Manual or DCT?

[b4hand]

I just got a DCT coupe. I love it. But I wanted the DCT. I say get whatever you want and don't worry about the 6mt vs dct too much.

[ualdrivr]

Originally Posted by srmast1

I'm a 6mt guy, but sometimes I wish I had a free hand to say..hold a sandwich. But yeah the DCT is just too convenient and uninvolving for us MT people. Rowing through the gears is alot of fun and there is something about the back and forth/side to side movement of my shifting arm + heel toe that I just can't get enough of. If there was less notchiness, it would be even more fun. DCT is smooth, faster and awesome for sure, it's just missing that visceral manual shift feel that us MT people crave.

[cgoldie187]

Just bought a DCT and its INCREDIble. the manual's ratios arent made for the s65. get dct

[BOOF-M3]

Originally Posted by cgoldie187

Just bought a DCT and its INCREDIble. the manual's ratios arent made for the s65. get dct

I just had a revelation revealed to me. I think for me part of the problem is that every manual I test drove (4) had stock exhaust. And both DCT cars I test drove had some type of exhaust mod. So I think for me the louder cars (DCT) felt more driver involved. Just drove a 6MT with exhaust this morning and hearing the exhaust made it a completely different driving experience. Now I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach that I didn't go with 6MT. I have two E9X M3's. Any of you manual guys want to trade for DCT cars?

[Cerberus]

6MT

There is no substitute.

[carenthuziast]

Originally Posted by BOOF-M3

I just had a revelation revealed to me. I think for me part of the problem is that every manual I test drove (4) had stock exhaust. And both DCT cars I test drove had some type of exhaust mod. So I think for me the louder cars (DCT) felt more driver involved. Just drove a 6MT with exhaust this morning and hearing the exhaust made it a completely different driving experience. Now I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach that I didn't go with 6MT. I have two E9X M3's. Any of you manual guys want to trade for DCT cars?

never. I may fall asleep behind the wheel.

[ualdrivr]

Originally Posted by BOOF-M3

I just had a revelation revealed to me. I think for me part of the problem is that every manual I test drove (4) had stock exhaust. And both DCT cars I test drove had some type of exhaust mod. So I think for me the louder cars (DCT) felt more driver involved. Just drove a 6MT with exhaust this morning and hearing the exhaust made it a completely different driving experience. Now I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach that I didn't go with 6MT. I have two E9X M3's. Any of you manual guys want to trade for DCT cars?

My 6MT ZCP 2013 E92, has MPExhaust on it and a K&N air filter, which I installed, the sound is amazing. I'm finding myself more and more, not even listening to the stereo anymore, I just listen to the motor and exhaust

[Koo]

Originally Posted by ualdrivr

My 6MT ZCP 2013 E92, has MPExhaust on it and a K&N air filter, which I installed, the sound is amazing. I'm finding myself more and more, not even listening to the stereo anymore, I just listen to the motor and exhaust

Hey, I don't think you are making this poor guy feel any better! My UUC Corsa Exhaust sounds fantastic as well paired with 6 speed manual!

[ualdrivr]

Originally Posted by Koo

Hey, I don't think you are making this poor guy feel any better! My UUC Corsa Exhaust sounds fantastic as well paired with 6 speed manual!

[BOOF-M3]

Originally Posted by Koo

Hey, I don't think you are making this poor guy feel any better! My UUC Corsa Exhaust sounds fantastic as well paired with 6 speed manual!

I was just about to tell all of my car enthusiast friends about your amazing 2008 M3 with the low mileage engine that you have for sale Koo, but you will have to tell them yourself now.

[Koo]

Originally Posted by BOOF-M3

I was just about to tell all of my car enthusiast friends about your amazing 2008 M3 with the low mileage engine that you have for sale Koo, but you will have to tell them yourself now.

Oh forgive me, I have sinned.

[BigMW]

I say stay with the DCT car. It has the comp package and the other one does not. At the end of the day, you're going to enjoy either one. I just bought my first DCT car and I love it so far.

[CHE///MIST3]

I often think about wanting to switch mine to a DCT for the super fast gear changes, and for comfort in traffic....but then I look at those 3 aluminum pedals and supple M5 shift knob go back to being happy.

[GVIFlyer]

Not to be contrarian, but does anyone else here think that the shifter on the M3 6-speed manual in the E9X is "ropey" with long throws? That was my impression after a test drive and I'm now on my third E9X with a DCT.

[STooK]

Coming from a s2000 the MT in the M3 felt sloppy and the throws were long but now I love it. Just gotta get used to it like anything else.

Also this is kind of unrelated, but I've been noticing the MT cars are already starting to edge out the DCT's in price, especially the 13's which are mostly DCT. I would love to have DCT on the M3 if it was my daily but it's not so MT all the way for me. On my second MT e9x and didn't even consider DCT.

[GVIFlyer]

Originally Posted by STooK

Coming from a s2000 the MT in the M3 felt sloppy and the throws were long but now I love it. Just gotta get used to it like anything else.

Also this is kind of unrelated, but I've been noticing the MT cars are already starting to edge out the DCT's in price, especially the 13's which are mostly DCT. I would love to have DCT on the M3 if it was my daily but it's not so MT all the way for me. On my second MT e9x and didn't even consider DCT.

I suspect that you're right, the shifter on my S2000 works like the action of a bolt-action rifle, there's not much that compares.

[Koo]

Originally Posted by GVFlyer

Not to be contrarian, but does anyone else here think that the shifter on the M3 6-speed manual in the E9X is "ropey" with long throws? That was my impression after a test drive and I'm now on my third E9X with a DCT.

Get the UUC short shifter kit for $250 and it makes the car feel a lot better.

[srmast1]

Originally Posted by Koo

Get the UUC short shifter kit for $250 and it makes the car feel a lot better.

I have an m5 shift knob and ultimate clutch pedal, and the car feels better, ALOT better. Does the UUC short shifter kit give a smoother shift (less notchiness) and is it easilly height adjustable? I like the distance of the throw with the m5 knob, I just don't like the notchiness in the shifter. I don't want a shorter shifter throw, just more smoothness in shifting

[jaehshim]

if talking STOCK manuals from my experience,

BMW M: long throw, notchy but no play at all once the gear is in, minimal vibration

Honda S2K: short throw, notchy, minimal vibration

Old Subaru (bugeye etc): long throw, rubbery, so much vibration, almost scared of gear popping out because there's just so much vibration and play while in gear

New Subaru (BRZ): short throw, similar to s2K but still that damn vibration of subaru manuals...

VW/Audi: long throw, so smooth, literally like a joystick. This is good in city traffic because it's so smooth you can literally shift with your fingernail, but again, it's bad because you have 0 feel and 0 feedback, feeling like a gaming joystick is quite bad when driving dynamically. minimal vibration.

Porsche: no experience, heard it's same cable style as VWs and is soft yet with good positive feedback

Nissan: heard it's the worst of all, rubbery

[jaehshim]

Originally Posted by STooK

Coming from a s2000 the MT in the M3 felt sloppy and the throws were long but now I love it. Just gotta get used to it like anything else.

Also this is kind of unrelated, but I've been noticing the MT cars are already starting to edge out the DCT's in price, especially the 13's which are mostly DCT. I would love to have DCT on the M3 if it was my daily but it's not so MT all the way for me. On my second MT e9x and didn't even consider DCT.

yea, DCT is great but can't replace MT
sometimes think about DCT when in the middle of city traffic for 40 minutes, but then every time that happens I think about getting a daily driver, not replacing my 6MT M3.

MT model has been a quite rare find in the used market since the E46s, only 1336 examples were produced GLOBALLY for the E90 LCI (09,10,11) models with 6MT.

[UPSROD]

Not to be an ass, but, they are rare because no one ordered (wanted) one!

[GRM Scott]

A manual offers an unmatched level of driver engagement in a sporting car. Race cars ditched the technology long ago because sequential gearboxes and later dual-clutch setups simply offer faster lap times and free up a chunk of the driver's available concentration, but if you're not getting paid to turn lap times, who cares? A great three-pedal car is musical instrument in the hands of a capable driver. It's the difference between a Fender Strat and this: