[warp09]

Hey,

I am looking to purchase a 335i. My main concern is what transmission to go with. This will be my daily driver, but I will also be taking it to the drag strip and track.

Are the AUTOs just as efficient as the manuals?
Can they take the same amount of power as the manuals when using a Dinan flashes?
Can you launch the AUTOs just as good as a manual?
Does the flash take away any type of torque management to produce the things I want?

I am also a novice stick driver, so there are many things to be factored in

Thanks

[335iheLLraiseR]

[sambonator]

Auto for daily driving and drag racing. Manual for autocross and race tracks. Too bad a dual-clutch tranny isn't available yet...

[Panoz]

Get a steptronic...its quicker

[sleepdoc]

Originally Posted by warp09

Hey,

I am looking to purchase a 335i. My main concern is what transmission to go with. This will be my daily driver, but I will also be taking it to the drag strip and track.

Are the AUTOs just as efficient as the manuals?
Can they take the same amount of power as the manuals when using a Dinan flashes?
Can you launch the AUTOs just as good as a manual?
Does the flash take away any type of torque management to produce the things I want?

I am also a novice stick driver, so there are many things to be factored in

Thanks

You can launch the auto great. Many think the auto is faster in the 1/4, especially if you are not fantastic with the manual. Drive them both, in the end it is a matter of personal preference.

[djrobroe]

Originally Posted by 335iheLLraiseR

lmao...

[BES335xi]

LOL

[Brianbmwboy]

Originally Posted by sambonator

Auto for daily driving and drag racing. Manual for autocross and race tracks. Too bad a dual-clutch tranny isn't available yet...

I agree. Auto for straight line stuff as it is more consistent and fastest 1/4 cars are all auto. Although I have a step, the manual is probably more involving to drive and better at the race track/road course.

I have heard of no problems with either tranny and there are a few people around approaching 400 rwhp, so in that instance i would say you should be fine either way for mods.

[warp09]

Originally Posted by Brianbmwboy

I agree. Auto for straight line stuff as it is more consistent and fastest 1/4 cars are all auto. Although I have a step, the manual is probably more involving to drive and better at the race track/road course.

I have heard of no problems with either tranny and there are a few people around approaching 400 rwhp, so in that instance i would say you should be fine either way for mods.

Thanks guys for the people who actually participated with a good response.

I have only driven stick a few times, so I pretty much suck at it. The only thing I will do is race in a straight line.

The dealer by my house is also an Authorized Dinan dealer as well. Hopefully by late July, early August, I will get the car.

Does anyone know if you can launch the car as hard as a manual? Probably not, but worth a shot.

[Joonsup]

Originally Posted by warp09

Thanks guys for the people who actually participated with a good response.

I have only driven stick a few times, so I pretty much suck at it. The only thing I will do is race in a straight line.

The dealer by my house is also an Authorized Dinan dealer as well. Hopefully by late July, early August, I will get the car.

Does anyone know if you can launch the car as hard as a manual? Probably not, but worth a shot.

hold brake, give it some gas to about 2-3k and then go

[LambOfGod]

I have the step and I love it. I didn't think it was the right way to go until I drove it and it sold me. The paddle shifters work very well. Although for spirited drive my S2000 works very well. I guess if you want this car to be your "sports car" and you really want the full sports car experience...you cannot beat the manual trans.

[addicted 2 turbo]

Originally Posted by 335iheLLraiseR

[Dr_Dirt]

I think the manual drives smoother than the auto. My auto always downshifts into 1st when I stop and sometimes it whiplashes you if you get on the gas lightly. I notice if I paddle shift it into 2nd you never get the whip lash effect.
my 0.02...

[Brianbmwboy]

Originally Posted by warp09

Thanks guys for the people who actually participated with a good response.

I have only driven stick a few times, so I pretty much suck at it. The only thing I will do is race in a straight line.

The dealer by my house is also an Authorized Dinan dealer as well. Hopefully by late July, early August, I will get the car.

Does anyone know if you can launch the car as hard as a manual? Probably not, but worth a shot.

Step launches harder than manual, if you look at dragtimes.com for 335i 6 out of top ten fastest are all auto. Manual hard to get traction right especially with the open diff that comes on the 335i.

I do agree that the modded step can be a little bit neck snapping on the take off. A manual might be smoother as stated above. I have also read a few threads that dinan software helps to smooth this out.

Good luck and i'm sure you'll love whichever you choose.

[warp09]

Thanks guys.

I have to the conclusion of getting an Auto. I am a novice stick driver, so I don't think I would want to pay for these clutches. I asked around with a few other people and they said if this is going to be my DD, that an auto would be better.

On my Moms 550i, when you floor it, it seems to be lag on take off, or if you are on a roll on the freeway. Is there something similar with the 335i, and if so, can the reflashes take them away?

I plan on doing a Dinan reflash, and whatever is necessary to get this car in the low 12s, possibly high 11s.

Thanks again

[StarrDlux]

you should get a vette it does 11's off the showroom floor. 10's if you are z06. i think you may be expecting too much from dinan mate.

high 12's maybe 13's steptronic dinan stage 2 is more than realistic. esp with 91 octane. there's a huge difference between high 12's and high 11's.

why dont you just put haltech on instead of the ecu and run the motor and turbo's your own way. no codes to log run as much boost and timing as you see fit? it costs about the same as the dinan flash (standalone)

[Brianbmwboy]

Originally Posted by StarrDlux

you should get a vette it does 11's off the showroom floor. 10's if you are z06. i think you may be expecting too much from dinan mate.

high 12's maybe 13's steptronic dinan stage 2 is more than realistic. esp with 91 octane. there's a huge difference between high 12's and high 11's.

why dont you just put haltech on instead of the ecu and run the motor and turbo's your own way. no codes to log run as much boost and timing as you see fit? it costs about the same as the dinan flash (standalone)

Corvette fast for sure, but stock C6 2008+ with the 436hp motor runs mid 12's, not 11's and Z06 runs high 11's. See Road and track (any issue in back), Car and Driver, Automobile for verification. And neither has a back seat or the sophistication of a BMW.

As for the BMW mods, mid 12's i think is realistic without too much longevity cost or $$ up front. Dinan and a few supporting mods should be great!!

[LACA335i]

Originally Posted by sambonator

Auto for daily driving and drag racing. Manual for autocross and race tracks. Too bad a dual-clutch tranny isn't available yet...

dual clutch smg? by the smg is not the best technology from bmw

[Brianbmwboy]

Originally Posted by LACA335i

dual clutch smg? by the smg is not the best technology from bmw

I think he was referring to the new Dual Clutch Gearbox coming from BMW, which is supposed to be the best transmission technology available. Faster than Auto or Manual, smoother than both and more efficient than both. Available later this year from BMW.

The old SMG tranny that you are thinking of was slow, jerky and not very user friendly. The new one should be the bomb.

[StarrDlux]

i dont read magazines to see how fast they go. i go to the track.

you can tune gm's all day long. cats? no thanks - code check disable.. etc.

so tune is like $125, throw on a pair of dawgs (DR's) and ditch the extra weight and you have yourself an 11 second car that can hotlap

the bmw is a luxury sport car and i guarantee you cannot hotlap it and get consistent times as-is. maybe with a bigger oil cooler, trans cooler, etc. boosted cars just get slower and slower it seems as you run them back to back to back.

just seems silly to drag race a bmw. you know a $50K with no insurance if the guy next to you blows out a tire and hits your car. at least american cars are cheap to get spare parts for cheaper

[Carnage]

Originally Posted by Brianbmwboy

Corvette fast for sure, but stock C6 2008+ with the 436hp motor runs mid 12's, not 11's and Z06 runs high 11's. See Road and track (any issue in back), Car and Driver, Automobile for verification. And neither has a back seat or the sophistication of a BMW.

As for the BMW mods, mid 12's i think is realistic without too much longevity cost or $$ up front. Dinan and a few supporting mods should be great!!

Try again and don't believe everything you read just because a magazine guy ran the car once down the track. Real-world owners have been getting 11's in the 1/4 out of bone stock 2008 C6's (best time is 11.71 @ 119.94) and plenty of Z06 owners have pulled mid to low 11's and even high 10's out of bone stock models. Low 12's are easy obtainable for good drivers in LS2 model 05-07 C6 Vettes. There's a big difference between owners who drive the car on a regular basis and understand how to get at it's full potential and a guy who drives it once or twice for an article and that goes for any car. Just because a magazine said it doesn't make it so.

[phantom330]

please see attached.