[SD ///M4]

I have a DCT in my M4 which I always drive in Sequential Mode (manual). For reference, I've been driving an MT for over 50 years and I also have a Z4 M Roadster, which only came with a 6MT. The M4 is the first car I've ever bought that didn't have an MT, but I made my choice after test driving two identical M4s, one with an MT and one with the DCT. The DCT won hands down. I've also tracked numerous cars, BMWs and non-BMWs, mostly with MTs, as well as my M4.

A week or so ago I had the opportunity to drive the X3M Competition (with the same 500+ HP S58 engine that will be used for the G80), an M5 Competition, and an M2 Competition, back-to-back. This was BMW's traveling "M Town" roadshow that went from dealer-to-dealer. The X3M Comp and the M5 Comp had the ZF 8-speed auto and the M2 Comp had the same DCT as in my M4. The route was all on city streets, but a large part of the route was on freeways and in an industrial park area which virtually no traffic, so plenty of space to do some good acceleration/upshifting. I set up all 3 cars identically to how I have my M4 set up for the street, with settings at Sport, Sport+, Comfort, MDM, and DriveLogic 2. I shifted all cars manually with the paddles, just like I do daily in my M4.

After driving the cars with the ZF auto, if this is what the G80 is going to feel like, I'm going to be sorely disappointed. There was a noticeable lag when upshifting at WOT, a distinct pause, where I waited for the upshift to occur. Completely missing was that constant forward velocity experience of upshifting with a DCT. Downshifts also lacked that crispness that I've come to expect with the DCT.

When I got into the M2 Comp, the superiority of the DCT was immediately apparent, as it was when I left in my own M4.

The following week another dealer invited our BMW CCA chapter for test drives, including the M340i, the Z4 30i, which I drove, along with a few other cars, including the M850i, which I didn't drive. The M340i and the Z4 30i had the ZF auto. Again, while the M340i is an impressive and quick 3-Series sedan, the ZF auto lacked any sort of crispness. The Z4 30i felt the same way, although not nearly as quick. (I think that could be a fun roadster for anyone who hasn't driven an Z4 M Roadster.)

I really hope that BMW can tune the ZF better for the G80. If not, it may be back to an MT (if that's even possible) for the G82. For those of you claiming that most people couldn't tell the difference between a DCT and a ZF, I challenge you to drive them back-to-back, like I did. If you can't tell the difference, go see a neurologist, because there's definitely something wrong with your sensory inputs.

P.S. I also got to drive the M5 at Thermal, and on the wet skid pad, the 4WD totally rocks! But that is no indication of how "good" the ZF auto is, as the whole thing is done in 2nd gear, so you only shift once.