E46 M3 questions

[djk]

erm Heel and toe is the sign of ultimate changing gear.

Erm, what the f_u_c_k are you on about?

I am the ultimate in internet wooo!!!!!11!

[Rich_W]

It requires skill to operate 3 pedals with 2 feet. It can't be any better!

But then you still possess shite hair and a moredoor, so guess your aspiration to improve yourself is fairly low?

[Andyboy]

The fastest race cars in the world are paddle shift.

Manuals are for those that don't care about lap times. And as Frank Williams (allegedly) says "You are a racer, or you are nothing"

May I ask in what series you've raced?

Also - why all the internet aggression and name calling?

Does possession of an E30 M3 make you superior?

[Simon13]

Gentlemen lest we not forget, Rich W was the gentleman who at the imperial way meet in Croydon a few years ago treated everyone to his "drifting" skills! Which really was him losing control and going into the side of a parked MPV. Laugh i did, i guess the driving has improved since then

[Andyboy]

Maybe he took a Palmer Motorsport Vision Renault Scenic awareness course?


Nice bit of ownage by the way Si!

[fuzzy]

good come back. i guess all this healing and toeing type sh1t didnt help then

[e30bmlover]

have i missed something???

[Andyboy]

Just an internet driving God telling us we're all amateurs, have shit cars, hairstyles - all the usual bile basically.

[Bob_S]

nice thread. manual for me.. anyday.
Although Porsche make a nice tip tronic box.. maserati make a very woeful combiodesmotronic box which will give you whiplash with each gearchange

[oakey]

It's a shame, the E46 M3 (manual coupe*) is a great car for not a lot of money, providing you don't mind the " my other car is a councilled up range rover sport and I'm 'ard " stigma

One of my mates has a m3 coupe and a rong rover. Not a sport though but made me chuckle none-the-less.

[Blitz]

M3 driver

[Dezzy]

Gentlemen lest we not forget, Rich W was the gentleman who at the imperial way meet in Croydon a few years ago treated everyone to his "drifting" skills! Which really was him losing control and going into the side of a parked MPV. Laugh i did, i guess the driving has improved since then

All gone quiet from the internet driving heal and toe hero. This comeback made me laugh. Why would you start insulting peoples driving abilaty when fellow zoners have seen the extent of you tallent. Proper nob

[Rich_W]

Haha, Hook line and sinker boys. Seriously. Some of you will have met me and know I'm not up my own arse (I hope )

I mean come on. Of course I'M not perfect and of COURSE owning a M3 doesn't make me superior. Though if you need an me I can deflower girls on request But I stand by the fact that heel n toe is a skill I think decent drivers can do and little old ladies in Micras can't. Everyone who tries to improve their driving should consider learning it, as it makes you faster and reduces strain on clutch and transmissions

Things improve though Simon. I try not to make the same mistakes twice. But you know even as I said at the time (and I only took the paint off that Sharan, and the M3 was completely unscathed!) I wasn't trying to "drift" just make a fast getaway. Things don't always go well sometimes. Hey even Lewis Hamilton crashes into stopped cars

[djk]

It requires skill to operate 3 pedals with 2 feet. It can't be any better!

But then you still possess shite hair and a moredoor, so guess your aspiration to improve yourself is fairly low?

Got a haircut last week now you mention it - still look like a roadie though unfortunately, I think it's genetic. I've just bought an MX-5 too - I felt I couldn't give the hairdresser image the best shot with a barnet left to run free for 2 years, so now I walk around with something called 'product' nestling snotlike in my shorn locks. Ho-hum, we can't all be perfect. I drive it roof up and flat out (heel and toe aplenty) to prevent my man-parts receding into my abdomen and causing me to become 'good with colours'.

And I think the brown moredoor makes me a better person - I'm being charitable to the unloved!

[don-king]

The fastest race cars in the world are paddle shift.

Manuals are for those that don't care about lap times. And as Frank Williams (allegedly) says "You are a racer, or you are nothing"

Manuals are for those that use their cars regularly, on the road and prefer the superior control that a manual box gives.
The simplicity and inate reliability are added bonuses.

SMG is for town driving 'dealers' and wannabee sparco c ock types !

There was a SMG M3 cabby parked next my car and the person who got in it looked like a c**k.

[stuartgallafant]

As for SMG removing control of the gears and throttle? Yes it changes gear in 0.X seconds WHEN you tell it to. Throttle still has foot on it, so not sure why the car would change throttle at all (bar the pre blip on downshifts)

You've just said it without even realising it... What control have you got on that throttle when you change gear? None at all... Your foot stays planted and the DME and SMG control units go programme mad for you, therefore, you are not in control of what the engine is actually doing, are you?

All the throttle is on an SMG car is a rough guide to how fast you want the car to go. Real drivers can perform better than any helmet driving an SMG M3

[old_skool]

This is an interesting read. Here's my first hand experience.

I first of all owned an E36 manual back in 1999, I found the clutch a little too heavy and the gearchange notchy but lived with it. Fast forward to 2002 and I foolishly bought an ex demo E46 M3 with a manual gearbox and expected that it would be better. This was even worse. I found it painful to drive after too long as the clutch was heavy and the gearchange was just hard work. So this was replaced immediately with a E46 M3 SMG which was a vast improvement. The sheer brilliance of how the thing works is just great. It is like driving a manual with no need to do the work. It really was worth the £2600+ option cost at the time.

I am sure the purists are getting white knuckled at these comments, but how many have actually owned and lived with both to make a proper comparison? To help explain my bias, please consider I have no interest in track days and track driving whatsoever. I simply don't have the time. Maybe if I did then I would be telling a different story - who knows. The manual may well be the star.

The fact is that an SMG is nicer to live with and less work to drive. It is also quite a weapon, the gear change speed is simply amazing, and Launch Control anyone?

I'm sure the BMW tech's here have had nightmares with SMG failures and have lots of stories to tell about them. In my experience I have never had a problem with an SMG car, except for a transmission failure warning in my E60 M5 that was resolved with a 'software upgrade'.

The E60 M5, which is purely SMG, albeit revised from the E46 design, is simply breathtaking. But the change speed is not as quick as the E46. It is more refined and tackles the 7 speeds very well however. The hill start assistance that the E46 offers when the left paddle is pulled in is replaced in the E60 by automatic brake hold, and that's it - otherwise they operate the same way.

I suggest anyone who considers an SMG should try one for themselves and make there own mind up.

[don-king]

good points there fella ^.............

[Morat]

good points there fella ^.............

rofl

[fuzzy]

+1.
classic post whoring.

[Dezzy]

+1.
classic post whoring.

^^^^^+1 what he said fella

[tomson]

I first of all owned an E36 manual back in 1999, I found the clutch a little too heavy and the gearchange notchy but lived with it.

I've read a braided clutch hose makes this much better....

[ShakeyC]

I drove E46 CSL with the SMG II its not bad at all but around low speeds in town and parking its really jurky compared to manual or full automatic. Soon you learn to work with it and becomes smoother by rolling off the gas and brake really slowly but then to me defeats its purpose! A lot of SMG failures i heard is from people selecting reverse before bringing the car to a complete stop because parking is a chore with SMG people rush the box.

Around tracks its quick but you still cant rush it jumping down 2 or more gears for tight 1st gear corners best you can settle with taking them in 2nd but you loose time. Also lifting off whilst changing gear made it smoother up and down but my argument is that if you had to lift off to make a gear change as not to unsettle the car at high speed then it cant be quicker than a manual or proper sequential.

Not that anyone pays any attention to what i say i shall boldly claim all bmw gearboxs are crap and thats why you all stick in 1 gear and never change then harp on about needing more low end torque