Wow Loki,

Glad to hear you're getting your M3 soon (relatively hehe). I'm looking forward to
a new M3 with SMG as well, although I probably won't be up for getting another car
for another 2 years hehe.

 

That good to hear Loki!! In fact I'm very tempted to put my name on the 2yr waiting list . Trust me the thought crosses my mind everyday. But I would rather have the house first.

girlzrace2
white/red 01'

 

So what options are you ordering? SMG and Bi-Xenon would be nice, although both are likely pricey options.

I had a Topaz Blue Z3 for a while... While I didn't love the car (handling), I did love the color!

 

My understanding is that the wait time is really much less than that, with the market and dot-com decline and all... MSRP in less than 6 months if you shop around?

Hell, you can even get a 996 Turbo for near MSRP now that the initial Wow! factor and plethora of very wealth, very young dot-commers have both worn off.

 

So what's "SMG"?

 

yeah, what is it

 

Sequential Manual Gearbox...


A clutch-pedal-less manual transmission that uses a computer, hydraulics and paddle shifters to change gears. F1 race cars, pro rally cars and Ferrari's with "F1" transmission/shifter option use this type of system. Very fast shifting, no loss through a torque converter, special "programs" to accomplish certain feats like high-rpm smokey burnout launches or low traction (ice) driving.

You "pull" on a paddle on each side of the steering wheel to upshift or downshift, or use one of the program modes.

This is not a "manu-matic" type transmission, which is an automatic transmission with a torque converter, but allows manual shifting of the auto gearbox (kind of like how we used to shift our mom's station wagons back in the 70's) but with pushbutton or stick controled shifting.

 

now that's an "automatic" that I wouldn't mind driving

Loki - I be way jealous, bro.

 

So I am guessing you can't "Toe-Heel" in SMG?

 

Not trying to be a prick, but I understood SMG to stand for Sequential M (for Motorsport) Gearbox. OK, not a huge difference, but that is how I understood it. That is, after all, what M stands for in other cases...

It is an awesome thing, though. It pretty much does all the F1 things that you want and will seriously make you feel like Schumacher driving around town.

It rev matches on all downshifts. Since there is no clutch, there is no way to hell/toe, Platinum. The computer matches all revs so that you don't have to. Shifts, as I understand it, are lightning fast and there are about 16 different programs that you can select from to suit your driving preference. It's an amazingly cool set up and I can't wait to test out one of these bad boys when they come out.

I may have to get one.

I actually do prefer the e-30 or e-36 M3 for overall coolness, the e46 M3 is a little too refined for my tastes, but hey, who cares what I think...it's still one badass machine.