Another Reaction to the M3 Experience

[e36jakeo]

The gearbox issue does wind up being somewhat subjective. I have an S2000 and an E36 M3 with short shifter. While from a mechanic FEEL perspective and shortness of the throws there is simply no shifter as good as the S2000. But I found if you really rush it in the lower gears (1-2 shift, 2-3 shift) you can wind up grinding the gears. This never happens on the street, where it feels perfect, but has happened many times when trying to get my best lap time at Infinion.

The M3 is the opposite. It feels a lot less mechanical and, even with the short shifter the throws are longer. In daily driving it feels pretty good, but not magical like the S2K. But on the track I NEVER grind a gear, never miss a shift, and with the clutch delay valve removed I can shift at least as fast as the S2K.

I think BMW really designs these shifters for function over overall feel. Just my $0.02.