In the last 60 years, we've seen automotive transmissions move from manual to automatic to manually shiftable automatic. Now the latest in high-tech shifting — a Sequential Manual Gearbox, or SMG — is being offered by BMW in the 2002 M3 Coupe and Convertible for a $2,400 premium over the conventional manual transmission. While SMG may sound like something to avoid at the local Chinese restaurant, BMW likes the acronym so much it has trademarked it to keep other automakers from snatching the catchy phrase.
So what exactly is a sequential manual gearbox? First, as the name suggests, it is a manual transmission, complete with clutch, flywheel and throw-out bearing. Unlike other "automanuals" or "manumatics" that are actually just automatic transmissions with extra buttons or levers to help the driver change gears, BMW's SMG offers all the increased drivetrain efficiency of a true manual transmission (that is, no fluid torque converter to suck up horsepower before it reaches the drive wheels). A similar design, dubbed "F1," is available from Ferrari, as is one from Toyota that uses the term Sequential Manual Transmission, or SMT. The BMW, Ferrari and Toyota systems are all similar in concept, but BMW's is by far the most advanced in terms of features and functionality.
For example, the SMG offers an automatic mode, as well as the ability to alter the quickness of the shifts. Toyota's SMT does not. The Ferrari version comes closer, with a fully automatic setting and faster gear changes (0.15 seconds). However, the SMG transmission still beats the Ferrari with gear changes that happen in 0.08 seconds (when set to its most aggressive shift mode). That's faster than any human can shift a regular manual transmission.
So what's it like having this technology in a street-driven car? A bit unnerving, at first. Simply starting our M3 test vehicle was a challenge due to the multistep process that's involved. After placing your foot on the brake, you turn the key, put the console lever in the "0" position (and confirm it's in neutral by viewing the gear display near the tachometer), then start the engine and move the lever to engage either reverse or drive. Nothing about the process is truly difficult, but getting the car into neutral to allow the engine to start took some finesse, and remembering every step along the way took several days of driving. Thankfully, BMW was kind enough to supply an easily referenced placard. We'd suggest making copies to give to valets.
Once underway, the transmission works much like those we've sampled in the Toyota MR2 and Aston Martin Vanquish. Upshifts come by tapping the right column-mounted paddle or by flicking the shift lever backward. Downshifts, appropriately, come by tugging the left paddle or by pushing the shifter forward. Selecting one of the least aggressive shift programs (S1 or S2 for manual mode, or A1 through A3 in automatic mode) gives the car a lethargic feel as it slowly disengages the clutch, swaps gears and releases the clutch.
Even the transmission's most aggressive automatic setting, A5, doesn't offer the kind of positive upshifts you'll find in, say, a Mercedes C32 with a conventional automatic transmission. Several staffers cited this as a negative aspect of SMG. However, when one considers everything that's happening behind the scenes (a clutch disengaging and engaging, along with a gear being changed), it's easy to understand the somewhat "lurchy" characteristics of SMG compared to a regular horsepower-robbing slushbox. Look at it this way: When you shift a conventional manual transmission, you fully expect the car to pitch fore and aft, to some extent, as you depress and release the clutch. The SMG system sets itself up for driver disappointment by having no clutch pedal, thereby putting the typical driver's mind in "automatic" mode and then disappointing him by not providing conventional "automatic" sensations.
But not all sensations with SMG need an explanation. Put the transmission in S5 or S6 (S6 is available only after switching off dynamic stability control) and the M3 rockets forward with each near-instantaneous upshift, making your left leg feel truly redundant. Downshifts are similarly thrilling as the electronic throttle control revs the engine to achieve seamless gear swaps. The system can't be fully appreciated without a spirited run down a tight canyon road where heavy throttle and hard braking activity come back to back. This is when the Michael Schumacher-side of the M3 comes out to play, making any driver feel like an F1 contender.
These feelings ring true under controlled conditions, where our testing confirmed a 5.4-second 0-to-60-mph time and a quarter-mile run of 14.0 at 101 mph. For reference purposes, that's about 0.5 seconds off the pace of the M3 Coupe we tested last fall. When you consider the coupe's weight advantage of 360 pounds, along with the tricky aspects of launching an SMG-equipped M3, we consider the outright performance between the two transmissions a wash. Simply flooring our test car resulted in a cloud of tire smoke as the engine spun to near redline before the SMG dropped the clutch. Conversely, a controlled (or even semiaggressive) application of throttle from a standing start had the car quietly motoring away with little drama...or speed. The only way to properly exploit the car's horsepower from a standing start is to floor it, get the car moving and the tires spinning, then back off enough to regain traction but not lose momentum (or fall out of the powerband) and then roll back into the throttle as quickly as the rear tires will allow. Whew! We got our best time after four runs and a steep learning curve. Additional attempts would have likely yielded quicker times, but because we like to keep our testing figures rooted in the real world (and avoid unnecessary damage to $60,000 cars that don't belong to us), we stopped after four tries.
All other performance aspects of our M3 convertible were as expected, including the 109-foot stopping distance from 60 mph, the sublime steering feel and, unfortunately, the somewhat "blatty" exhaust tone that can't match a V8 Corvette (or even a Boxster S) for pure passion. Aggressive driving was further aided by heavily bolstered front bucket seats and a thick M Sport steering wheel with attractive blue and red stitching. The "Cinnamon" leather interior looked rather bizarre when we first saw it, but most staffers quickly warmed to the color, preferring it to the typically monotone and stark BMW cabin.
Like most 3 Series Convertibles, our test car's top was fully automatic, and it featured a glass rear window with defrost, which it could completely raise or lower in less than 25 seconds. We were somewhat disappointed in the amount of wind and road noise that made its way inside the cabin at highway speeds, but for true convertible fans this won't be an issue (for these people, the top will rarely be up anyway, right?). We should caution potential buyers that the convertible top eats up a fair amount of trunk space. The coupe is said to have 9.5 cubic feet of luggage space while the convertible gets an even 7 (with truly useful storage space greatly compromised by the top mechanism's "box").
When the M3 is taken as a whole, BMW gets credit for creating one of the most real-world sports cars currently available to U.S. buyers. In terms of pure performance, the M3 is among the most capable cars on the planet. Yet it also has a functional rear seat and starts at less than $50,000 (less than $55,000 for a convertible — options pushed our test vehicle past 60 grand). And now, with SMG technology, even those members of your household not interested in heel-and-toe downshifting can partake in the magic of Bavarian driving passion.
So what exactly is a sequential manual gearbox? First, as the name suggests, it is a manual transmission, complete with clutch, flywheel and throw-out bearing. Unlike other "automanuals" or "manumatics" that are actually just automatic transmissions with extra buttons or levers to help the driver change gears, BMW's SMG offers all the increased drivetrain efficiency of a true manual transmission (that is, no fluid torque converter to suck up horsepower before it reaches the drive wheels). A similar design, dubbed "F1," is available from Ferrari, as is one from Toyota that uses the term Sequential Manual Transmission, or SMT. The BMW, Ferrari and Toyota systems are all similar in concept, but BMW's is by far the most advanced in terms of features and functionality.
For example, the SMG offers an automatic mode, as well as the ability to alter the quickness of the shifts. Toyota's SMT does not. The Ferrari version comes closer, with a fully automatic setting and faster gear changes (0.15 seconds). However, the SMG transmission still beats the Ferrari with gear changes that happen in 0.08 seconds (when set to its most aggressive shift mode). That's faster than any human can shift a regular manual transmission.
So what's it like having this technology in a street-driven car? A bit unnerving, at first. Simply starting our M3 test vehicle was a challenge due to the multistep process that's involved. After placing your foot on the brake, you turn the key, put the console lever in the "0" position (and confirm it's in neutral by viewing the gear display near the tachometer), then start the engine and move the lever to engage either reverse or drive. Nothing about the process is truly difficult, but getting the car into neutral to allow the engine to start took some finesse, and remembering every step along the way took several days of driving. Thankfully, BMW was kind enough to supply an easily referenced placard. We'd suggest making copies to give to valets.
Once underway, the transmission works much like those we've sampled in the Toyota MR2 and Aston Martin Vanquish. Upshifts come by tapping the right column-mounted paddle or by flicking the shift lever backward. Downshifts, appropriately, come by tugging the left paddle or by pushing the shifter forward. Selecting one of the least aggressive shift programs (S1 or S2 for manual mode, or A1 through A3 in automatic mode) gives the car a lethargic feel as it slowly disengages the clutch, swaps gears and releases the clutch.
Even the transmission's most aggressive automatic setting, A5, doesn't offer the kind of positive upshifts you'll find in, say, a Mercedes C32 with a conventional automatic transmission. Several staffers cited this as a negative aspect of SMG. However, when one considers everything that's happening behind the scenes (a clutch disengaging and engaging, along with a gear being changed), it's easy to understand the somewhat "lurchy" characteristics of SMG compared to a regular horsepower-robbing slushbox. Look at it this way: When you shift a conventional manual transmission, you fully expect the car to pitch fore and aft, to some extent, as you depress and release the clutch. The SMG system sets itself up for driver disappointment by having no clutch pedal, thereby putting the typical driver's mind in "automatic" mode and then disappointing him by not providing conventional "automatic" sensations.
But not all sensations with SMG need an explanation. Put the transmission in S5 or S6 (S6 is available only after switching off dynamic stability control) and the M3 rockets forward with each near-instantaneous upshift, making your left leg feel truly redundant. Downshifts are similarly thrilling as the electronic throttle control revs the engine to achieve seamless gear swaps. The system can't be fully appreciated without a spirited run down a tight canyon road where heavy throttle and hard braking activity come back to back. This is when the Michael Schumacher-side of the M3 comes out to play, making any driver feel like an F1 contender.
These feelings ring true under controlled conditions, where our testing confirmed a 5.4-second 0-to-60-mph time and a quarter-mile run of 14.0 at 101 mph. For reference purposes, that's about 0.5 seconds off the pace of the M3 Coupe we tested last fall. When you consider the coupe's weight advantage of 360 pounds, along with the tricky aspects of launching an SMG-equipped M3, we consider the outright performance between the two transmissions a wash. Simply flooring our test car resulted in a cloud of tire smoke as the engine spun to near redline before the SMG dropped the clutch. Conversely, a controlled (or even semiaggressive) application of throttle from a standing start had the car quietly motoring away with little drama...or speed. The only way to properly exploit the car's horsepower from a standing start is to floor it, get the car moving and the tires spinning, then back off enough to regain traction but not lose momentum (or fall out of the powerband) and then roll back into the throttle as quickly as the rear tires will allow. Whew! We got our best time after four runs and a steep learning curve. Additional attempts would have likely yielded quicker times, but because we like to keep our testing figures rooted in the real world (and avoid unnecessary damage to $60,000 cars that don't belong to us), we stopped after four tries.
All other performance aspects of our M3 convertible were as expected, including the 109-foot stopping distance from 60 mph, the sublime steering feel and, unfortunately, the somewhat "blatty" exhaust tone that can't match a V8 Corvette (or even a Boxster S) for pure passion. Aggressive driving was further aided by heavily bolstered front bucket seats and a thick M Sport steering wheel with attractive blue and red stitching. The "Cinnamon" leather interior looked rather bizarre when we first saw it, but most staffers quickly warmed to the color, preferring it to the typically monotone and stark BMW cabin.
Like most 3 Series Convertibles, our test car's top was fully automatic, and it featured a glass rear window with defrost, which it could completely raise or lower in less than 25 seconds. We were somewhat disappointed in the amount of wind and road noise that made its way inside the cabin at highway speeds, but for true convertible fans this won't be an issue (for these people, the top will rarely be up anyway, right?). We should caution potential buyers that the convertible top eats up a fair amount of trunk space. The coupe is said to have 9.5 cubic feet of luggage space while the convertible gets an even 7 (with truly useful storage space greatly compromised by the top mechanism's "box").
When the M3 is taken as a whole, BMW gets credit for creating one of the most real-world sports cars currently available to U.S. buyers. In terms of pure performance, the M3 is among the most capable cars on the planet. Yet it also has a functional rear seat and starts at less than $50,000 (less than $55,000 for a convertible — options pushed our test vehicle past 60 grand). And now, with SMG technology, even those members of your household not interested in heel-and-toe downshifting can partake in the magic of Bavarian driving passion.
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