blacks2k

ok, seeing as we're all driving enthusiasts (hey we own an impratical two seat roadster, that is relatively harsh compared to luxury europeans of the same price- well in australia that is,) anyway, my question is this, with the e46 bmw m3, seeing as though the smg2 is a nco (no cost option), would you get it over the getrad 6sp manual. i have not had the opportunity to drive either system, but my brother did have an e36 m3 with the standard 5sp and it was ok, nothing like the s2k gearshift though. also, after reading the december evo magazine about sequential transmissions and the standard manual trans with the s2k being used as the pinnacle of manual gearshift technology- of course, then what would u people select and to the people that have an e46 m3 which did u choose and why.
remember, as a pure driving enthusiast, a manual gearshift is alwys the choice, hell the ferrari paddle shift isnt even that good compared to the manual.
this is a question i may ponder when my lease comes up in 3.5 years......hmmmm

ltweintz

My choice would be the good'ol manual. The SMG may be fast, but it just doesn't compare to throwing that shifter yourself.

David

I would get the 6 speed. The reliability of the SMG II is unknown at this point and it is unclear how long various parts would last if you continously used the quickest shift mode. I read that the Ferrari paddle shift system goes through clutches in about 5000 miles and that the warranty on the SMG II with the launch control is void if you use it more than 30 times.

Sunchild

Shouldn't a clutch last much longer in a computer-assisted sequential set-up? I mean, it can rev match perfectly. I would think the other drivetrain parts would be the weak points.

loki

I vote for SMGII, but then again I own one and know how damn fun it is.

Knowing that it's a no cost option in OZ, that would be a no brainer for me... SMGII for sure. Us Yanks have to fork out $2400 for it. Would you get a discount if optioning the 6spd instead of standard SMGII? That'd be wierd...

blacks2k

hey loki, what options u get on ur m3- seat colour, etc
sorry, no discounts for manual, just a nco, so it makes the decision even harder

charlie

here are some pics of Loki's ride pretty sweet!

https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...&threadid=43258

pfb

I would take the SMG over the Manual in about 80 milliseconds, which coincidentally is the time it takes for the SMG II to shift gears... Especially if there is no price differential!

Personally, I think SMG transmissions are the future of sports car transmissions. I get all excited every time I watch those guys blasting through multiple, perfectly synchronized sequential downshifts on Speedvision.

loki

Looks like imagestation put a clamp on external image hosting... here's the album:

My M3

My car was built as follows:

Imola Red/Imola Red
Cold Weather Package
Premium Package
Bi-Xenon
Harmon-Kardon
NAV
Power Adjustable Lumbar
SMGII (comes with PDC in the US)

If there is no price difference between the manual and SMGII, I would pick SMGII hands down. I find just as much pleasure driving SMG as I did a manual... it's a blast.

You won't regret it.

AVXs2000

get the SMG2

you have a S2000, which has the best manual in the world.

try something new.

SMG is not as smooth as the manual for upshift
but it does perfect heel and toe downshift every time.
it has many modes to play with...( like the launch mode)

if you dont have the s2000, than definitely get the good old manual.