Decisions Decisions 3.0 or 4.0

B21 said:
As for the perennial argument I’ve never understood why you’d select a manual box on a turbo charged car where the torque and power curves are managed to achieve different goals from the a normslly aspirated car with torque and BHP stacked at the top end of the curves.
+1
 
Following this thread as it’s so similar to the questions I have asked, well done to all the contributors.
Im just needing to get my ducks in a row with the finance and I’ll be out there looking for the right car and spec, then hopefully meeting some of the regulars on a few car trips or shows
 
I have the 30i and use it as a daliy driver. Had the same choice to buy the 30 or the 40 but weight consumption was the deciding factor for me. It is fast enough and I think you also notice the weight at the front when turning in compared to the 40i. I had an e46 M3 convertible and the sound of the 6 cylinder is of course very nice. But don't miss it in the 30i.
For me, consumption is 1 liter for daily use, commuting to 14 km.
The car has every option except the LSD.
 
B21 said:
As for the perennial argument I’ve never understood why you’d select a manual box on a turbo charged car where the torque and power curves are managed to achieve different goals from the a normslly aspirated car with torque and BHP stacked at the top end of the curves.
For the same reasons that people buy any manual car....you have infinitely more control with a manual gearbox no matter what engine it is driving.
The only gearbox 'map' is the one in the driver's head at any given time, not programmed by some faceless engineer.

On the flip side, I don't personally understand why anyone would want an automatic in a 'sports' type car. I know that 'semi-autos' are all the rage, but they are still autos however you cut it.
 
How do you have infinitely more control? I can put my car in manual mode and either use the flappy paddles or simply use the lever to select which gear I want to be in and for how long. Either of these options will still change gear quicker than a manual.
 
Scubaregs said:
How do you have infinitely more control? I can put my car in manual mode and either use the flappy paddles or simply use the lever to select which gear I want to be in and for how long. Either of these options will still change gear quicker than a manual.

Sports+ and paddles in the M40i is an absolute riot :rofl:

As I said in my write up, the car thinks and acts faster than I could ever do :thumbsup:
 
Argyll Andy said:
As I said in my write up, the car thinks and acts faster than I could ever do
I bet I can change from 6th to 2nd gear quicker than your auto can :lol: :poke:
 
Pondrew said:
I bet I can change from 6th to 2nd gear quicker than your auto can :lol: :poke:

Nope, I mash the accelerator hard whilst in 6th, it will drop down as many gears as possible (without allowing the car to over rev) a lot quicker than you depress the clutch and shift gear.

I see you can't quantify your "infinitely more control" statement either. :P
 
Technically there is more control with a manual because, as far as I'm aware, all auto boxes will in some situations change gear although you haven't asked it to, even in manual mode. OK, it might not be very useful to have that extra control, allowing you for example to hit the redline and not change gear, but it is still more control.

You also have control over the clutch and can modify the speed and aggressiveness with greater detail, if you're skilled enough. Again, not necessarily very useful, but it is more control.

The main benefit I've found from using MHD on my e89 is to give myself more control of the gear changes. Previously, if you mashed the fun pedal to the floor, even in manual, while in a high gear, it would change down. Sometimes on a motorway I want to accelerate as quickly as possible without changing down. Now I can. There's no huge benefit to this, but I want to be in control, because it's my bloody car, not the gearbox's.
 
Scubaregs said:
I see you can't quantify your "infinitely more control" statement either.
I CAN...just can't be arsed.
It's true though, a manual car is infinitely more controllable than an auto in many ways. :thumbsup:
 
Pondrew said:
tiglon said:
There's no huge benefit to this, but I want to be in control, because it's my bloody car, not the gearbox's.
Should have got a manual! :poke: :lol:

Yeah but I also can't be bothered to change gears some of the time and want someone else to do it for me, so I'd be pissed off either way.
 
tiglon said:
Yeah but I also can't be bothered to change gears some of the time and want someone else to do it for me, so I'd be pissed off either way.
I will admit that an auto is VERY useful when driving on the M25 at any time of day or night. That's about the only time I can think it is an advantage, mind.

Oh..and...if you only have a right leg! :D
 
The Auto / Manual question whenever or however it’s mentioned in a post is guaranteed to get a response!
 
Pondrew said:
Scubaregs said:
I see you can't quantify your "infinitely more control" statement either.
I CAN...just can't be arsed.
It's true though, a manual car is infinitely more controllable than an auto in many ways. :thumbsup:

Which you can't tell me.........
 
Pondrew said:
tiglon said:
Yeah but I also can't be bothered to change gears some of the time and want someone else to do it for me, so I'd be pissed off either way.
I will admit that an auto is VERY useful when driving on the M25 at any time of day or night. That's about the only time I can think it is an advantage, mind.

Oh..and...if you only have a right leg! :D

Or anywhere in London for that matter, driving a manual in heavy traffic is a pain in the rear! equally applies to any place which has a lot of traffic. FWIW all competition cars, F1, rally, touring etc are flappy paddle, dual clutch semi auto call it what you wish. Surely if anyone needs control it's these racing drivers yet none of them use a manual!
 
Silverstar said:
Surely if anyone needs control it's these racing drivers yet none of them use a manual!
But that is a completely different scenario to driving on the road. Racing cars need everything to be as quick as possible, so the semi auto does that for them. It also has other benefits, like not having to take a hand off the wheel. Sequential gears are fine if you are accelerating as hard as possible, then braking, then doing it all again.

Anyway, I don't quite remember how this got into a debate of manual vs auto (again) when the topic is about G29s which are ALL autos so irrelevant really!
 
Pondrew said:
Argyll Andy said:
As I said in my write up, the car thinks and acts faster than I could ever do
I bet I can change from 6th to 2nd gear quicker than your auto can :lol: :poke:

If you need to go from 6th to 2nd on the road you’re no driving it properly :poke: :rofl:
 
Argyll Andy said:
If you need to go from 6th to 2nd on the road you’re no driving it properly
I never said I could drive very well. :D
Unlike most people on car forums I don't have the racing driver gene.
If only car forum people could get an interview with Red Bull, we wouldn't have to watch that dribbling Dutchman every other week in the Summer. :wink:
 
Back
Top Bottom