Petevb

Preference... To me the RS feels a bit too heavy and notchy, and some complaint the clutch is artificially heavy as well. The 993 RS and 993 GT2 shifters are less notchy, longer and lighter, but to me felt nearly perfect. Depends a lot on what you're coming from...

Yea, I thought that was good. Very interested to see which direction they go in on the M2- the 1M was clearly flawed and too much for some, but that made the car for some of us.

Nizer

Agree for normal street driving, but for track RS is perfect IMO.

Regardless, wasn't impressed with the M4 manual other than the rev matching. And interesting that the article also commented on the very light clutch pedal.

Heavy duty clutch and short-shift kit could likely solve my key complaints.

Petevb

I've heard there is considerable disagreement about tuning of the shift feel even within Porsche itself. And it was one thing Gordan Murray was never perfectly happy with on the production F1. Another subjective rather than objective problem...

Nizer

FTS

This is fun:

Guest89

I have the FD Motorsports SSK and Golden Rod in my 993, which allegedly ape the components of the 993 RS, and I find that the 993 offers superior shifter feel and engagement vs. my 997.1 GT3, on the road at least.

LastMezger

For what it's worth I have an M4 for a week-long test drive and I'll share a few thoughts.

It's a looker. Mean looking, neat details, muscular. Massive brake discs with big drilled holes are impressive.

Interior is nice. I don't love some of the shapes but it's well made.

Too many electronic doodads for me. HUD, big screen with iDrive, lane departure, adjust the throttle, adjust the steering, etc...etc... I prefer the simplicity of the GT3 cabin and driver interface.

Ride quality isn't any better than GT3. Might be a bit more harsh but stiffness is comparable. As is cabin noise IMHO.

I think the engine sounds OK. More V8 sound than ripping-silk classic inline six.

No question it has LOTS of shove. Definitely a lot more bottom end than GT3. Pulls like an OHV V8. I can't say there's much in the way of noticeable lag.

Manual shifter is devoid of feel or notchiness. Clutch has no weight at all. Like an arcade game.

I'd imagine this car is much better with the double-clutch gearbox.

Lastly, not a sports car IMHO so I'd rather the M3 and have the rear door and useable back seat. For $60-$70K though it's a neat package.

Nizer

Spot on, especially as regards the manual.

I have M3 on order and swapped over to the DCT after test drive. Much as I prefer a manual, this one is subpar; as if they tried to take all the manual attributes out of the manual. To put it in perspective, the manual in my E60 535i feels much better than the M4 manual.

Too bad but so be it. This will be a (fun) daily driver so losing the manual is not a big concern.

Petevb

Ouch. I'll need to try one soon. When the manual is offered and guys don't order it... it's quite possible it'll be the last of its breed. Shame- BMW made the M5 manual crap as well, so it's almost a foregone conclusion. We'll see.

neanicu

Nizer,I'm surprised you've ordered DCT. While I haven't driven the M4,I can say the feel of the stock shifter in my E46 M3 wasn't great either. Nothing an SSK from Autosolutions can't solve. With a 40% reduced throw it made it precise. I'm pretty sure you can do the same in the M4. I'd do the shifter and exhaust for sure if I'd order the M4. I would never order a double clutch as long as manual is offered,that's for sure!

kosmo

ah man buzzkill! i was so looking forward to a stick. blimey

Nizer

Two guys opinion so take it with a grain of salt. Here's the feedback from someone that liked it (probably never driven a GT3 ): http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=776993 As always, best to drive one yourself and form your own opinion. Thankfully test drives are readily available.

Should also note that other than the manual criticisms and the fake sound, which apparently can be deactivated, it's a monster car and great value.

Nizer

Couple of thoughts:

- another issue encountered was occasional rattling/jangle when clutch was disengaged. Can't come up with better description and don't know the cause but I will say the same thing happened in manual trans E90 M3 that I drove frequently. So seems either inherent to M manuals or my shifting style (don't tend to rush or bang shifts).

- as stated in earlier post, I trust all/most issues could be addressed via aftermarket solutions. But I have no interest in modding $70k daily driver.

- contrary to what some on the forum believe, I'm not anti-DCT/PDK. just anti lack of choice

- if it felt anywhere near to GT3 manual it would be a no-brainer.

Guest89

I've never driven a BMW manual that I liked. Always vague, rubbery, imprecise, long throws, spongy clutch. And that's E28 through E92 M3.

I love manual transmissions - and have driven them exclusively since age 16 in my own cars - but I would be driving both versions of the M3/4 before placing an order, likely for DCT.

neanicu

The rattling is " normal " M trait. The E46 M3 does it too. I'm thinking it might be the release bearing. Plus you get the M famous " clunk " sometimes when shifting from the differential. I love them all! Call me crazy,but I take it as mechanical involvement. I'm actually glad to hear it's still doing all that!