[mr.angus]

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Hey guys! So I picked up my ‘23 G80 Brooklyn Grey/Fiona Red 6MT back in August. I had been waiting for my ordered build ‘23 Comp xDrive (Skycraper/Ivory) for nearly a year when this one came available at another local dealer, so I snagged it out of impatience.

Today I got to see my order for the first time as it was just delivered a couple days ago. I can only drive home with one. I’ll keep it short, but these are my takeaways:


-Comp + XDrive = FAST

-The ZF trans has incredibly fast up shifts for an automatic, especially in the fastest setting. However, no matter what M mode or D mode, the downshifts were still pretty dull. I had an Alfa Romeo Quadrifoglio before and the programming in that ZF is far superior to the Competition xdrive.

-If I were to go with the automatic/comp XDrive, I may have wished to spec it with a more dramatic color combo (and add carbon bucket seats). With the conservative build like mine, it feels much more like an executive M5 car.

-The 6MT is truly the last of its kind. Very few sports sedans with a manual transmission nowadays. Especially something with this level of technology to go along with the quite old-school transmission.

-The 6MT is definitely not as fast, but it is much more viceral. For example, in the same M mode and traction settings, just pulling out of the dealership, the XDrive was very grippy and planted (good for sure). The 6MT broke loose with only 50% throttle on the wet pavement (dangerous, but it gave me the biggest shit eating grin).

-In 20 years when I look back at the cars I’ve owned, I wouldn’t be nearly as proud of this particular Competition M3 xDrive IN COMPARISON to the Brooklyn 6MT. It’s just so much more fun, and it won’t exist much longer. Both cars are epic, but the 6MT makes you feel alive. And life’s too short to not get that feeling with every drive.

Long of the short - I will be keeping my Brooklyn 6MT.

If anybody has interest in the Competition Xdrive build, let me know and shoot me a message and I would be happy to introduce you to my dealer.

[moonluv810]

#savethemanuals

👍👍👍

[John4C]

You made the right decision.

[2011ninja]

I share your sentiments on the 6MT.

It’s a driving experience.

Dual personality…

You can loaf around and short shift or play time attack ripping through the gears!

[FrankieNuo]

I’ve driven an s58 paired with the 8AT for the last 3 years and let me tell you, the 8AT is the most dull transmission I’ve driven/owned. I have a 6MT on order. Good choice!

[voyagergab]

Excellent decision IMHO

[Powerbeast]

Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind #savethemanuals

[BeamerBoomer]

Manual? You guys are a dying species. But in history there were always some that preferred to still close the top of a convertible by hand or to curse the electric support of door locks, breaks or steering for the feeling of a pure drive. Technology still moved on and will do here as well. Time will tell how long this is available at all and how many G8x owners actually opted for this.

Just the looks of the simple manual shifter made me order the auto. Unbelievable how BMW could not come up with some nicer design here, Cannot be that hard. I like the auto one even more therefore.

[MichaelB1969]

Originally Posted by BeamerBoomer

Manual? You guys are a dying species. But in history there were always some that preferred to still close the top of a convertible by hand or to curse the electric support of door locks, breaks or steering for the feeling of a pure drive. Technology still moved on and will do here as well. Time will tell how long this is available at all and how many G8x owners actually opted for this.

Just the looks of the simple manual shifter made me order the auto. Unbelievable how BMW could not come up with some nicer design here, Cannot be that hard. I like the auto one even more therefore.

Closing a convertible top by hand, electric door locks, power-assisted steering and brakes. Not sure these are great analogies to support the argument you’re trying to make. Did people back then romanticize about the days they were forced to stretch across their vehicles to manually pull up a latch to unlock the passenger door? I doubt it.

Also, people don’t want to go back to zero power-assist for things like steering. They want the steering feel that hydraulic steering provided.

Regardless, yes, of course technology moves on, and we should all prepare for a future where there are no drivers at all. We’ll all simply be passengers in fully self-driven vehicles traveling down the road in energy efficient convoys. At that time something like an M3 won’t make any sense, so they won’t exist anymore.

Sounds awful to me, but this is where we’re headed. Might take another 30 years or 50 years to fully get there - so some of us might not be around to see it. But that’s likely the end point. Based on the tone of your argument, and using the same logic, we should all just embrace it with open arms. Yeah?

As for the shifter knob, I’m going to assume you are being sarcastic that this alone made you choose the auto.

[evidence]

Originally Posted by BeamerBoomer

Manual? You guys are a dying species. But in history there were always some that preferred to still close the top of a convertible by hand or to curse the electric support of door locks, breaks or steering for the feeling of a pure drive. Technology still moved on and will do here as well. Time will tell how long this is available at all and how many G8x owners actually opted for this.

Shifting in a vehicle is as core to the experience as steering. Being connected to the vehicle in that way is completely different and visceral for those that enjoy an MT. It's a different type of driver.

There are many obvious reasons AT is a choice for some, but comparing convenience features that get used a few times a day to AT vs MT is completely disingenuous.

[PLF69]

Originally Posted by evidence

Shifting in a vehicle is as core to the experience as steering. Being connected to the vehicle in that way is completely different and visceral for those that enjoy an MT. It's a different type of driver.

There are many obvious reasons AT is a choice for some, but comparing convenience features that get used a few times a day to AT vs MT is completely disingenuous.

Young ppl seem to think good Auto were always present but they sucked ass, the only good reason one would spec them was because they were physically incapable of driving manual. Even performance oriented autos like the SMG, first DSG etc you were making concession of drivability and civility for a bit more performance.

Manual transmissions are akin to the classic way of using gears on a vehicle, it's simple, it works and it's pretty reliable. Excellent auto transmission is something that is relatively new. There's no one better than the other it's just a different way of doing things.

[Powerbeast]

Originally Posted by BeamerBoomer

Manual? You guys are a dying species. But in history there were always some that preferred to still close the top of a convertible by hand or to curse the electric support of door locks, breaks or steering for the feeling of a pure drive. Technology still moved on and will do here as well. Time will tell how long this is available at all and how many G8x owners actually opted for this.

Just the looks of the simple manual shifter made me order the auto. Unbelievable how BMW could not come up with some nicer design here, Cannot be that hard. I like the auto one even more therefore.

You sir are incorrect with a very offbase analogy.

[la02max]

I don't have much input on the G80 manual since I've never driven one, but I've always had manuals and vastly prefer them even though they're not as fast as autos.

I found the M3 competition to be "too good" for the street, if you can imagine that. Before you know it, three gears have gone by and it feels like the car barely breaks a sweat. It's like an "aw, that's it?" moment when you fly around an offramp and accelerate to 70 mph again since it happens so quick and with so little drama. But that's just my personal take - i can 100% see why someone would enjoy the Competition. I'm just wondering how many speeding tickets they get per year

[PLF69]

Originally Posted by la02max

I don't have much input on the G80 manual since I've never driven one, but I've always had manuals and vastly prefer them even though they're not as fast as autos.

I found the M3 competition to be "too good" for the street, if you can imagine that. Before you know it, three gears have gone by and it feels like the car barely breaks a sweat. It's like an "aw, that's it?" moment when you fly around an offramp and accelerate to 70 mph again since it happens so quick and with so little drama. But that's just my personal take - i can 100% see why someone would enjoy the Competition. I'm just wondering how many speeding tickets they get per year

This is so true, I understand some ppl live where going balls out to 250km/h on a regular basis is possible but it's sadly not the case for most of us.

[Allerum]

I really wish they designed a Manual with X-Drive. As that is the one I would get. But the Traction in the rain/snow wins over of the driving experience especially at big power numbers.

[BGBF18]

I agree 100%. Drove a comp, x-drive for a week.

Coming from an F80 w/a tuned DCT, I found the automatic ruined the experience for me. Laggy on downshifts and the upshift from 2-3 at WOT was (ahem)…less than satisfying.

Immediately ordered a TB 6MT; I am disappointed it cannot be had with xdrive as that really made the G80 feel special. Loved the CF seats, but they pinch my (apparently) chubby ribcage 😂.