Just had my first passenger ride in, and drive of .....

A BMW M3 with SMG gearbox

All I can say is ... gosh! What fun!

I soon found I had forgotten how to use the indicators, though :P

Only dislike was the steering is so lightweight it doesn't seem to deliver much feel, and the springing is softer than I would like for that amount of go...

I soon found I had forgotten how to use the indicators' date=' though :P

[/quote']

You mean they're fitted as standard on Beemers? I always thought they were just optional extras!

What's SMG? Presume its something like paddle shift? presume I'm wrong too

What's SMG? Presume its something like paddle shift? presume I'm wrong too

Sequential Manual Gearbox (I think...)

What's SMG?

the lass out of buffy?

the lass out of buffy?

mmm Sarah Michelle Gellar ... if she came with an M3 :P

Sequential Manual Gearbox (I think...)

Correct!

Yup - paddle (and little stick) shift. Only automatic bit is it will change down to 1st when stationary. Otherwise, it does what you tell it, including a kind of double declutching on downshifts in Sport Mode.

It's manic, I tell ya

Would probably prefer a full manual but there's no denying it lets you make very good progress on up changes.

Is the SMG the gearbox that allows you to adjust the gear ratios also? I had a drive in one of those last year, just before the owner brought it on a track day, and had a big off.

Ouch!!

Excellent fun though.

Our MD has one, and he's very happy with it at the moment.

Until his RS4 arrives, anyway!

Phil

I was lent one by a mate at the Ring - jolly nice it was too

Is the SMG the gearbox that allows you to adjust the gear ratios also? I had a drive in one of those last year' date=' just before the owner brought it on a track day, and had a big off.

Ouch!!

Excellent fun though.[/quote']

Not gear ratios but the speed of the changes. You can adjust down to 60 ms IIRC and it also has launch control!

I went for 3 test drives with SMG before deciding on manual. I didn't like the jerkiness of the changes and it also removed some element of driver skill i.e. blipping throttle on downchange while braking!

Still, a nice piece of kit!

Hi,

Good points

Mental fast

Gear changes in auto are quicker than you can think about it.

large car with plenty of legroom and large boot.

Traction control, that can be turned off.

bad points

Sound like a tin of nails when cold.

Manual gearchanges can be jerky.

Auto gearchanges can me jerky especially when cold.

Large cost to buy a minter.

Depreciates faster than it acellerates.

But hey if you want one call Paul Adkins at www.villagesportscars.co.uk & tell min skodyboy Lee Chapman sent you.

He almost always has stock, even though his site says he dont. He stocks dealers mostly.

cheers

Lee

Hi' date='

Good points

Mental fast

Gear changes in auto are quicker than you can think about it.

large car with plenty of legroom and large boot.

Traction control, that can be turned off.

bad points

Sound like a tin of nails when cold.

Manual gearchanges can be jerky.

Auto gearchanges can me jerky especially when cold.

Large cost to buy a minter.

Depreciates faster than it acellerates.

But hey if you want one call Paul Adkins at [url']www.villagesportscars.co.uk[/url] & tell min skodyboy Lee Chapman sent you.

He almost always has stock, even though his site says he dont. He stocks dealers mostly.

cheers

Lee

Many high performance cars sound like a tin of nails when cold though.

Many high performance cars sound like a tin of nails when cold though.

Alfa Romeo, anybody?

Many high performance cars sound like a tin of nails when cold though.

That will be why the Furby vRS is so rattly when cold then

Many high performance cars sound like a tin of nails when cold though.

...The new BMW M5 is a prime example. It sounds awful :thumbdwn: until it goes above 3,500 rpm... then it sounds downright evil :eek: