BMW's Formula One-style gearbox may become only performance transmission option

[noM4me]

BMW's Formula One-style gearbox may become only performance transmission option

Do you like the stick shift and the clutch pedal in your BMW M car? Enjoy it now because the folks in Munich have seen the future and it’s called SMG (as in Sequential Manual Gearbox).

The company’s second-generation SMG is an option on the M3, and the next-generation M5 will also feature the Formula One racing-style paddle shifters, sans the traditional clutch pedal and gearshift lever. According to Rolf Scheibner, product manager for M cars, it won’t be long before SMG is the only transmission option for the performance cars.

“With SMG, you can shift faster and it is better for the engine, the clutch and the transmission,” says Scheibner. “With the M cars, top performance is the key, and with SMG, it is the top performance.”



http://www.autoweek.com/cat_content...._code=04130259

Taken from Autoweek

What do you think ? no more heel-n-toe

[chazzy]

I doubt that's going to be true. +$2,400 for all cars in the very price-sensitive entry-level luxury market? No way. That would price all the 3-series BMWs along the lines of MB and that has never happened before. I expect it to replace the automatic transmission, but the ///M cars will get sticks for years to come.

[EBMCS03]

Hummm wow... scary thought... I'm not totally sure if that will happen but I might say ya it will... cuz look at the M5 clutch... its the weak point already imagine even more HP. ya there are more heavy duty clutches but that would require BMW to develop it. We'll see what happenes.

[Devin11]

I heard that all the new Z4's will come standard with SMG, this is from someone who has driven one... his dad is a high up at BMW.

[chazzy]

Originally posted by Devin11
I heard that all the new Z4's will come standard with SMG, this is from someone who has driven one... his dad is a high up at BMW.

No, that's not true. If the Z4 gets an SMG-style transmission, it'll be the SSG, which won't have as many features and will be less aggressive than the SMG.

Anyway, the 2003 Ordering Guide from BMW has already been published and it has options for the 2003 Z4 2.5i and 3.0i.

http://cuttermotors.com/ordering_guide/my2003.pdf

According to BMWUSA.com, the Z4 2.5i will be similar to the Z3: a 5 speed auto or manual. The Z4 3.0i has the same auto, but now offers a six-speed manual.