TRAKCAR

It seems to be the ideal car for wife's daily automatic and my occasional track car.
Only question I have is ceramics or no ceramics?

85Gold

Steel baby all the way. Tried and true and use the $$$ for another Mancation. Already priced one but don't think it's for me. To many complex parts that all have to work and if it isn't track capable what good is it.

Peter

Macca

Just gotta love this post on a bimmer forum I just found. Debate rages after the Harris video on the virtues of the new "steralised' M3 (electric steering, turbo engine, piped sound etc) vs the old. Sounds a bit like the 991 GT3 vs previous gen debate on this board. The posted makes a good point in a funny way tho...

"Most of the butthurt from a previous generation M owner goes away when he/she buys the new one or just loses the will to troll.

The E46 people whined about the E92 for a solid year. "It's too heavy, the steering sucks, looks girly, THERE'S A FAKE HOOD VENT OMG, " etc etc. Then, as befits the old, they either died naturally or were eaten by predators. "
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Nizer

Nothing holds a candle to the E30 M3 but having driven both the E90 and new F80, I'd take the F80. Just too bad BMW can't put a decent manual in it.

-eztrader-

What's wrong with the manual? I want to test drive one, but have only found automatic.

Nizer

Just lacks feel IMO. Clutch is veeery light as are shifts. Throws are not what I'd call short.

I've owned six manual transmission Bimmers going all the way back to a '72 2002 tii and my current daily driver is an '08 535i w/manual that I love, so it's not like I'm biased against BMW manuals. That said, i have a lot of seat time in a manual E92 and was never particularly impressed with that transmission and I think the E82 manual has even less feel.

FWIW, think most here know my strong preference for manuals but I was disappointed enough to switch the trans on my build to DCT.

Now if you go on any Bimmer forum you'll find 10 guys that love the new manual for every one that's disappointed (example: http://f80.bimmerpost.com/forums/sho....php?t=1008074). Also, I consider the GT3 manual to be the best out there while a lot of folks consider it to be too stiff, so there's that.

All I would say is drive one before you order it. If you liked the E92 manual you'll probably like the E82 manual, but if you expect it to be anything like a GT3 manual you're likely to be disappointed.

Hoopumpers

I test drove the MT as well before placing my order. I have a strong preference for MT and have the same F80 DCT in the F10 M5 that I am offloading.

Verdict: DCT is the correct transmission for this car.

I concur with what Nizer says above. Shifter wasn't terrible. Clutch was long, light and engagement was sharp and unnatural. On throttle, shifts between 1 and 2 were just abrupt as the engine goes off boost. MT is not well paired to the overall car IMO.

The MT in my 987.2 Spyder with SSK is damn near perfect. If that's a 10/10, the F80 was a 3/10. Skip it and go dual clutch.