Rudy

Okay, so we know that BMW engineers in Munich read this board and we know that the upcoming sport automatic transmission is the closet thing to SMG on the non-M cars that we can expect in the near future. Since the transmission won't make it into cars until June production, I figure it might be helpful to list some features that would be great to have available, if they're not already planned for production. Some of these features are things we've talked about for years and some I just thought of -- either way, they're all based on software so I don't think it's too much to ask for most if not all of these features to make it to production sooner rather than later:

• Throttle blipping (rev matching) on downshifts is mandatory! (Yes, I think this feature is already planned but it's so important, I'm listing it anyway.)
• Allow a way to choose betwen normal and sport modes as the "default mode" so that, for example, each time I start the car, it's in sport mode if I set it as default. This setting should survive a deep sleep, etc. Make it a setting that's selected in iDrive and stored in the key memory so that different drivers can use different defaults.
• Currently selected gear should be displayed in the HUD! Need I say more? (Tachometer would be nice too but not as important, in my opinion.)
• Do not allow the car to upshift automatically at red-line (like the steptronic does in manual mode.) Make it like the SMG where you hit the rev limiter if you don't upshift at red line. Manual mode is exactly that -- manual. I understand the need to downshift automatically to prevent the car from stalling, etc. but please, please, please let us upshift when we want!
• Don't allow the car to downshift automatically when accelerating (no kickdown.) Again, it's in manual mode so let us do the driving! (see no upshift automatically note above)
• Have a setting (iDrive maybe?) that tells the transmission to start off in second gear (while in sport mode) until told otherwise. (Right now, the SMG can start in second but if you do so and then come to a stop, the car defaults back to first.) It would be good to have a "winter mode" to force it to start in second always -- this helps out tremendously in snowy weather, etc.
• Have another setting (iDrive again) that programs the shift paddle behavior. It's no secret that I prefer the paddle arrangement that the current E60 (non-M) SMG uses where each paddle can perform an up or downshift using either your fingers or thumbs respectively. It's clear that many people prefer the way that the M-cars are setup where the right paddle upshifts and the left paddle downshifts. Why not allow us to choose the setup we want? How difficult could that be? Again, store the setting in the key to make things that much cooler.
• Finally (at least for now,) there's no need to heat the paddles anymore (do a search ) since you've coated them with leather (or whatever substance they're coated with) now. That should take care of that one...thanks for listening to that one BMW!

Anyone else have a few suggestions I didn't think of? Now's your chance to see if we can help shape the design of our new toys! (Yes, I realize that it might be too late to get some or all of these suggestions into the June production schedule but hey, you never know and it doesn't hurt to try, right?

bmw1986

Interesting! I would personally like the paddles to be set up like the M5. Left is for downshifting and Right is for Upshifting. Also illuminate the "-" and "+" on the steering wheel!!

aybeesea

You may get SOME of these into the F10 development cycle!!

ABC

GarryF

On my auto if I am in manual (not sport) then it never shifts down to 1st gear unless i manually do it, so it's kind of a work around if you are in snowy weather, still would be nice to have more choice, that's supposed to be the whole point of idrive.

heezy545i

I've been told that the sports auto is the same transmission currently in the e92. If this is true, then you guys should test drive that car to see how you like it.

heezy545i

Wishful thinking doesn't hurt, but other than SMG or a traditional manual, I don't think there's any way around these two. Even DSG upshifts at redline and kickdowns for you.

narvselius

It's the same transmission - it's just a software difference between the two...

Rudy

But why is it necessary? Why do you think there's no way around these two items? They can program the thing to do whatever they want, right? (They could've programmed SMG to upshift at redline but thankfully they didn't...)

pennetta

How about a launch assist that brings revs up for a burnout. How about a differential lock and louder exhaust with all sport packages (I know the new 550 has louder exhaust).

gwf545

You forgot to include: Eliminate the Slam.

Do you know if this transmission is made by ZF or GM or ???