# SMG vs. Six-spd -- was there ever any doubt?



## jderry (Sep 24, 2002)

http://bimmer.roadfly.org/bmw/forums/e46m3/forum.php?postid=4381688&page=1

Interesting, look at the 0-100 mph -- that's where the difference REALLY shows up IMO.


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## The HACK (Dec 19, 2001)

I wonder if they're aware that there's two launch control modes, burn out and launche...5,000rpm for lauch seems a little excessive on the tire-spin for the M3.

In burn-out mode it'll allow the tires to spin until it hooks up on the pavement, on launch mode it'll actually launch at a much lower RPM for optimum launch with as little wheel spin as possible.


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## ___lk___ (Dec 21, 2001)

i bet SMG on DR's would win fairly easily....especially if it's YOUR car and u actually care about not trashing it.

that being said, i would never get a car like an M3 w/ SMG...


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## /\/\ (Oct 23, 2003)

*To each their own*

I didn't get an M3 for drag racing I got it for the twisties and the track. Will I miss the clutch pedal? We'll see ... but after only 50 miles of driving I've already found the Auto mode handy when taking a phone call 

This "discussion" is probably why BMW offers both.

/\/\


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

/\/\ said:


> I didn't get an M3 for drag racing I got it for the twisties and the track. Will I miss the clutch pedal? We'll see ... but after only 50 miles of driving I've already found the Auto mode handy when taking a phone call
> 
> This "discussion" is probably why BMW offers both.
> 
> /\/\


For optimum (and consistent) times on the track, the SMG is clearly the best alternative. No worries about heel-and-toeing, no flubbed shifts, etc.

But I wouldn't buy one.


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## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

/\/\ said:


> I didn't get an M3 for drag racing I got it for the twisties and the track. Will I miss the clutch pedal? We'll see ... but after only 50 miles of driving I've already found the Auto mode handy when taking a phone call
> 
> This "discussion" is probably why BMW offers both.
> 
> /\/\


Absolutely, and could not agree more, to each his (or her) own. I like to shift the car myself...but answering the phone *is* hard - hence hands free device! Peace...


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## ___lk___ (Dec 21, 2001)

/\/\ said:


> I've already found the Auto mode handy when taking a phone call
> /\/\


i bet u love the giant cupholders for your 44 oz slurpees. :yumyum:


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

The only time you need A mode is when you have both hands off the wheel. And that should NOT happen often.

Having spent time on the track with both types of trannies. And LOTS of miles with manuals. I really like SMG. Street or track. It is a blast, and just as involved as driving a manual.


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## SteveT (Dec 22, 2001)

Pinecone said:


> The only time you need A mode is when you have both hands off the wheel. And that should NOT happen often.
> 
> Having spent time on the track with both types of trannies. And LOTS of miles with manuals. I really like SMG. Street or track. It is a blast, and just as involved as driving a manual.


Agreed. SMG and Manual are both fun, but different from one another. The M3 (SMG or not) was not designed to be a drag racer in anycase.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

SteveT said:


> Agreed. SMG and Manual are both fun, but different from one another. The M3 (SMG or not) was not designed to be a drag racer in anycase.


That's very true. It doesn't hook up well at all--way too much axle tramp.


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## mike_m3 (Apr 6, 2003)

JST said:


> That's very true. It doesn't hook up well at all--way too much axle tramp.


actually, it hooks up very well.... guys have gotten 60ft times in the 1.7-1.8 range - if that's not hooking up a 3400 333hp car on street tires I don't know what is...
I'm still trying to figure out where the myth of not hooking up well comes from....


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

The problem is, the US cars launch at only 1800 RPM, versus 3500 - 3800 for Euro versions. That is why the manual is slightly quicker froma dead stop. Assuming a driver willing to thrash the car and a driver with enough skill to do every shift properly.

I would guess that for most owned cars, the SMG would actually be quicker due to teh driver taking it a little easy.

Froma roll on start, say 5 MPH, the SMG would be slightly quicker due to more consistant shifts.


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## JST (Dec 19, 2001)

mike_m3 said:


> actually, it hooks up very well.... guys have gotten 60ft times in the 1.7-1.8 range - if that's not hooking up a 3400 333hp car on street tires I don't know what is...
> I'm still trying to figure out where the myth of not hooking up well comes from....


Perhaps it's my technique--I've never taken it to the strip, so I can't give you 60 ft times to compare. My experience, though, is that under very hard acceleration in first, the rear tires like to dance quite a bit.


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## ___lk___ (Dec 21, 2001)

SteveT said:


> The M3 (SMG or not) was not designed to be a drag racer in anycase.


the only cars designed to be drag racers are funny cars and dragsters.

there are a lot of street cars that are brilliant in the 1/4 mile, but none of those was ever designed for it.


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## Speedi (Aug 3, 2002)

I've had my SMG II car for about 2 years now, and I must admit... it's a cool feature. No, it's not a replacement or "upgrade" to a 6-spd manual, but it's what I felt like I needed in this car. After driving manuals for 20 years, I ordered my SMG II after reading an article from an enthusiast who went over to Germany to test drive an SMG II car. He absolutely loved it, even though it had a few quirks that could easily be overcome with some accelerator depressions.

With respect to using LC on SMG II for quicker launches... I'm not sure I'd follow that protocol, exactly. The ideal launching for an M3, as found by Motor Trend Magazine, was 1300 RPM and NO Wheelspin... which resulted in a 0-60 time of 4.65s and a 1/4 mi time of 13.18s @ 106.92 mph. It seems to me that using LC to launch at too much higher than 1800 RPM is somewhat of a futile exercise in attempting to get the quickest 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. Opinions? Can you LC by NOT depressing the accelerator to the floor and then flicking the (-) paddle? Maybe hold the accelerator down to where 1300 RPM is on the dial and then drop the clutch?

As far as EU LC launching at 3500 RPM.. I have no idea why you'd want to do that... unless you think it looks cool lighting up the tires.  

- Speedi


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## SteveT (Dec 22, 2001)

___lk___ said:


> the only cars designed to be drag racers are funny cars and dragsters.
> 
> there are a lot of street cars that are brilliant in the 1/4 mile, but none of those was ever designed for it.


Perhaps "intended" is a better word. There have been quite a few US cars that were intended to be good in the quarter mile and in that sense some design consideration for the quarter mile. A more recent one might be the turbo Neon that was built with that in mind, and there are plenty of others going back years to the muscle cars in the 60's.


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## ___lk___ (Dec 21, 2001)

Speedi said:


> It seems to me that using LC to launch at too much higher than 1800 RPM is somewhat of a futile exercise in attempting to get the quickest 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. Opinions?


u need (warm) drag radials to properly exploit the LC feature of SMGII. they'll stick.


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

Speedi said:


> I've had my SMG II car for about 2 years now, and I must admit... it's a cool feature. No, it's not a replacement or "upgrade" to a 6-spd manual, but it's what I felt like I needed in this car. After driving manuals for 20 years, I ordered my SMG II after reading an article from an enthusiast who went over to Germany to test drive an SMG II car. He absolutely loved it, even though it had a few quirks that could easily be overcome with some accelerator depressions.
> 
> With respect to using LC on SMG II for quicker launches... I'm not sure I'd follow that protocol, exactly. The ideal launching for an M3, as found by Motor Trend Magazine, was 1300 RPM and NO Wheelspin... which resulted in a 0-60 time of 4.65s and a 1/4 mi time of 13.18s @ 106.92 mph. It seems to me that using LC to launch at too much higher than 1800 RPM is somewhat of a futile exercise in attempting to get the quickest 0-60 and 1/4 mile times. Opinions? Can you LC by NOT depressing the accelerator to the floor and then flicking the (-) paddle? Maybe hold the accelerator down to where 1300 RPM is on the dial and then drop the clutch?
> 
> ...


Car and Driver found the best launch was at 3500 or 3800 RPM.

And since I question teh accuracay of anything MT writes, I would tend to belive C&D and the BMW factory.


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## ccharmen (Oct 24, 2003)

Could somebody clarify this for me- I hear people saying they could only launch at a max of 1800 rpms. This is true if you use push the shifter forward with dsc off at mode 6.
I have been able to do it at 3,500 rpm (dead stop) but of course without moving the smg shifter forward, just pumping the gas pedal in a certain way. I must say at that high of rpm there is way to much wheel spin. Has anybody tried this way?
thanks,
cc


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## Pinecone (Apr 3, 2002)

The difference is whether the computer manages traction or not. The way you are doing it, there is no management of traction. With Launch Control the computer manages the traction, like an F1 car.


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