Aces High Bulletin Board

General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Nypsy on June 26, 2012, 06:10:29 AM

Title: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: Nypsy on June 26, 2012, 06:10:29 AM
So the M5 "Drivers Machine" will not offer a manual transmission. Not that I have the money to buy one but it seems to me that being able to skillfully shift is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of driving a performance machine.

What is ironic is that this decision was economically forced on BMW by the drivers who buy the "Drivers Machine".

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/21/next-bmw-m5-to-drop-manual-transmission-option/
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: KgB on June 26, 2012, 07:38:28 AM
So the M5 "Drivers Machine" will not offer a manual transmission. Not that I have the money to buy one but it seems to me that being able to skillfully shift is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of driving a performance machine.

What is ironic is that this decision was economically forced on BMW by the drivers who buy the "Drivers Machine".

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/21/next-bmw-m5-to-drop-manual-transmission-option/
BMW's  SMG transmission has a clutch, there is just no clutch pedal.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on June 26, 2012, 07:57:55 AM
So the M5 "Drivers Machine" will not offer a manual transmission. Not that I have the money to buy one but it seems to me that being able to skillfully shift is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying aspects of driving a performance machine.

What is ironic is that this decision was economically forced on BMW by the drivers who buy the "Drivers Machine".

http://www.autoblog.com/2012/06/21/next-bmw-m5-to-drop-manual-transmission-option/

Double clutch is getting to be a standard in all high performance cars ever since they adopted it to Formula 1. It's much faster than manual shift.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: Wiley on June 26, 2012, 08:08:21 AM
 So... Can we expect to see a rash of disgruntled m5 owners posting demands to go back to the old way of doing it because they can't go up hills like they used to?

;)

Wiley.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: icepac on June 26, 2012, 08:17:33 AM
Hasn't SMG been around since the 1999.....on a Fiat 156.

I remember working on the sequential manual transmission in a toyota mr2 spyder in 2004.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: RTHolmes on June 26, 2012, 08:54:33 AM
E39 was the last M5 with a manual box in europe. always thought it strange that BMW have carried on offering manual boxes for the M5 only in the US, home of the slush box :headscratch:
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: Volron on June 26, 2012, 09:12:20 AM
Well most of the current generation can't drive as is, what makes you think they can handle an MT?  Really blows as I've always been a fan of the M5.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: SFRT - Frenchy on June 26, 2012, 10:25:24 AM
Hasn't SMG been around since the 1999.....on a Fiat 156.

I remember working on the sequential manual transmission in a toyota mr2 spyder in 2004.

Off course it depends what you consider a SMG, as there's a much difference between the 40s Chrysler SMG and today SMGs as a 40s Ford flathead V8 and their new 5.0

I had one of those with a semi-auto. Needed to use the clutch to engage first, others upshift/downshifts you just select the gear without clutching.
(http://www.fantasyjunction.com/img/cars/large/13582.jpg)

Citroen had their own SMG introduced in 1954 ... Go Pepe Lepieu. :airplane:
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: RTHolmes on June 26, 2012, 10:34:39 AM
borrowed my gfs 2CV way back, never driven one before. took me 30mins to work out wth was going on with the gear lever. I felt like one of those lab chimps pressing buttons at random watching lights go on and off, but no food being dispensed ...


another 2CV quirk: I discovered that if you reverse at high speed for more than a couple of hundred yards, the gearbox disassembles itself. there a bolt in there somewhere which relies on the box turning in fwd gears to stay tight. its on the end of a shaft and after a while in reverse it winds itself off the shaft, followed by all the cogs lol.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: SFRT - Frenchy on June 26, 2012, 10:46:23 AM
 :rofl maybe you were missing a part, so type of 'stoper'. Did you ever tried to lay the car on it's side while turning? As much as the dam thing would lean in a 'high speed' round about, she never did.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: RTHolmes on June 26, 2012, 11:01:43 AM
hilarious amounts of pitch and roll, no power, grip or brakes to speak of, but a surprisingly fun challenge to hustle along a country lane :aok
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: edog1977 on June 26, 2012, 11:12:55 AM
Double clutch is getting to be a standard in all high performance cars ever since they adopted it to Formula 1. It's much faster than manual shift.

I'm pretty sure Formula 1 cars only have one clutch. It's my understanding the clutch is only used at the start of the race and when leaving the pits.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on June 26, 2012, 01:05:20 PM
I'm pretty sure Formula 1 cars only have one clutch. It's my understanding the clutch is only used at the start of the race and when leaving the pits.

Then you'd be wrong. And right. The F1 gearbox uses a single clutch but two axles connected to different gears at once. It resembles the dual clutch operation but due to rules, has to be differently made. http://www.f1network.net/main/s491/st128891.htm
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: edog1977 on June 26, 2012, 01:35:36 PM
Then you'd be wrong. And right. The F1 gearbox uses a single clutch but two axles connected to different gears at once. It resembles the dual clutch operation but due to rules, has to be differently made. http://www.f1network.net/main/s491/st128891.htm

That article states that the SSG (Seamless Shift Gearbox) used in F1 bears NO resemblance to systems like Audi's DSG.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on June 27, 2012, 01:11:35 AM
That article states that the SSG (Seamless Shift Gearbox) used in F1 bears NO resemblance to systems like Audi's DSG.

Technically no but operationally yes. The cluth is used in every shift.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: ozrocker on June 27, 2012, 06:51:29 AM
borrowed my gfs 2CV way back, never driven one before. took me 30mins to work out wth was going on with the gear lever. I felt like one of those lab chimps pressing buttons at random watching lights go on and off, but no food being dispensed ...


another 2CV quirk: I discovered that if you reverse at high speed for more than a couple of hundred yards, the gearbox disassembles itself. there a bolt in there somewhere which relies on the box turning in fwd gears to stay tight. its on the end of a shaft and after a while in reverse it winds itself off the shaft, followed by all the cogs lol.
:rofl Why would you be going in reverse at high speeds for more than a couple hundred yards?
Was Reverse the only way you got it going?

                                                                                                                                      :cheers: Oz
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: zack1234 on June 27, 2012, 07:21:03 AM
In the UK automatics are primary sold to women.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on June 27, 2012, 08:58:12 AM
In the UK automatics are primary sold to women.

Show me anyone who drives S- or E-class Mercedes with manual shift for example. I guess men don't drive Mercedes Benz in UK? :D
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: katanaso on June 27, 2012, 09:57:04 AM
Show me anyone who drives S- or E-class Mercedes with manual shift for example. I guess men don't drive Mercedes Benz in UK? :D

I thought taxis were still manual shift, but that's all I would expect in the E class.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on June 27, 2012, 10:07:08 AM
I thought taxis were still manual shift, but that's all I would expect in the E class.

At least down here they haven't been for a long time. The MB automatic is so good that there's just no reason for manual anymore. Performance is the same and very minimal difference in fuel consumption. Turbine lock effectively makes the auto work like a manual box.
Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: katanaso on June 27, 2012, 12:43:56 PM
At least down here they haven't been for a long time. The MB automatic is so good that there's just no reason for manual anymore. Performance is the same and very minimal difference in fuel consumption. Turbine lock effectively makes the auto work like a manual box.

Interesting.  I always thought it was for cost -- keep the car with the bare minimum of options and keep the price down.  Fuel economy was second.

Title: Re: BMW M5...say goodbye to shifting
Post by: MrRiplEy[H] on June 27, 2012, 12:46:26 PM
Interesting.  I always thought it was for cost -- keep the car with the bare minimum of options and keep the price down.  Fuel economy was second.



At least in here taxidrivers get tax free cars, they always drive with max 3 years old models and usually premium makes also. Might be a coincidence that a 10 mile taxi trip will cost you around 30 dollars.