[BallHog5873]

Jumped into a manual M2 for first time, I'm inexperienced and still learning manual but am having fun.
Is there a display that shows me what gear im currently in? I see the one with the little up/down arrows showing me what gear to go into, but is there not a numerical display that shows the current gear?
This is an 18 LCI.

Thanks for any help.

[CantComplain]

Originally Posted by BallHog5873

Jumped into a manual M2 for first time, I'm inexperienced and still learning manual but am having fun.
Is there a display that shows me what gear im currently in? I see the one with the little up/down arrows showing me what gear to go into, but is there not a numerical display that shows the current gear?
This is an 18 LCI.

Thanks for any help.

Nope, nothing like that. I've frankly never seen that before in a manual car. I understand that you're inexperienced and all I can say is that the way to get comfortable with it is to practice practice practice. Is the M2 the best car to learn in? Absolutely, because it's the car you have access to though it's not exactly entry level. You're not going to hurt anything really.

Gear selection becomes second nature pretty quickly. Which gear you're in is less important than knowing which gear you should be in. And that comes with practice.

You can and should disable via the big knob the nanny that tells you to upshift. It's always wrong and driven by faulty logic designed to increase efficiency.

[BallHog5873]

Originally Posted by CantComplain

Nope, nothing like that. I've frankly never seen that before in a manual car. I understand that you're inexperienced and all I can say is that the way to get comfortable with it is to practice practice practice. Is the M2 the best car to learn in? Absolutely, because it's the car you have access to though it's not exactly entry level. You're not going to hurt anything really.

Gear selection becomes second nature pretty quickly. Which gear you're in is less important than knowing which gear you should be in. And that comes with practice.

You can and should disable via the big knob the nanny that tells you to upshift. It's always wrong and driven by faulty logic designed to increase efficiency.

Thanks. Yeah I believe my buddy's S5 manual has it and many modern Porshes have it. But good to know I can turn off that nannie, it did seem to be wrong often.

[bmxcamel]

The F80 and F82 do display the current gear for the 6MT. Just not the F87. Different instrument cluster.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by CantComplain

Nope, nothing like that. I've frankly never seen that before in a manual car. I understand that you're inexperienced and all I can say is that the way to get comfortable with it is to practice practice practice. Is the M2 the best car to learn in? Absolutely, because it's the car you have access to though it's not exactly entry level. You're not going to hurt anything really.

Gear selection becomes second nature pretty quickly. Which gear you're in is less important than knowing which gear you should be in. And that comes with practice.

You can and should disable via the big knob the nanny that tells you to upshift. It's always wrong and driven by faulty logic designed to increase efficiency.

Well, my last two manual cars both displayed the current gear. I actually liked the feature and I have driven manuals for almost 50 years now. When cars had 4 speed transmissions, it was an easier matter to know what gear you were in by simply looking at the gear shift. But now with 6-speeds and short throw shifters, it's not always easy to glance down at the shifter and immediately know - is it in 2nd gear or 4th? Displaying the current gear is just a convenience feature and it helps to keep your eyes closer to the road as opposed to looking down at the shift lever.

The Camaro 1LE I owned previous to the M2C displayed the current gear on the gauge cluster AND on the Head-Up Display (HUD).

What I don't understand is why the M2C doesn't use the same implementation that my 2015 F56 MINI Cooper used. The MINI had many similarities to the BMW of course, being made by BMW. The MINI had a similar shift advisor, but instead of just displaying the suggested gear for maximum fuel efficiency, it would also display the current gear. For example, if you were in 2nd gear, it would display:

2>3 or 2>4

The M2C implementation is just dumb actually. At least if it showed the current gear it would have some usefulness. But the way it is, suggesting to shift into 6th gear at 30 mph makes it pretty much useless.

[DFW_M]

Originally Posted by bmxcamel

The F80 and F82 do display the current gear for the 6MT. Just not the F87. Different instrument cluster.

Really? I don’t recall F80 (LCI) displaying current gear on the cluster, only M HUD.
It did display the suggested gear like the F87

[DFW_M]

Originally Posted by wjones14

Well, my last two manual cars both displayed the current gear. I actually liked the feature and I have driven manuals for almost 50 years now. When cars had 4 speed transmissions, it was an easier matter to know what gear you were in by simply looking at the gear shift. But now with 6-speeds and short throw shifters, it's not always easy to glance down at the shifter and immediately know - is it in 2nd gear or 4th? Displaying the current gear is just a convenience feature and it helps to keep your eyes closer to the road as opposed to looking down at the shift lever.

The Camaro 1LE I owned previous to the M2C displayed the current gear on the gauge cluster AND on the Head-Up Display (HUD).

What I don't understand is why the M2C doesn't use the same implementation that my 2015 F56 MINI Cooper used. The MINI had many similarities to the BMW of course, being made by BMW. The MINI had a similar shift advisor, but instead of just displaying the suggested gear for maximum fuel efficiency, it would also display the current gear. For example, if you were in 2nd gear, it would display:

2>3 or 2>4

The M2C implementation is just dumb actually. At least if it showed the current gear it would have some usefulness. But the way it is, suggesting to shift into 6th gear at 30 mph makes it pretty much useless.

Don’t think it would suggest to shift into 6th if you’re at 1200 RPM in the 3rd or 4th.
However, if you really need an indicator for your current gear, I’d say you are a loooong way from being comfortable MT driver…

[bmxcamel]

Originally Posted by DFW_M2C

Really? I don’t recall F80 (LCI) displaying current gear on the cluster, only M HUD.
It did display the suggested gear like the F87

My 2017 F80 6MT definitely had the current gear displayed.

[VisualEcho]

I agree, the current gear should always be displayed.

[David.m]

Originally Posted by wjones14

The M2C implementation is just dumb actually. At least if it showed the current gear it would have some usefulness. But the way it is, suggesting to shift into 6th gear at 30 mph makes it pretty much useless.

It's an 'emissions' feature, as I understand it with EU emission regs and manual transmission cars the upshift points are done at a set engine RPM which would have made the M2/M2C less fuel efficient. By having the feature that 'advises' when to upshift BMW can use their 'fuel economy' rpm shift points.

It maybe the case that back in 2015 the emission regs didn't dictate manual shift points for fuel economy testing.

[Hoverdog]

The BimmerLink app has this feature. It works but it’s slightly laggy and the hassle of always having to connect and start the app before each drive made me ignore it. It may still be useful for someone trying to learn the stick shift.

[VisualEcho]

Any performance car that would give you the current speed limit as opposed to the gear you're in has an identity crisis. Like I give 2 fvck$ what the speed limit is while I'm driving this car.

[NWest]

I must be in the minority that does not need the car to tell me what gear my manual transmission is in

[DFW_M]

Originally Posted by NWest

I must be in the minority that does not need the car to tell me what gear my manual transmission is in

Definitely not the minority. In ~35 years of MT driving I never wondered if I were in the 3rd or the 5th…. Absolutely not necessary.

[nearwater4me]

One don't NEED the feature, but it's definitely nice to have.
Like other comments up there, my old Camaro displayed current gear on the cluster & HUD.
I sometimes do forget what I gear I was in especially when driving with loud music on a rural road at around 50-ish mph cruise speed in traffic.

[MooMooM2]

my vw told me what gear I was on. It was certainly better than always saying 6 on it lol. every gear I am its telling me to go to 6th gear, useless.

But yes, anyone that has driven manual for more than a few months knows what gear they are on.

[Hankdoll]

I've always used the sound of the engine to know what gear I'm in and never had any issues. However in the M2 with ASD, the tone of the engine in 4th in comfort (to my ears) is almost identical to the sound it makes in 6th when in Sport +. I would prefer the dash telling me what gear I'm in vs. the econ suggested gear.

[PackPride85]

You guys are spoiled lol. The first manual car I drove didn't even have a tach. Eventually you just learn by speed and engine sound.

[VisualEcho]

Originally Posted by PackPride85

You guys are spoiled lol. The first manual car I drove didn't even have a tach. Eventually you just learn by speed and engine sound.

The first car you drove had a 4,000 rpm redline and 120 hp grandpa.

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by DFW_M2C

Don’t think it would suggest to shift into 6th if you’re at 1200 RPM in the 3rd or 4th.
However, if you really need an indicator for your current gear, I’d say you are a loooong way from being comfortable MT driver…

Why would I say it suggests to shift into 6th gear at around 30 mph if it didn't do that? I'm making it up?

I've never owned an automatic and have been driving since 1973. But maybe you know something I don't and I still have a ways to go before I'm comfortable in a manual transmission car... Probably not comfortable on my 6-speed Kawasaki either (with no gear indicator).

[DFW_M]

Originally Posted by wjones14

Why would I say it suggests to shift into 6th gear at around 30 mph if it didn't do that? I'm making it up?

I've never owned an automatic and have been driving since 1973. But maybe you know something I don't and I still have a ways to go before I'm comfortable in a manual transmission car... Probably not comfortable on my 6-speed Kawasaki either (with no gear indicator).

Sometimes it is quality instead of quantity.
Does not make you a good driver if you needed indicator since 1973…

The suggested gear is there for one purpose - maximizing the fuel consumption. Just like the car starts in ECO mode instead what most of us prefer - Sport.

Either one are totally irrelevant indicators for me - current gear - never needed something like that, suggested gear, never looked into that…

[wjones14]

Originally Posted by DFW_M2C

Sometimes it is quality instead of quantity.
Does not make you a good driver if you needed indicator since 1973…

I never said I needed an indicator. And I never said I was a good driver either.

I simply said that I prefer a gear indicator as opposed to what BMW gave us with the fuel efficient gear suggestion. On the positive side, it's better than what my Camaro 1LE did - forcing you into a 1-4 skip shift for the sake of fuel efficiency.