[M2 Blur]

I considered the DCT, had the opportunity to pick between 6MT and DCT sitting on a lot but couldn't pass on the manual. I had an 09 135 and the manual was so easy to drive. I deal with Los Angeles traffic and the torque of the N54 was easy to maneuver stop and go traffic. Sure... a DCT has its advantages as a commuter and performance but every time I'd drive a performance auto, I'm reaching for the stick or wanting to row the gears... maybe I'm just hard wired.

The M2 manual is so easy and controllable; creeping forward in 1st, rev matching, hill assist, there is so much torque that gear changes are not always necessary... but it's a great blend of a modern manual and even easier to drive in traffic than my 135 and other manuals. The downside? When I'm in in the city or in traffic, I can get frustrated because I want to drive harder, begging to find an empty road and enjoy the M2 for what it's built for.

I'd say choose the transmission you are drawn to and what tick the boxes you are looking for. If I chose the DCT, I'd probably miss the manual or maybe I'd be converted. In my case... I have no regrets and the 6MT has been a pleasure to drive.

[stefan]

I can't understand the daily driver argument. Is driving a manual in traffic really so difficult? Furthermore what are you guys doing buying an M2 to fetch groceries and putt to work?

DCT is fast and competent. Manual is engaging and mechanical. Manuals are disappearing and will be sought after.

Can you drive manual? If you can the answer is obvious. Like I get this debate for a 328 or something but not for an M2. I'm actually curious how many people don't want to admit they chose the automatic because they can't drive stick. I'm sure that's a large proportion as we are part of a generation whose parents were raised with automatics so most of us learned to drive on autos.

[AngryBaby]

Originally Posted by stefan

I can't understand the daily driver argument. Is driving a manual in traffic really so difficult? Furthermore what are you guys doing buying an M2 to fetch groceries and putt to work?

DCT is fast and competent. Manual is engaging and mechanical. Manuals are disappearing and will be sought agree.

Can you drive manual? If you can the answer is obvious. Like I get this debate for a 328 or something but not for an M2. I'm actually curious how many people don't want to admit they chose the automatic because they can't drive stick. I'm sure that's a large proportion as we are part of a generation whose parents were raised with automatics so most of us learned to drive on autos.

I wouldn't agree that people should be embarrassed or awkward if they can't drive stick and, in fact, agree that it doesn't make sense to do so. However neither does taking the long way home after work, paying extra for gas with more cleaners without evidence of benefit, washing the car weekly despite a busy schedule, etc.

[bartginger]

Dude, here's the answer to your whole deal. Yes, the DCT is the "better" transmission. That's why it costs an additional $2,900. Do you like driving a manual? If you do, you will forever regret buying your M2 with the DCT. If you have zero preference one way or the other, and/or already own/drive cars with automatics or dual clutch transmissions, and $2,900 doesn't matter to you, get the DCT.

[STK]

Originally Posted by stefan

I can't understand the daily driver argument. Is driving a manual in traffic really so difficult? Furthermore what are you guys doing buying an M2 to fetch groceries and putt to work?

DCT is fast and competent. Manual is engaging and mechanical. Manuals are disappearing and will be sought agree.

Can you drive manual? If you can the answer is obvious. Like I get this debate for a 328 or something but not for an M2. I'm actually curious how many people don't want to admit they chose the automatic because they can't drive stick. I'm sure that's a large proportion as we are part of a generation whose parents were raised with automatics so most of us learned to drive on autos.

I take it that you don't think the M2 should ever be a DD in an urban area. By that logic, none of us urban or near urban dwellers should own an M2 unless we like long weekend drives. Well there's a lot of us that disagree.

I drove a E36 328is 5MT in DC traffic for years. (It takes 30-40 min to go 6.5 miles to the office.) And I tracked it w/racing tires and pads multiple weekends a year from VIR to Watkins to Summit Point. I don't spend weekends on long back-road drives.

Seems you want me to get a daily driver and a separate track car. Well I don't want to. I want to drive a M2 every day and occasionally track it. At that point, the question of 6MT vs DCT is quite real. And the answer is not as trivial as you suggest.

And I could make a stronger argument that no one who doesn't track the car needs one. You practically can't get the car out of 3rd w/o breaking the law. And honestly, if you're not tracking the car, you never see it's true capabilities whether you're "puttering to work", "getting groceries" or on back roads.

But owning one of these is not a matter of pure logic. Thank God. And I'm starting to lean towards the DCT.

[McGary911]

I was on the fence when looking for my E46 ///M3 and the right car came up with an SMG. It really grew on me. Enough so that I made sure to get DCT when I ordered my M2. I always hit traffic on the way to work so the autoshifting comes in handy. On top of that, I really appreciate the tech that goes into it. The fact that it's faster seals the deal.

And YES I can drive a stick. Maybe not so well when I was 16, but really tracking my 911 SC taught me a TON.

[m34m]

I own and intend to keep forever a 2013 E92 M3 with DCT. Before buying it I was very torn about the transmission issue. I had driven both and liked both with each having its positives. I could not decide. Then one day I came upon a 1 of 22 Santorini blue limited edition with DCT and it was an instant decision I had to have it. I've lived with that car for two years now as my occasional weekend fun car and I don't track it. Here are my thoughts on DCT:

There are few things more satisfying than cracking open an S65 at full throttle and cracking through upshifts on a DCT bang bang bang!! The shifts are head snapping and violent and then banging off some downshifts. It's a beautiful thing. I love it. Here's the problem; when you aren't doing that....it's boring as hell. Believe me this is in no way designed to disparage DCT as I own one and will never sell my E92. That said in every day normal driving there is no need to manually shift. Even if you do it it's redundant and boring. Put it in D and well...it's an auto and all that an auto entails which is lack of engagement. So here's the issue; the percentage of the time I'm on the boil is minimal compared lwith normal driving therefore driving the car is boring the majority of the time. I'm not proud to admit that but it's true. Even when I do nail it I'm in fear of cops, other cars, pedestrians etc. To reap the benefits of DCT you need to track it.

The other issue with DCT which is personal to me is I don't like the fact that anyone can drive one. Where I live there are many affluent people and I see Maseratis Astons Ferraris Lambos etc. all of which are DCT DCT DCT. Most are driven by clueless brand horny non enthusiasts many times by women (if you think that's sexist I don't care save it) and it annoys me that great cars can be driven by skill less people.

I want my car to be something I can drive using the skills of a fading art. Driving a manual transmission. Not a car my wife can take to the store for groceries. I want my car to be exclusive and off limits to ordinary fools. The other thing is that with a manual I don't have to be driving like a hooligan to have fun I can have a good time at normal speeds simply by being engaged with my car.

For this reason my coming M2 is manual. Manual all day long. The only cars I would buy today are BMW or Porsche with manuals. Say this out loud a few times "you can't buy a Ferrari that isn't automatic". So sad. If you want DCT the reasons should be that you can't drive a manual or you track your car regularly. Other reasons may be you're older, bigger, less physically able, lazier etc. but if you are capable of driving manual and have tasted the sweet seduction of driving one well, there is no debate whatsoever. MANUAL. All day everyday. Manual.

[Robin_NL]

Originally Posted by BMWMTWO

I agree with you and Twt above as far as this being a modern turbocharged sports car and the DCT matches it perfectly. If this were a naturally aspirated power plant I would go 6MT hands down. Would you still choose DCT if you did all of your driving on the streets and never tracked? Cheers

I had an E90 M3 6MT and I felt it would be a better car with the DCT trant because of the very long 6MT gearing.

Today we had a driftday @ Papenburg Mercedes Benz testtrack Germany . New fresh tarmac plus higher temps plus grippier tyres first made it a tad more work than in my ex 1M but after a few laps high speed driving drifting (4th and 5th gear wet parts) it's a blast the car is just as balanced as the 1M but the e LSD is a bit more tricky .DCT is natural and a delight .

Cheers
Robin

[garrito_burrito_]

Only had the car 2 days and I love the DCT in it. Super fast when you want it to be, but forgiving, and easy going when you need it to be. It really comes alive in sport/sport + but in comfort it shifts easily and smoothly. In low speed situations it doesn't creep like most autos, but Im already getting used to that. More versatile than you would think.

[pruettfan]

I love manuals and drove them for most of my 30 years of driving but I ordered a DCT because I love the technology, drive the car daily (10,000 miles in less than 6 months) and believe that the DCT delivers superior performance overall. I was nervous about that decision until I got the car and started to thrash away at the DCT and I haven't had any second thoughts since. I still love manual cars, just enjoyed a day driving my buddies manual 911 in fact but for me DCT is the way to go for a daily. Having said that we are lucky that BMW continues to offer both, instead of the debate being what is better, more engaging yada yada we should be thanking our friends at BMW and Porsche for being pretty much the lone holdouts by offering both transmissions in most of their performance cars. The head of M says they will continue to offer manuals as long as people buy them which is great and I am sure that will be the case. I like options the more choices I have the better so for me its not a DCT versus manual, which is best debate. It is what is the best tool for the individual user.

[M+M]

Originally Posted by m34m

I want my car to be something I can drive using the skills of a fading art. Driving a manual transmission. Not a car my wife can take to the store for groceries. I want my car to be exclusive and off limits to ordinary fools. The other thing is that with a manual I don't have to be driving like a hooligan to have fun I can have a good time at normal speeds simply by being engaged with my car.

LOL some ppl think like this but don't quite say it. Still happy with my DCT so that my wife CAN take it to the store....

But then I still like manual too

[OGM2]

Originally Posted by Robin_NL

I had an E90 M3 6MT and I felt it would be a better car with the DCT trant because of the very long 6MT gearing.

Today we had a driftday @ Papenburg Mercedes Benz testtrack Germany . New fresh tarmac plus higher temps plus grippier tyres first made it a tad more work than in my ex 1M but after a few laps high speed driving drifting (4th and 5th gear wet parts) it's a blast the car is just as balanced as the 1M but the e LSD is a bit more tricky .DCT is natural and a delight .

Cheers
Robin

Thank you for your respones. I already know what a MT brings to the table, no one needs to sell the benefits to me and I'm quite proficient at driving one. You having owned a 1M and still loving the DCT says a lot. I've only briefly driven a 135 that had a DCT but the SA was in the passenger seat so I didn't let it rip like I would have liked. I want to hear positive feedback like yours on the DCT so I can make an informed decision.

[OGM2]

Originally Posted by m34m

I own and intend to keep forever a 2013 E92 M3 with DCT. Before buying it I was very torn about the transmission issue. I had driven both and liked both with each having its positives. I could not decide. Then one day I came upon a 1 of 22 Santorini blue limited edition with DCT and it was an instant decision I had to have it. I've lived with that car for two years now as my occasional weekend fun car and I don't track it. Here are my thoughts on DCT:

There are few things more satisfying than cracking open an S65 at full throttle and cracking through upshifts on a DCT bang bang bang!! The shifts are head snapping and violent and then banging off some downshifts. It's a beautiful thing. I love it. Here's the problem; when you aren't doing that....it's boring as hell. Believe me this is in no way designed to disparage DCT as I own one and will never sell my E92. That said in every day normal driving there is no need to manually shift. Even if you do it it's redundant and boring. Put it in D and well...it's an auto and all that an auto entails which is lack of engagement. So here's the issue; the percentage of the time I'm on the boil is minimal compared lwith normal driving therefore driving the car is boring the majority of the time. I'm not proud to admit that but it's true. Even when I do nail it I'm in fear of cops, other cars, pedestrians etc. To reap the benefits of DCT you need to track it.

The other issue with DCT which is personal to me is I don't like the fact that anyone can drive one. Where I live there are many affluent people and I see Maseratis Astons Ferraris Lambos etc. all of which are DCT DCT DCT. Most are driven by clueless brand horny non enthusiasts many times by women (if you think that's sexist I don't care save it) and it annoys me that great cars can be driven by skill less people.

I want my car to be something I can drive using the skills of a fading art. Driving a manual transmission. Not a car my wife can take to the store for groceries. I want my car to be exclusive and off limits to ordinary fools. The other thing is that with a manual I don't have to be driving like a hooligan to have fun I can have a good time at normal speeds simply by being engaged with my car.

For this reason my coming M2 is manual. Manual all day long. The only cars I would buy today are BMW or Porsche with manuals. Say this out loud a few times "you can't buy a Ferrari that isn't automatic". So sad. If you want DCT the reasons should be that you can't drive a manual or you track your car regularly. Other reasons may be you're older, bigger, less physically able, lazier etc. but if you are capable of driving manual and have tasted the sweet seduction of driving one well, there is no debate whatsoever. MANUAL. All day everyday. Manual.

I get what your saying about feeling somewhat exclusive when it comes to the lost art of driving a MT. And yes, if you looked at my original post I do know how to drive a manual quite proficiently. It's one of the reasons it's still a consideration. However to rebut what you stated about you can't buy a Ferrari with a MT, part of the the appeal is that those same Ferraris, Lambos, etc. have exclusively DCT. It's for a reason. Also those violent up and downshifts you mentioned really appeal to me. I do love shifting for myself but since there's one of the best DCT gearboxes available anywhere on this car I owe it to myself to consider it. Thank you for your response.

[m34m]

Originally Posted by BMWMTWO

I get what your saying about feeling somewhat exclusive when it comes to the lost art of driving a MT. And yes, if you looked at my original post I do know how to drive a manual quite proficiently. It's one of the reasons it's still a consideration. However to rebut what you stated about you can't buy a Ferrari with a MT, part of the the appeal is that those same Ferraris, Lambos, etc. have exclusively DCT. It's for a reason. Also those violent up and downshifts you mentioned really appeal to me. I do love shifting for myself but since there's one of the best DCT gearboxes available anywhere on this car I owe it to myself to consider it. Thank you for your response.

Bud I don't want to speak for you or others. In my own experience I had thoughts like "if it's good enough for (fill in the blank exotic) it's going to be great". And it is great. Great at going really fast so if you're a track guy you'll love it. For me the novelty wore off very quickly and what's left is boredom. It's still great for those times I crack it open but all other times it's blah.

[SW19]

Originally Posted by BMWMTWO

I get what your saying about feeling somewhat exclusive when it comes to the lost art of driving a MT. And yes, if you looked at my original post I do know how to drive a manual quite proficiently. It's one of the reasons it's still a consideration. However to rebut what you stated about you can't buy a Ferrari with a MT, part of the the appeal is that those same Ferraris, Lambos, etc. have exclusively DCT. It's for a reason. Also those violent up and downshifts you mentioned really appeal to me. I do love shifting for myself but since there's one of the best DCT gearboxes available anywhere on this car I owe it to myself to consider it. Thank you for your response.

What lost art of driving a manual car?It isn't hard learning to drive a manual transmission in a production car,especially in a manual like the M2 with auto blip and hill assist.Anybody can do that.What is hard is driving a manual transmission at the limit in a formula one car back in the day.Those guys are the ones with some serious talent.

[doug_999]

The OP specifically asked for DCT owners to reply. I think some of us manual owners are so happy with our purchases we can't help but share.

That said, more than one DCT owner on this forum has had second thoughts, where as I have not seen any 6 speed manual owners regretting their decision.

[Robin_NL]

He probably won't chime in but I was there with my mate Advevo who has a 6MT M2. a few laps he was in the car with me as a passenger and stated the DCT would suit him as well in such a car. Now he is a semi pro , a veteran and the fastest and cleanest acrobatic driver I know personally . So for me that says a lot too.

Cheers
Robin

[rouxeny]

I agree wholeheartedly with the earlier poster. DCT at full boil is awesome. Shockingly fast. Lots of fun noises. Unfortunately, I didn't drive at full boil much. Most of the time, I go to and back from work. For that, I personally think 6MT is more interesting.

If I were to put the car on the track regularly, I'd definitely get DCT again. It's a huge variable that would be removed if you wanted to get faster times.

[pruettfan]

I wonder if there was this level of angst when the crack start and throttle advance systems were replaced. Want to drive truly engaged car drive a model T. Fact is for the foreseeable future we have choices of transmissions on excellent cars with tons of power an reliability, there is nothing to complain about or debate. Pick the one you like and enjoy it, what your pal picks has no impact on you. This is the prefect time for car ownership. Stop arguing over what it better, more engaging etc. I love my 17 M2 DCT, when I get a third non daily I will likely look for a MT Cayman S or GTS. love choices

[Robin_NL]

Originally Posted by doug_999

The OP specifically asked for DCT owners to reply. I think some of us manual owners are so happy with our purchases we can't help but share.

That said, more than one DCT owner on this forum has had second thoughts, where as I have not seen any 6 speed manual owners regretting their decision.

Because then they will be flamed with things like: Laziness, you're not a purist, you don't know how to shift properly, you're probably disabled or too old etc etc.




For me having had>15 manual tranny cars (overhere where I'm from a manual tranny is not an art or something)
I really regretted my E90 M3 having 6MT. Long gearing, V8 doesn't have grunt down low...Not kidding.

Cheers
Robin

[Verdi]

Originally Posted by Robin_NL

Because then they will be flamed with things like: Laziness, you're not a purist, you don't know how to shift properly, you're probably disabled or too old etc etc.

For me having had>15 manual tranny cars (overhere where I'm from a manual tranny is not an art or something)
I really regretted my E90 M3 having 6MT. Long gearing, V8 doesn't have grunt down low...Not kidding.

Cheers
Robin

Can't we just agree that it's about personal preference instead of this eternal debate?

I had a DCT last summer and have a manual now. Both have their pros and cons. Sometimes I miss the DCT but most of the time I do not. Like many others I'd say DCT for the track and manual for the street.

[STK]

Originally Posted by F87LUV

The only time the car shifts for you is when your rpms drop way too low in second. I have yet to let them drop low in higher gears. It's never shifted up for me either even at redline so I'm not sure about that?

I have 17k in the odo now. I'd say 75% of those miles are rolling into traffic and the rest city driving/highway. I just hit the one year ownership mark.

Lately I've been pretty bored with dct. To the point that I'm having major regret and looking for a 2018 allocation now.

But before I order a 6mt, I'm forcing myself to drive in manual mode 247 and I have to do a track day to fully experience dct. This way, I can be sure trading the dct in makes sense. Since I'm on the streets more than the track, I think I'd rather have a more engaging driving experience. This may sound weird but when I'm driving the m2, I constantly get the urge to shift and then I'm like oh wait this isn't manual. Bottom line is manual mode isn't true manual and it really doesn't give me any major enjoyment.

Let us know how the 24/7 manual DCT experience goes. I had the crawling in traffic experience for years w/5MT. Honestly, it didn't bother me too much esp since I tracked it and had some normal highway driving experiences too. But I don't know if I want to do it again especially if the dct can ease the commute and allow for the manual highway and track experience.

Multiple posters have said they could not tell their gear with a DCT but always knew with their MT. That observation was really interesting and unexpected. Driving a MT I know what gear I'm in by actually shifting but I also thought I knew by the speed and the sound. You seem to be saying the speed and sound inputs alone doesn't do it. Do you think that has something to do with there being 7 gears rather than 5 or 6? I'd be very interested if other DCT users w/MT experience have had the same experience. Please weigh in. And if training yourself to know which gear by speed/rpm (sound) would increase your engagement with the DCT.