badly warped and my front tires had absolutely no sidewalls left so I didn't have nearly as much confidence in my braking and cornering as my other weekends and the shitty part was I ended up changing tires and brakes anyway because the car was undriveable after the weekend. She still gives me shit about it because she wanted to get a sub 8 min lap on video.

The DCT is a great piece of work. Could it be any better? Not at the track (the downshift issue was resolved for me after the software update). In daily driving? for sure, but the M3 is not my daily driver. I'm very happy to hear BMW is going back to the slush box and moving away from the V8. We definitely have something special and I'm going to hold on to it for a very long time.

I'd be shocked if BMW went from DCT to an auto slushbox. I'm not sure I believe that. Look how long SMG has been around. I suppose it won't matter to me for another 12-15 years anyhow...next time I'm in the market for a new M3.

EDIT: I really liked your line through Adenauer Forst, I've never figured out the correct setup for that one in my measly 8 laps there.

OK, you have to say, what's your best BTG time?

[armyav8tor]

Originally Posted by skierman64

I'd be shocked if BMW went from DCT to an auto slushbox. I'm not sure I believe that. Look how long SMG has been around. I suppose it won't matter to me for another 12-15 years anyhow...next time I'm in the market for a new M3.

EDIT: I really liked your line through Adenauer Forst, I've never firgured out the correct setup for that one in my measly 8 laps there.

OK, you have to say, what's your best BTG time?

BMW has been making some bonehead decisions lately so it might not be as far fetched as it seems. I'm keeping this M3 forever even if I purchase another one in the future. This one is special, I basically learned to drive on the Ring with it and we've gone through at least one "oh shit" moment every weekend at the Ring. The car definitely earned this sticker:



Adenauer Forst is a favorite viewing point for my wife and I, we would make the long ass walk up the hill and watch people go into the S-turn too hot and spin out or worse. Germans are even more ridiculous, they go up their with air horns, alcohol, bbq grilles and basically are just cheering for people to crash. There are a bunch of videos on Youtube of those incidents. As for the lines I chose, I can't take any credit for it. I got one of those Ring instructional videos and just watched the race driver's lines. I take pride in precision and I actually missed the apex on the exit.

My best BTG time was 8:07 with almost no traffic, got the time down to 8:15 consistently with more traffic than in the videos. I usually go into the corners at 99% and down the straights at 85% because high speed and blind corners (yeah, even the straights have blind corners) don't mix on a tourist day. I usually top off at 140 mph going down Flugplatz (fastest part of the track). I like to take significant risks but I don't have a death wish. My work schedule never aligned with any of the driving schools held at the Ring so I never got to drive on a non-tourist day. That is my biggest regret but I'll be back in Germany one day and my pursuit of a sub 8 min lap with this M3 will resume (all I need are Pagid brake pads and Michelin Cups).

[duk]

DCT to 6MT plz

[swamp2]

Originally Posted by armyav8tor

My best BTG time was 8:07 with almost no traffic, got the time down to 8:15 consistently with more traffic than in the videos.

Wow, you are modest, that is pretty elite driving. As you probably know the Sport Auto time for the M3 6MT is 8:05.

All I can say is.....






and

[armyav8tor]

Originally Posted by swamp2

Wow, you are modest, that is pretty elite driving. As you probably know the Sport Auto time for the M3 6MT is 8:05.

All I can say is.....






and

hehe my time is BTG (bridge to gantry) not a full lap (Sport Auto's time). It takes another 20 - 25 sec to run the straight (Dottinger Hohe), which is closed off during tourist days. So best case scenerio, its a 8:25 to 8:30 full lap. My times are pretty respectable for a tourist day (I was passed 2 times in ~50 laps, M3 CSL and GT3RS) but there is no way to push the car to its limit as there are too many things that can go wrong when there are a bunch of tourists driving on the track. That final weekend, I hit a pretty nasty oil spill at Angst Kurve (spilled by one of those cheap rental track cars, CDT is the name of the company). I have it on video but I say some pretty stupid things in it so I'm not going to upload it... hahaha

[skierman64]

Originally Posted by swamp2

Wow, you are modest, that is pretty elite driving. As you probably know the Sport Auto time for the M3 6MT is 8:05.

We're comparing apples to oranges. The sport auto time is a full lap minus a 200m section, 12.8 miles. Mr. Aviator's time is Bridge to Gantry "BTG" which cuts out a whole straight and is 11.9 miles (the straight would be run well over 100mph so probably adding 30 secs to the time would give you the equivelant sport auto time). Regardless, any time close to 8 on street tires is fast.

Here's more info than you really wanted to know, click here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordsch...test_lap_times

EDIT: Oops always hit refresh to see if someone else responded to the same comment.