Quote:
Originally Posted by NightWriter
According to a recent informal poll here, about 40% of the owners here opted for the Base/6MT, which I'm sure is a higher take rate than is averaged across all G80/82 sales. Good job, enthusiasts! #savethemanuals
I will be placing an order at some point (sooner or later), and am struggling to make a decision on this option. I've owned a couple of manual BMW's in the past (E39 530i, F23 M240i), and have enjoyed them tremendously. I still struggled to get a consistently smooth 1-2 upshift on the 240, and occasionally I'd miss a gear, but in general they provided a wonderful level of driver involvement and control. So, I'm definitely leaning towards selecting the Base model for these reasons, as well as the fact that it may well be the last (new) manual car I can buy*.
That said... this will be my first M car, and I'm buying it because it's a high performance vehicle. I don't plan to track it (at least not on any regular basis), so I'm trying to gauge whether the Base output will be "sufficient," or whether I'll be left wanting more. "Sufficient" in this context meaning it still puts a stupid grin on my face when I hammer it. I owned an F30 340i xDrive with the ZF 8AT, and that engine (rated at 320hp/320tq) felt amazing at first, but inevitably lost some of the wow factor over time. (I realize this happens no matter what you buy, alas...)
So: I'm curious to hear from 6MT owners: Any regrets with your choice? Either with respect to shift/clutch quality, or with the lower hp/tq output?
Thanks in advance!
* Interestingly, even back in 2001, when I placed my order for the 530i 6MT, the dealer had no manual 5-series available to test-drive, and was so nervous about potentially being saddled with one should I bail out, that they asked for a double-sized non-refundable deposit. So I've been hearing the "no one buys manuals anymore" shtick for a while now... |
I ordered a F82 with a manual and thought it was a ton of fun when i was in a "spirited" driving mood. On off days, it felt like a drag driving the car as the manual doesn't really lend itself to treating it like a civic. The car is designed to haul ass.