# Can I safely track my E60 Steptronic?



## BimmerBobster (Jan 1, 2009)

I am wondering what it would be like to take my new to me 2007 530i with steptronic to a local track for a track day. I have done about 20 track days in a manual transmission Subaru WRX, as well as on motorcycles.

My concern is that with my automatic transmission it will shift for me when I am not expecting it, especially in long very fast sweepers as at Buttonwillow or Willow Springs, thus initiating a spin. In these fast corners any little upset is all that it takes to initiate a spin.

I know I have a DS mode, and can control the shifting by pushing the lever to the (+) and (-) for upshift and downshifts, but even in these modes when I floor it it will jump gears and downshift for me. 

What do you think?


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## clark192 (Oct 16, 2008)

Here's the thing. When you drive in D and DS as you know, the transmission will handle the shifting for you when it feels its necessary. I've had the DS mode hold up almost to the redline for a while when driving, as long as your foot position doesn't change. If you start to back off the throttle, the transmission will eventually upshift. 

However when you drive in M, the transmission will only shift for you either when close to stall conditions, or when you are continually bouncing off the rev limiter. The only other time the car will shift for you is when you totally floor the pedal past the kickdown point. I can say that I have not noticed any difference between keeping the pedal just above kickdown and all the way to the floor, but thats just my experience. If you avoid the kickdown point, the car will maintain the gear you have selected as long as you are not bouncing off the rev limiter. Give it a shot yourself. Go on the highway (in safe conditions of course), set the car to M and say put it in 5th and floor it, but just before the kickdown point. The car should simply struggle all the way up the rev band. If you pass that point, then the transmission will downshift, probably 2x before it backs off.


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## Scott_H (Feb 12, 2003)

I've instructed a handful of times in cars with steptronic. It's not ideal for learning, but it IS the car you drive every day. Smooth throttle applications help to keep the transmission from doing things you don't expect. And, at a track day, you should be leaving enough cushion that an up or downshift mid-corner will only be an annoyance, not a real problem. Get out there!


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## BimmerBobster (Jan 1, 2009)

OK thanks guys for the info. This is as I expected. I am just remembering a BMW that piled into a wall at Laguna Seca and someone remarked that they had an automatic and it shifted on them. I agree, just as with all things on track days, if I pay attention then all will be fine. Gotta find the date now!


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## Fuenfer (Apr 24, 2004)

I spent 3-days at the Nurburgring with a 520d at the BMW Int'l School. Not only did the diesel have a very peculiar torque characteristics that (being a gasoline-only driver) I was unfamiliar with, but it was also STEPTRONIC. At the end of the day, it really made little difference, as the transmission was smart enough to pick the proper gears most of the time (except it would have been really nice to have been a gear lower coming out of Ex-Muhle). 

The only thing I noticed was, after a hard day at the track, the brakes tended to leave deposits on the rotor, resulting in not-so-smooth brakes. But I really wouldn't worry about the transmission.


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## 2008535i (Dec 18, 2009)

I took my 2008 535i to a HPDE and it was automatic. I left it in Sport mode most of the time to keep the revs up so that throttle reponse was faster (turbo already up to speed). You don't have enough power on an up-shift in a corner to throw you out (especially if DTC is left on). I haven't tried it with DTC completely off. That I plan to do at the next event.


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