Any past/present BMW SMG owners?

well,i never have one, but i advised you to not choose SMG on e46, unless u're buying the e92 M3, their shift are like 0.00something, just like a fast handshift manual! Thisis because my buddy drives M3 and we often swap cars. Go for the 6MT

 

My SMG II shifted faster then I ever could in a manual when you turn traction control off and put it into SMG 6 mode which only lights up with traction control off and sport mode on.

Ohh..and very different from the SMGII is how the SMGI operates.....The SMGII paddles only did one operation while the buttons on SMG I did both...SMG I was FAR inferior....

 

had two E46 M3s. One with, the other without.

 

I would choose the 6 speed anyday.

 

same here...

Ohh..and very different from the SMGII is how the SMGI operates.....The SMGII paddles only did one operation while the buttons on SMG I did both...SMG I was FAR inferior....

 

You are not speaking about SMG 1, it was only installed on E36 M50B32 M3 european versions. And it only had a stick and not any buttons what so ever.

You are not speaking about SMG 1, it was only installed on E36 M50B32 M3 european versions. And it only had a stick and not any buttons what so ever.

 

They referred to the SMG on my buddies 2002 E46 330CI as SMG 1. And if you google search SMG1 pictures what i posted above comes up. Here in the US, the buttons on the wheel were considered SMG 1. The paddles were SMG 2.

Just went and read more. You are correct RMTN. The SMG1 was only on the Euro E36 BMW's. The push button "SMG I" on the facelifted E46 330ci's that was incredibly rare is called SSG apparenlty. But ALL E46 M3's had SMGII. Just some with more updated software that eventually was updated in all cars.

 

Pretty good breakdown here

http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=693175

 

 

As long as we are talking about the SMG, how is the version in the newer (08+) M6? I have seen some great deals on the M6 cabrio and as a long time Benz guy I have never had a BMW but I like the looks and need a back seat these days. Is this SMG decent and is this M6 cab going to be replaced soon?

As long as we are talking about the SMG, how is the version in the newer (08+) M6? I have seen some great deals on the M6 cabrio and as a long time Benz guy I have never had a BMW but I like the looks and need a back seat these days. Is this SMG decent and is this M6 cab going to be replaced soon?

 

 

I have an M6 coupe and it's quite good I think. Very easy to drive around town and a blast in the 6th program with DSC off. The only thing faster (shifting) is a Veyron.

Guys, there was a variant of SMG I that was in the first build of the M3. If you recall, you could shift up or down on each side using the same paddle shifter. On the SMG II (the updated version, they changed it to have down on the left and up on the right (as it is in all the SMG cars, i.e. M3s, M5, M6). I do agree there was an SMG on M3 but when the e46 M3 came out, they still called it SMG, not II until they changed the software and made the shifter unidirection. I hate to keep harping on this, but I remember this clearly as it was the reason I waited on buying that car, that and the LED tail lights

 

Guys, there was a variant of SMG I that was in the first build of the M3. If you recall, you could shift up or down on each side using the same paddle shifter. On the SMG II (the updated version, they changed it to have down on the left and up on the right (as it is in all the SMG cars, i.e. M3s, M5, M6). I do agree there was an SMG on M3 but when the e46 M3 came out, they still called it SMG, not II until they changed the software and made the shifter unidirection. I hate to keep harping on this, but I remember this clearly as it was the reason I waited on buying that car, that and the LED tail lights

 

 

Don't forget the part that it SUCKED DONKEY DICK!

Guys, there was a variant of SMG I that was in the first build of the M3. If you recall, you could shift up or down on each side using the same paddle shifter. On the SMG II (the updated version, they changed it to have down on the left and up on the right (as it is in all the SMG cars, i.e. M3s, M5, M6). I do agree there was an SMG on M3 but when the e46 M3 came out, they still called it SMG, not II until they changed the software and made the shifter unidirection. I hate to keep harping on this, but I remember this clearly as it was the reason I waited on buying that car, that and the LED tail lights

 

 

Bollocks! I had an 03 with no tail lights. Im pretty sure the first year of the E46 M3, 2002 didnt have an SMG option! Either way, i know my 03 had SMG II. We can agree to disagree....but I still want to put a picture of mine up!

m3_7.bmp

I had an E60 M5 with SMG and hated the gearbox. People would tell me it shifted fast in S6 but that's crap - you needed to be at 8,000rpm to get a decent shift speed. In Auto mode it was hopeless.

 

It ruined an otherwise basically good car.

Ohh..and very different from the SMGII is how the SMGI operates.....The SMGII paddles only did one operation while the buttons on SMG I did both...SMG I was FAR inferior....

 

 

the first e46 M3 I drove had the dual function (i.e. up/down on EACH of the paddles). That was SMG I on the e46. This I am sure of. Like DWiggs said, we drove that car and I would have burnt it to the ground. I later bought a 2004 that came with SMG II. Marked improvement.

 

At any rate Kevin, I like your car. Carbon black?

the first e46 M3 I drove had the dual function (i.e. up/down on EACH of the paddles). That was SMG I on the e46. This I am sure of. Like DWiggs said, we drove that car and I would have burnt it to the ground. I later bought a 2004 that came with SMG II. Marked improvement.

 

At any rate Kevin, I like your car. Carbon black?

 

Absolutely! More like blue but I just loved how that color looked in the sun!

I almost killed myself entering a corner in a 535 with the "double shift-able useless paddles." I pulled the left one back in "manual" mode and lost ALL power - (upshifted). I wanted to park the car right there.

I almost killed myself entering a corner in a 535 with the "double shift-able useless paddles." I pulled the left one back in "manual" mode and lost ALL power - (upshifted). I wanted to park the car right there.

 

Thats not an SMG at all. Thats just an auto with a selectable gear. an SMG would have rev matched it and put you "into" the power....

Thats not an SMG at all. Thats just an auto with a selectable gear. an SMG would have rev matched it and put you "into" the power....

 

Not exactly, I had it in "manual" mode, and pulled the left "paddle" towards me, (implying a downshift in most paddle shifting cars). However, pulling either lever back towards you shifts UP, not down. You must press forward on it to shift down. This caused the sudden "loss" of power.

Im saying the 5 series, with the exception of the M5 never had a SMG style tranny. They all had autos with torque diverters, not with computer controlled clutches like the SMG had. This is why you had your problem. regardless of if im mixing up an up shift or down shift. Manual mode on those cars just means you tell the auto what gear to select. Its still an auto tranny. In SMG, you are in full control of the gears. If you want to bounce off redline it will. In the auto boxes they usually end up shifting automatically. But the torque diverter vs the comp controlled clutch is probably the biggest difference. Put a SMG into auto mode and hang on. Its essentially like driving a manual car with your passenger controlling the clutch and the gear shifter.