If you really put your foot into it, the shift points go even higher. At the same acceleration rate but at a higher DriveLogic setting, the transmission will shift more quickly at higher revs, usually about 3500 revs.
#SEQUENTIAL MANUAL TRANSMISSION MANUAL#
Under moderate acceleration in the Automatic mode in the lowest DriveLogic setting, the transmission shifts gears at about 2500 rpm, and shifts slowly - even slower than you might with a normal manual transmission. My experience, after driving the M3 around town in rush hour traffic, is that it’s easier to let the transmission shift automatically in this type of driving environment - even though there’s no clutch pedal. Let’s talk about the Automatic mode first. It’s also more aggressive when downshifting. The SMG DriveLogic system has six settings: the lowest setting starts the car off in second gear, shifts sooner, and goes into sixth gear more readily to save fuel - the highest setting starts off in first gear, revs the engine higher before shifting, and tends to stay in lower gears to keep the engine revving faster for more responsiveness.
(This is the opposite direction to that of some semi-automatic transmissions.)
#SEQUENTIAL MANUAL TRANSMISSION DRIVER#
Alternatively, the driver can shift up by pulling back on the floor gear lever, or change down gears by pushing forwards. To shift up, the driver pulls on the right ‘+’ paddle, and to shift down, the driver tugs on the left (-) paddle. Just behind the steering wheel are two large, flat ‘paddles’ which can be reached with your fingertips while holding the steering wheel in the ‘9 and 3′ or ‘10 and 2′ positions. Tapping to the left will put it into Neutral. The SMG can be changed between manual and automatic modes any time while the car is running simply by tapping the floor gear lever to the right. Turn the key, and the 333 horsepower inline 3.2 litre six cylinder engine roars to life, emitting a dull rumble from the M3’s quad tailpipes.
To start the M3 SMG, your foot must be on the brake and the shift lever in ‘0′ mode while the ignition is on. The system also includes a ‘DriveLogic’ button just behind the gear lever that allows the driver to adjust the speed of shifts and the shift points using six different settings. It took me a while to figure out what mode I was in. As well, I’m not sure why ‘0′ stands for Neutral. This display is not only small, but confusing because the automatic mode includes an ‘A’ and an ‘S’ symbol, while the sequential/manual mode has an ‘A’ symbol in a different font type.
‘R’ is for Reverse, ‘0′ is for neutral, ‘A’ is for automatic, and ‘S’ is for sequential. BMW developed the SMG in close collaboration with Getrag and Sachs, and uses a similar technology in the Williams BMW Formula One racing cars.Īfter you get into the car, you’ll see a small orange LCD display in the instrument cluster that tells you what gear, or mode you are in. I’m not going to say that it is better than a traditional manual gearbox, but there are some advantages which make it possible to drive the M3 more smoothly and safely at higher speeds, and add an element of excitement that wasn’t there before.įirst, note that the SMG system is not an automatic transmission than can be shifted manually - like BMW’s Steptronic or Porsche’s Tiptronic - it is a manual transmission with a clutch, but without a clutch pedal, that can change gears by itself in response to driver input. As well, the SMG is capable of operating completely automatically if desired.ĭie-hard manual transmission enthusiasts may find it hard to believe that an electronically-controlled transmission without a clutch pedal could be more satisfying than a traditional manual gearbox. The Sequential M Gearbox is essentially a six-speed manual gearbox where the clutch and gearbox are operated electro-hydraulically by a computer in response to the driver pulling on two paddles behind the steering wheel, or by pushing a floor shifter forwards or backwards.
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