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Originally Posted by ///AVM
8 gears are still one too many for my liking, as shifts are way too short, particularly in lower gears.
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While I appreciate you say "for your liking" and you recognize the inherent personal preference in this statement, I personally don't see anything magical in 7 gears. It was likely the result of engineering realities at the time it was created. The overall industry trend is towards more gears and faster shifts to make ICEs more efficient. We see 9 speeds coming from Mercedes for future AMG products and 10 speeds here today such as the Ford-GM 10-speed or the Aisin AWR10L65 (used in the Lexus LS 500). I don't know if we'll see Porsche come out with a 9 speed PDK - maybe, maybe not if their development effort starts to pivot with the rest of the industry towards electric vehicles that don't require as many gears.
Taken on its own, the ZF 8HP is in my opinion an engineering masterpiece in its smoothness, shift logic, reliability and versatility. I think it's really remarkable it's used in vehicles as diverse as the Ram 2500 pickup truck to the Rolls Royce Ghost and the entire BMW lineup with only software differences accommodating these applications. Credit to ZF Friedrichshafen, not BMW, for this achievement.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ///AVM
Maybe I have to accept the fact that the G80 is now more of a high performing cruiser than what we have come to expect from an ///M car?
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Each M car is different which is great because it lets BMW M serve a wide range of enthusiast desires. The M2, M3/M4, M5, M8, X3 M / X4 M, X5 M / X6 M, etc., each offer something distinct around common principles of high performance, strength, power, and passion. The M2 is relatively new but it has been a success and I think BMW will make it the rawest M sports car for people who desire that experience. That creates space for the M3/M4 to be a bit more refined than they have been in the past without sacrificing overall performance.