Manual or DCT?

[guarnibl]

Originally Posted by kepler

Unless it's a daily driver in heavy traffic, I couldn't even imagine going with the DCT. The only automatic transmission sports car I've owned is a 911 Turbo S with PDK. I kept it for two months. That's how long it took for the novelty of the torque to wear off and the reality of the boring transmission to set in. The car cost four times as much as my M3s and wasn't even half the fun to drive. I think you'll quickly regret it if you pass on the 6MT. I agree that the absence of the competition package in the manual is a serious negative, but it's easier to do modifications that adjust for that than it is to convert a DCT to 6MT!

+1000

New PDK-S is better over the 997.2 TTS ( had one as well ) but you're absolutely right. I'm rocking a 2016 Boxster spyder now and love love love the 6 speed in it.

[triggz82]

I've driven manual exclusively for 20 years. In the M I don't miss it. The dct shifts beautifully and I have the gts update. I daily drive in the city to work and the auto is far more relaxed. Granted I have a fun Miata at home if I ever want to row gears. 2 cents.

[Kamen]

I was never able to understand the big deal of inconvenience of having a MT in traffic. I've been in all kinds of traffic and never ever have I felt the manual to be tiring or tedious.

[carenthuziast]

Originally Posted by UPSROD

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

Buyer's preferred easy.

[BOOF-M3]

Originally Posted by carenthuziast

Buyer's preferred easy.

As in that is fact? You know what was in the minds of buyers at the time of purchase. Or is that an assumption?

[jaehshim]

Originally Posted by UPSROD

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

you r right, more ppl love the coupe M better, i know I'm just weird
i was that weird one loving the E36 M3 sedan rather than the coupe or the new E46 lol so when this E90 came out it was on my computer backhround along with the b7 rs4

[UPSROD]

Originally Posted by jaehshim

you r right, more ppl love the coupe M better, i know I'm just weird
i was that weird one loving the E36 M3 sedan rather than the coupe or the new E46 lol so when this E90 came out it was on my computer backhround along with the b7 rs4

I was more referring to the DCT verses the 6 speed manual...but, I have always preferred coupes.

[cgoldie187]

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?

Enjoy the DCT man its the way to go

[Megabrode]

Originally Posted by Kamen

I was never able to understand the big deal of inconvenience of having a MT in traffic. I've been in all kinds of traffic and never ever have I felt the manual to be tiring or tedious.

+1

[UPSROD]

Originally Posted by Kamen

I was never able to understand the big deal of inconvenience of having a MT in traffic. I've been in all kinds of traffic and never ever have I felt the manual to be tiring or tedious.

Try downtown Seattle!

[srmast1]

Originally Posted by UPSROD

Try downtown Seattle!

Rarely do I find the 5 or 6mt tedious in cities, but LA in work traffic and downtown San Francisco when its busy can be challenging for the tendons and ligaments in my feet. I don't find it so tedious, just physically tiring with the constant stop/go repetition. It's more rewarding much more often than it is unpleasant for me. I bet I won't like that for my daily in 5 to 10 years however. I feel like it's a younger man's game..

[Malloy]

2020 bump.

Now that these cars are a bit old and many folks are coming back to the E9X M3, how does the transmission affect market price and desirability?

Auto E36M - worth much less than manual - bad trans for sporty car
SMG E46M - worth much less than manual - not great and expensive to fix

DCT is absolutely awesome and it really made the E9X M stand out. What does the market think? Does DCT hurt value? Improve value? I realize more DCTs were sold.

[SoCalRPM]

Originally Posted by Malloy

2020 bump.

Now that these cars are a bit old and many folks are coming back to the E9X M3, how does the transmission affect market price and desirability?

Auto E36M - worth much less than manual - bad trans for sporty car
SMG E46M - worth much less than manual - not great and expensive to fix

DCT is absolutely awesome and it really made the E9X M stand out. What does the market think? Does DCT hurt value? Improve value? I realize more DCTs were sold.

Personally, I've been a hardcore MT guy - never had a garage without a clutch pedal in it. But when I drove the DCT, it really won me over. I found myself thinking about it the next day like the way a good movie can linger with you. It's just a better transmission. It rev matches and down shifts better than you can. For the record, I hated the SMG.

I think most casual buyers, and hard core enthusiasts won't be open to the beauty and benefit of the DCT. So the market does favor the manual. I was opposed until I drove it.

I guess you could say I "settled" with DCT because the car was an amazing spec in such good condition that it was head and shoulders better than any other example I looked at. That being said, I miss the third pedal.

[fatalelement]

Originally Posted by SoCalRPM

Personally, I've been a hardcore MT guy - never had a garage without a clutch pedal in it. But when I drove the DCT, it really won me over. I found myself thinking about it the next day like the way a good movie can linger with you. It's just a better transmission. It rev matches and down shifts better than you can. For the record, I hated the SMG.

I think most casual buyers, and hard core enthusiasts won't be open to the beauty and benefit of the DCT. So the market does favor the manual. I was opposed until I drove it.

I guess you could say I "settled" with DCT because the car was an amazing spec in such good condition that it was head and shoulders better than any other example I looked at. That being said, I miss the third pedal.

I love a good 3 pedal setup but I also really love the DCT. I never was militantly opposed to a good sporty 2 pedal, but the DCT really rarely does anything I don't want it to and in S6 the changes are brutal and satisfying. In some cars it feels like you're missing out on something to do with your hands/left foot, but I find that the increased frequency in shifting on the lower end of the gearset with the gearing (and the fact that this car requires a bit more than some to keep it in the right power band anyway) makes me feel plenty engaged with the transmission. I use the knob out of habit rather than the paddles, but it's a really sturdy transmission, very few issues, easy to maintain, and honestly replacing it isn't that expensive. BMW took a long time to get it right but it's a good one.

[kyrix1st]

I got both so I don't need to argue which is better. DCT is good when you want to let your spouse downshift while holding hands. 6MT is the way to go if you want total control of the car and feel the adrenaline pumping.

[3Pedals_6Speeds]

Originally Posted by Kamen

I was never able to understand the big deal of inconvenience of having a MT in traffic. I've been in all kinds of traffic and never ever have I felt the manual to be tiring or tedious.

+1

[br2wdc]

DC traffic simply killed my preference for MT, so we probably have different definitions of what "all kinds of traffic" means.

Originally Posted by Kamen

I was never able to understand the big deal of inconvenience of having a MT in traffic. I've been in all kinds of traffic and never ever have I felt the manual to be tiring or tedious.

[MaAl]

Either way you go there will be a time when you wish you had the opposite transmission..

I chose DCT after driving a 6mt because of how disconnected and rubbery it felt in stock form compared to the rest of the car.. I know now that with a UCP, knob, and an SSK it is much better, but still, the DCT feels like it was made for the e9x, the 6mt doesnt feel quite as in tune with the rest of the car.

There are definitely moments when the DCT makes the car feel way too "normal" and i want a manual but those feelings typically go away after a quick 2-3 in MDM at WOT lol..

I sold my e36m to step up to the e92 and I dont think either transmission really scratches the itch an older manual M car does...

[94jedi]

Originally Posted by br2wdc

DC traffic simply killed my preference for MT, so we probably have different definitions of what "all kinds of traffic" means.

Traffic in the DMV is terrible. I'm from MoCo and traffic/congestion was a huge part of why I left the area.

[Eja144]

Opting for the 6MT in a high revving motor has forced me to get so much better at rev matching and heel/toe. In my WRX and DSM Eclipse, it was easy to be lazy and just rely on the turbo, but the S65 makes you work in a good way. I may be slower than the guy down the block with a DCT, but damn is it satisfying to hit that perfectly rev-matched 5th-to-3rd shift for a highway merge.

[DanMpower]

*Warning, completely subjective opinion ahead*

I'm going on 5 M3s here, 3 were DCT, and 2 were 6MT. Had my F80 for over 2 years, during that ownership I added a couple of E92 M3 DCTs to the stable. The E92s never stayed more than 3 months after the honeymoon phase, frankly, I expected them to be much more fun considering the hype. I nearly gave up on the platform and jump to an E46...

In comes the E9x M3 with a 6MT modded with a great aftermarket shifter, the driving dynamics were enough to make me sell my F80 instantly with zero regrets. This magical combo has given me such an insane amount of driving pleasure, it's amazing what a difference transmission choice makes on this car for me. I'm not out chasing numbers, I left the F80 because it was such a digital and sterile driving experience, it was fun because it was fast. I wanted my DD to be fun because it was visceral and analog, I wanted it to tickle all my senses; a naturally aspirated V8 that revs to 8400 mated to a manual 6spd gives me EXACTLY what I was searching for.

I'm not sure if anybody else does this but when I had my DCT equipped E92 M3s, driving around town I would purposely lift, pretend I had a clutch pedal, then upshift with the DCT knob before getting back onto the throttle trying to replicate that "manual" feeling. My wife would always ask me WTF am I doing.

[MJBO]

Occasionally I wish I’d gotten a 6 MT V8 M3, but the DCT is so good an exciting I don’t feel that way for long. About to be better with the GTS DCT tune.

Also, BMW manuals aren’t the best. I’ve owned two Z4 and E46 M3) and both were pretty sloppy to shift. Porsche is waaaaaay ahead in this regard.