Does an Automatic Transmission e92 BMW M3 exist?

[mphatic]

Originally Posted by CATCH_M3

To be honest he may have been coming to the board to do exactly that - getting a clue about the car. I have had friends honestly ask me whether it comes in automatic and although I am like , i know they are genuinely asking for . Maybe it's true this is a troll thread, but let's give the benefit of the doubt sometimes. My dad would ask this type of question LOL. (he can drive stick, but hates it.) I see where youre coming from but hey; at least its not another m3 vs 335i thread

PS. sometimes you need the 3rd pedal to pull the spectacular tail slides you want. just sayin

And I understand what you're saying and have no problem with it; you're probably just a lot more patient with stupid questions than I am I think this board is a great resource for people to learn about the car but it's somewhat insulting or obnoxious to ask such a rudimentary question that the OP could have easily answered on his own if he had bothered to learn anything about this car. It's like posting on a Corvette forum and asking about the 4 door model. And he is not a curious "friend" but represented himself a someone who was considering buying the car but wanted it in an automatic! I just can't cut him as much slack as you do for such a dumb-ass question

[mtla4]

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by CATCH_M3

PS. sometimes you need the 3rd pedal to pull the spectacular tail slides you want. just sayin

You don't need a 3rd Pedal to pull a spectacular tail slide in an M3.

CA

[CATCH_M3]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

You don't need a 3rd Pedal to pull a spectacular tail slide in an M3.

CA

Not saying I completely disagree with you or your vast knowledge as a driving instructor; but sometimes it is a good way to break the tail loose. The Porsche boss cites it as one of the reasons they didn't mate PDK w/ the GT3, in addition to the "purist" driving involvement. (don't know how truthful he was being.) Just like the e-brake is not needed to pull the best slides in the M3, but you see Keichi Tsuchiya doing just that in this video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fshWGQfeHQ

I do agree that most of the team it's not needed though, you're right .

[captainaudio]

Originally Posted by CATCH_M3

Not saying I completely disagree with you or your vast knowledge as a driving instructor; but sometimes it is a good way to break the tail loose. The Porsche boss cites it as one of the reasons they didn't mate PDK w/ the GT3, in addition to the "purist" driving involvement. (don't know how truthful he was being.) Just like the e-brake is not needed to pull the best slides in the M3, but you see Keichi Tsuchiya doing just that in this video:

I do agree that most of the team it's not needed though, you're right .

I am not sure exactly how you would get the car into a (controlled) slide using the clutch. A poorly executed down shift (i.e. improper rev match) will suddenly slow the car down and shift the weight forward which can cause the rear end to break loose. This is commonly called "Trainling Clutch Oversteer (TCO) and is difficult to control. The rear end can be broken loose in a more controllable manner by letting off on the accelerator, which will shift weight to the front contact patches, and then hitting the accelerator in order to get the rear wheels to break traction. Being in (or shifting to) a lower gear will make it easier to break the rear tires loose but it is the accelerator rather than the clutch that is used to break traction of the rear tires. How you get to the lower gear (i.e. MT or Paddle Shifters) should not make a difference and the shift should still be properly rev matched. By keeping a delicate balance between the steering and the accelerator the car can be held in a drift. To hold the drift will require consant correction of both the steering wheel and the accelerator to keep the car on path and to keep the rear tires spinning.
CA

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by Glendale818

Hey guys. I know most m3 owners love the manual transmission but I really want an automatic one for many reasons. Now is there one in existence?

Yes, but it's not the typical automatic transmission with a torque converter. It has 2 wet clutches with manual (manumatic) controls, and it's the newest and most complicated auto tranny yet, with their share of problems, most related to their electronic control (lag, stalling, etc).

Just a sample of the many available automatic trannies on the market: most widely used is planetary gears with a torque converter. Others are: sliding gears with torque converter (Honda/Acura), planetary gears with a wet clutch (AMG), sequential manual tranny with electronic clutch control (SMG, Ferrari F1, many race cars), CVT, etc.

The simple fact all of them operate the clutch and do the shifting for you makes them automatics, but the similarities end there. The DCTs can shift quicker than a manual tranny, but are jerky on automatic mode. The best compromise so far seems to be AMGs tranny, which also shifts quicker than a manual, but has the reliability and smoothness of a typical automatic... along with most of their weight. All of them are a compromise of some sort. And yes, the manual is also a compromise, but it's the simplest and lightest.

Bottom line is do some reading on the DCT (you can spend a month doing that ) and decide if you want to consider it. Next step is to drive an M3 such equipped, of course. And no, forget about 'retrofitting' anything else. Good luck.

[C17MooseDriver]

Yes, it does have an automatic transmission, that can be shifted using paddles. A transmission that shifts automatically is an automatic transmission, irregardless of whether it's double clutch or uses a torque converter.

[MVF4Rrider]

Originally Posted by C17MooseDriver

Yes, it does have an automatic transmission, that can be shifted using paddles. A transmission that shifts automatically is an automatic transmission, regardless [correction: regardless] of whether it's double clutch or uses a torque converter.

What would you call the gearbox in the M3 GTR then? Shifts are all performed without clutching (up and down). Therefore rowing is taking place instead of finger shifting, but never once is the 3rd pedal used.

Note: inset is slightly out of sync with main view.

Bottom line is sequential gearboxes should not be reduced to traditional automatics. The fact sequential gearboxes can imitate traditional automatics just adds to their flexibility, but the design intent is a manually operated gearbox in which the obsolete 3rd pedal is omitted.

I can only imagine the fact the M-DCT M3 is quicker and more capable than the 6MT bothers some. In addition, why is the use of the left leg considered more "involved" than your left fingers when it comes to shifting? When you're letting your brain determine the shift points, there's equal involvement. One is just more efficient than the other.

[C17MooseDriver]

Originally Posted by MVF4Rrider

What would you call the gearbox in the M3 GTR then? Shifts are all performed without clutching (up and down). Therefore rowing is taking place instead of finger shifting, but never once is the 3rd pedal used.

Note: inset is slightly out of sync with main view.

Bottom line is sequential gearboxes should not be reduced to traditional automatics. The fact sequential gearboxes can imitate traditional automatics just adds to their flexibility, but the design intent is a manually operated gearbox in which the obsolete 3rd pedal is omitted.

I can only imagine the fact the M-DCT M3 is quicker and more capable than the 6MT bothers some. In addition, why is the use of the left leg considered more "involved" than your left fingers when it comes to shifting? When you're letting your brain determine the shift points, there's equal involvement. One is just more efficient than the other.

Let's not focus on the technology and the debate of traditional vs non traditional automatic. That isn't what the OP asked.

Here's a dictionary definition of an automatic transmission

Noun 1. automatic transmission - a transmission that automatically changes the gears according to the speed of the car

Does the DCT do this? Yes. Is it a traditional automatic? No.

I never mentioned driver involvement or what transmission is better. OP just asked if the M3 had an automatic transmission. By definition, the M3 does. Let's not add personal emotions into a simple question the OP asked.

[duk]

6mt ftw

[Georgeair]

Originally Posted by Glendale818

Well thank you for your input everyone. M-DCT is the way to go I guess.

Actually, may I recommend a Lexus ES350?

[gr8000]

oh God, not again...

[footie]

@OP,

The M3 has a DCT (dual clutch gearbox) which performs all the duties as a proper automatic, i.e. it shifts gears by itself, it creeps in reverse, it hill holds, it has a snow mode (of sorts D1 (starts in 2rd)) and as most automatic today it will shift gears manually using paddles on the steering wheel.

Is it as good as a proper automatic, the simple answer is YES, in almost every discipline it's every bit as good. But as others have said already it has it's faults, there is a bit of lag on downshifts at slow speed which in the past could be quite lengthy, up to 2s without drive and it isn't quite as smooth in traffic but overall it's a great system and much much better than the SMG was before it.

[graider]

Originally Posted by captainaudio

You don't need a 3rd Pedal to pull a spectacular tail slide in an M3.

CA

that's right, watch this m3 dct

[graider]

i wouldn't mind having the m3 gtr tramission in my car with the m5 v10. that would be an awsome combo.

[ColoCane]

Originally Posted by r53s65e90

OP,

the M3 comes with an automatic transmission which is called M-DCT and costs around $3000. It does everything you would expect from an automatic transmission

I'm sure someone beat me too this, but this statement is absolutely not true. It does have an "automatic" shift feature (D mode), but it is not an automatic transmission. One example is that stopped on a hill, you will roll backwards if you let off the brake. The double clutch system removes the need for a manual clutch, but the best you could say is that it is a hybrid of the common transmissions you're used to.

[mphatic]

Originally Posted by Georgeair

Actually, may I recommend a Lexus ES350?

[Kyosho]

[gatorfast]

I dont undestand why some people take such offense to the DCT being called an automatic. To me, and a lot who share my thoughts, if it automatically shifts for you then its an automatic. The mechanics inside the transmission are not what makes it an automatic, its the fact the a computer is controlling the shifting, not a human...hence the term automatic and not manual. Arguing torque converter vs. 2 clutches is just semantics.

[JCtx]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

I dont undestand why some people take such offense to the DCT being called an automatic. Arguing torque converter vs. 2 clutches is just semantics.

Indeed. People chose DCT to avoid the hassle of operating a manual clutch and a gearshift lever in unison with every gear change. It's called an automatic here and in China. Yeah, most of us 6MT owners also accept the fact the automatic DCT shifts A LOT quicker than our manuals. What's the big deal to admit what's pretty darn obvious?

It's just like saying bi-sexuals are not gay. They're gay people who also like (or tolerate?) women . DCT is an automatic tranny that operates differently than the typical one, but an automatic nonetheless. And once perfected, it'll probably be the best automatic for car enthusiasts who don't want the hassle of a manual. Most high-end cars are jumping on the DCT bandwagon. Good day.

[Surfclown]

Originally Posted by Technic

This thread is absurd IMO, that's all.

If you go to any dealer you will see at least one M3 with the M-DCT transmission, which has an automatic mode, in their lot. If you go to the www.bmwusa.com site you will see the same thing. If you can come to this site then you can go to any dealer site or to the BMW site.

Your question then cannot be taken seriously.

+1 info from dealer.

-1 info from bmw website. They do a crappy job explaining any of the options.

[C17MooseDriver]

Originally Posted by gatorfast

I dont undestand why some people take such offense to the DCT being called an automatic. To me, and a lot who share my thoughts, if it automatically shifts for you then its an automatic. The mechanics inside the transmission are not what makes it an automatic, its the fact the a computer is controlling the shifting, not a human...hence the term automatic and not manual. Arguing torque converter vs. 2 clutches is just semantics.

Finally, somebody who gets it. +1