SMG only?
10-07-2004 | 06:10 AM
#32
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Posts: n/a
Hello Gentleman; I own an M5; 2003 Carbon Black, with Dinan exhaust; and I will tell you that not offering a manual transmission is a mistake. While it is certainly true that SMG is faster on the track, most of us are not on the track most of the time, and shifting the M5 is the most fun you can have with your clothes on. I am not one resistant to change, but matching revs and getting it right is the point of the M5 experience. Any Bozo can drive an automatic.
10-07-2004 | 10:41 AM
#33
Senior Members
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 965
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From: Sweden
I think it?s super with the SMG. I?m sooo tired of manual gearboxes with a clutch pedal <_< . Been driving them for 27 years now. Last one was M5 E39.
You can jump over to m5board.com, there you will have a lots of manual lover friends. All complaining about the SMG
You can jump over to m5board.com, there you will have a lots of manual lover friends. All complaining about the SMG
10-08-2004 | 09:05 AM
#34
Super Moderator
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17,310
Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh, PA USA
My Ride: G30 M550i
Model Year: 2018
Purists or not, most of the anti-SMG people just haven't spent enough time becoming familiar with it. It isn't an automatic, you do have control over when you shift gears (up or down) and it works perfectly, on or off the track. The argument that it's fine for the track but not around town just doesn't hold water.
It is the future of manuals, period.
Cars used to have cranks instead of starters, manual chokes instead of automatic chokes, etc. The SMG is evolutionary, just like so many other technological advances.
It is the future of manuals, period.
Cars used to have cranks instead of starters, manual chokes instead of automatic chokes, etc. The SMG is evolutionary, just like so many other technological advances.
10-08-2004 | 09:12 AM
#35
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Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,979
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From: SJC/CA/US
There is always resistance when technology shifts from one to another. Just let all SMG owners speak out their opinions and we'll see if SMG is more preferable or not compared to pure manual. Rudy is the one who like it very much. He probably does not like it much at the beginning, but, as time goes by, he just loves SMG to death once he experts the shifting pattern. Am I right, Rudy?
10-08-2004 | 10:48 AM
#36
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Joined: Mar 2004
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Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh, PA USA
My Ride: G30 M550i
Model Year: 2018
Originally Posted by my530i' date='Oct 8 2004, 01:12 PM
There is always resistance when technology shifts from one to another. Just let all SMG owners speak out their opinions and we'll see if SMG is more preferable or not compared to pure manual. Rudy is the one who like it very much. He probably does not like it much at the beginning, but, as time goes by, he just loves SMG to death once he experts the shifting pattern. Am I right, Rudy?
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I liked the SMG at the beginning and once I got familiar with it, I liked it even more. I test drove my friend's M3 with SMG and thought it was cool but I wasn't sold on the concept for my next car. I spoke to my friend after he'd owned the car for a year or two and he said he'd buy another SMG in a heartbeat. Based on those things, I chose to take the plunge, knowing that I would not be an SMG expert until I had some stick time (no pun intended).
I think it's all about people's perception when they first experience an SMG. Most people only know what they read in the auto magazines. They test drive an SMG for about a half-hour and decide it "was too jerky" or "the automatic mode wasn't smooth" or something like that. The problem is that they went in to the test drive already "poisoned" from what the magazines said, etc. The fact that Formula 1 uses SMG technology only causes them to claim "it's good only on a race track."
For me, the reason I liked it right away is that I realized that in time I would overcome the jerkiness (I did) so basically, I went into this whole thing with a different attitude than most. (Just to be clear, up until this car, I've only owned traditional manuals since I started to drive. I always wanted to have a manual and to me, the SMG is still that, just one that raises the bar in terms of performance and overall enjoyment!)
I'm reminded of this post that I made a while back. I still feel that my vision of the future depicted in that post is accurate.
10-09-2004 | 06:52 AM
#37
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 41
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From: NJ
My Ride: '05 525iA (steptronic) Jet Black, Beige interior, poplar trim, premium package, cold package, Logic7 w/ 6 CD changer.
Due to be delivered in Nov.
Rudy, I think you're right. This 525i that I am waiting for will be my first BMW and since reading the opinions/perspectives on this forum I am VERY inclined to go for the 545i with SMG next. And I personally have very little experience with manual transmissions....maybe that's good thing?
10-18-2004 | 06:53 PM
#38
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Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 17,310
Likes: 2
From: Pittsburgh, PA USA
My Ride: G30 M550i
Model Year: 2018
For the SMG naysayers, here's an excerpt from this site describing the M5's SMG...
Originally Posted by www.bmw2002.co.uk/news.htm
Seven-speed SMG gearbox conveys M power to the tarmac.
The high-revving concept only succeeds in combination with a gearbox which translates the torque available to the engine, by means of a short overall transmission ratio, into optimised forward thrust.
The seven-speed SMG gearbox is precisely the right transmission to ideally convey the V10 engine's power via the drive train to the wheels. BMW M is the first manufacturer worldwide to offer a seven-speed sequential gearbox with drivelogic function. Even more highly perfected than the previous six-speed transmission, the seven-speed SMG gearbox enables manual gear selection with ultra-short shifting times as well as comfortable cruising thanks to automated gear selection. The purpose of the additional seventh gear is to reduce engine speed and torque gaps.
New SMG gearbox's speed up by 20 percent.
With the seven-speed SMG gearbox, gears can be changed using the gearshift lever on the centre console or the paddles on the steering wheel. Compared to the previous SMG transmission, changing gears is 20 percent faster with the new SMG generation. Never before has it been quicker to change gears with a transmission of this kind. The advantage for the M5 driver: Gear change is smooth and accomplished at a speed impossible to reach even by the most proficient driver, thus making the inevitable power flow interruptions when changing gears hardly noticeable. The M5 delivers an almost jerk-free performance when accelerating from a standstill to its top speed.
Drivelogic: the driver determines
the SMG's characteristics for changing gears:
Thanks to the SMG's drivelogic function, the driver can choose from eleven gear change options, which enable him to adapt the SMG's characteristics to his very own style of motoring.
Six of these programs can be pre-selected in the sequential manual gearbox mode (S mode), the spectrum ranging from balanced dynamic to very sporty. With the gearbox in the S mode, the driver always shifts gears manually. Whenever the driver activates the Launch Control function, the SMG Drivelogic shifts gears shortly before the maximum engine speed is reached at precisely the right moment and with optimum slip until the M5 reaches its top speed.
In the Drive (D mode) automatic gearshift mode, the transmission shifts the seven gears automatically, depending on the program selected, the driving situation, the road speed and the position of the accelerator pedal.
SMG for increased safety and comfort.
The seven-speed SMG gearbox not only supports the driver in achieving motor sports performance, but also offers scores of safety features. In critical situations, when the driver shifts down on a slippery surface, for example, the gearbox opens the clutch in the fraction of a second in order to prevent the M5 from swerving out of control in the event of excessive drag torque at the driven wheels. Further functions are the climbing, which prevents the car from rolling backwards during hill starts as well as the hill detection, which adjusts the shift points on gradients and descents. This prevents gear hunting when going uphill. When driving downhill, the hill detection holds the lower gears for longer in order to make effective use of the engine's braking power.
Maximum driving pleasure.
The interaction of the V10 engine and the seven-speed SMG gearbox results in a level of performance, which has so far been inconceivable for series-production saloons. Above all, there is one thing the M5 gives to its driver: driving pleasure at its best. Compared to the previous M5, the current model comes up trumps in all performance and fun disciplines: it accomplishes the 0 to 62 mph sprint in 4,7 seconds and reaches the 200 km/h (124 mph) mark after a mere 15 seconds to go on to the electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). A glance at the speedometer reveals where this power package would head for if maximum speed was not electronically limited: an awe-inspiring 330 km/h (205 mph).
The high-revving concept only succeeds in combination with a gearbox which translates the torque available to the engine, by means of a short overall transmission ratio, into optimised forward thrust.
The seven-speed SMG gearbox is precisely the right transmission to ideally convey the V10 engine's power via the drive train to the wheels. BMW M is the first manufacturer worldwide to offer a seven-speed sequential gearbox with drivelogic function. Even more highly perfected than the previous six-speed transmission, the seven-speed SMG gearbox enables manual gear selection with ultra-short shifting times as well as comfortable cruising thanks to automated gear selection. The purpose of the additional seventh gear is to reduce engine speed and torque gaps.
New SMG gearbox's speed up by 20 percent.
With the seven-speed SMG gearbox, gears can be changed using the gearshift lever on the centre console or the paddles on the steering wheel. Compared to the previous SMG transmission, changing gears is 20 percent faster with the new SMG generation. Never before has it been quicker to change gears with a transmission of this kind. The advantage for the M5 driver: Gear change is smooth and accomplished at a speed impossible to reach even by the most proficient driver, thus making the inevitable power flow interruptions when changing gears hardly noticeable. The M5 delivers an almost jerk-free performance when accelerating from a standstill to its top speed.
Drivelogic: the driver determines
the SMG's characteristics for changing gears:
Thanks to the SMG's drivelogic function, the driver can choose from eleven gear change options, which enable him to adapt the SMG's characteristics to his very own style of motoring.
Six of these programs can be pre-selected in the sequential manual gearbox mode (S mode), the spectrum ranging from balanced dynamic to very sporty. With the gearbox in the S mode, the driver always shifts gears manually. Whenever the driver activates the Launch Control function, the SMG Drivelogic shifts gears shortly before the maximum engine speed is reached at precisely the right moment and with optimum slip until the M5 reaches its top speed.
In the Drive (D mode) automatic gearshift mode, the transmission shifts the seven gears automatically, depending on the program selected, the driving situation, the road speed and the position of the accelerator pedal.
SMG for increased safety and comfort.
The seven-speed SMG gearbox not only supports the driver in achieving motor sports performance, but also offers scores of safety features. In critical situations, when the driver shifts down on a slippery surface, for example, the gearbox opens the clutch in the fraction of a second in order to prevent the M5 from swerving out of control in the event of excessive drag torque at the driven wheels. Further functions are the climbing, which prevents the car from rolling backwards during hill starts as well as the hill detection, which adjusts the shift points on gradients and descents. This prevents gear hunting when going uphill. When driving downhill, the hill detection holds the lower gears for longer in order to make effective use of the engine's braking power.
Maximum driving pleasure.
The interaction of the V10 engine and the seven-speed SMG gearbox results in a level of performance, which has so far been inconceivable for series-production saloons. Above all, there is one thing the M5 gives to its driver: driving pleasure at its best. Compared to the previous M5, the current model comes up trumps in all performance and fun disciplines: it accomplishes the 0 to 62 mph sprint in 4,7 seconds and reaches the 200 km/h (124 mph) mark after a mere 15 seconds to go on to the electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). A glance at the speedometer reveals where this power package would head for if maximum speed was not electronically limited: an awe-inspiring 330 km/h (205 mph).
10-22-2004 | 09:59 AM
#39
Members
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 16
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by Initialdl' date='Aug 19 2004, 02:48 PM
[
Traffic jams relaxation should be a selling point for the SMG..haha..
Traffic jams relaxation should be a selling point for the SMG..haha..
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Does anybody know/understand why ? (except that SMG has the image of being a sports gearbox and diesels do not)
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