Personally, I think the auto e39 540i is better than the manual.

Why? It just seems like every time I drive a e39 540i6 the car just does not want to rev.

The e39 M5, on the other hand, I could never get tired of blipping that throttle.

:dunno never driven a 540iA. the 6 is great for control freaks like me. it's all the same motor so i don't know what the problem would be. :dunno

Several websites agree with you (edmunds, I believe). I like manuals, but my current DD is a 530iA. I love it anyway. :)

Auto is the lazy man's way to fun! I have been driving stick ever since I could drive...my E39 is a welcomed break..plus I live in LA...which comes with LA traffic so it is all good.

Does anyone else think the 540iA > 540i6?

No.

The 6 speed will run circles around the automatic

lets face it, with three kids in the back and albuquerque traffic..IM almost thinking about sticking with my auto L7

Aut:Good for mundane

The 6 speed will run circles around the automatic
Prof please. I'm willing to use my car as a test mule for your experiment. If you can run off and leave me in your 540/6 all the way to the top end, then I'll concede. Till then, you only have opinions. :devillook

the new e60 545i, the automatic is faster than the manual gearbox

Prof please. I'm willing to use my car as a test mule for your experiment. If you can run off and leave me in your 540/6 all the way to the top end, then I'll concede. Till then, you only have opinions. :devillook

meet you at jones beach.

The 6 speed will run circles around the automatic

I doubt that, I believe the 6 speed will dig down deeper and beat an Auto in almost any situation(key word Almost), but running circles might be a bit far fetched..

I prefer Auto's due to traffic. When I was a young buck(early 20's), I loved driving manual's, my 93 vette was a manual, and I loved it.

But as I have gotten older, I appreciate not holding in the clutch for an hour in Bay Area traffic, or for that matter the minute Sacramento traffic.

I believe with a little mods, you can get your auto to perform pretty well.

Prof please. I'm willing to use my car as a test mule for your experiment. If you can run off and leave me in your 540/6 all the way to the top end, then I'll concede. Till then, you only have opinions. :devillook

I've driven both and the auto I've driven was a 2003 540ia with 290hp, the manual is much quicker.

Personally, I think the auto e39 540i is better than the manual.

Why? It just seems like every time I drive a e39 540i6 the car just does not want to rev.

The e39 M5, on the other hand, I could never get tired of blipping that throttle.

What do you mean it doesn't want to rev? Anyone knows that you get more engine response in a manual that's why people say it's more fun to drive. There is no delay for the transmission to gear down so your get immediate reving. Are you basing this off of a drive around the block of a friends car? I see that you do not own one so I'm confused? Maybe you were trying to drive it hard with traction control on and the tires wanted to peel but the DSC inhibited the throttle. Maybe the next time you drive one you should turn of the DSC first. That probably wouldn't happen if you took an automatic around the block because it's harder to get the same launch so the DSC doesn't kick in.

My e34 540/6 has easily out-accelerated an e34 540A (several car lengths 0-100). At least in the e34's case there really isn't that much of a comparison as far as I am concerned. My 540 was also dead even with an 03 540/6 from 90-145 so there isn't that much of an acceleration difference between e34 and e39.

My e34 540/6 has easily out-accelerated an e34 540A (several car lengths 0-100). At least in the e34's case there really isn't that much of a comparison as far as I am concerned. My 540 was also dead even with an 03 540/6 from 90-145 so there isn't that much of an acceleration difference between e34 and e39.

Similar mods for the 540/6 vs 540ia?

I would love to find a E34 540/6 with similar mods to mine just to see the difference. Go from dead stop, and then maybe a freeway roll to high speed.

I am just not feeling that I would fall back several car lengths, but I would be behind. I would think maybe 2, or even 3 worse case. And at 3, I would concede driver ability.

But, there seems to be only one way to find out....

How about this E34n, You and I start at the same time, and floor it the whole way. We can see who gets to the middle of the US first.....

Similar mods for the 540/6 vs 540ia?

I would love to find a E34 540/6 with similar mods to mine just to see the difference. Go from dead stop, and then maybe a freeway roll to high speed.

I am just not feeling that I would fall back several car lengths, but I would be behind. I would think maybe 2, or even 3 worse case. And at 3, I would concede driver ability.

But, there seems to be only one way to find out....

How about this E34n, You and I start at the same time, and floor it the whole way. We can see who gets to the middle of the US first.....


It was a '94 540 w/ the dinan engine and tranny chips.

Sounds good... i'll see you in New Mexico :devillook

It was a '94 540 w/ the dinan engine and tranny chips.

Sounds good... i'll see you in New Mexico :devillook

Leaving now, I will have a margarita waiting for ya :buttrock

of course the i6 would accelerate faster.. youre starting in lower gears.. i bet if you had the auto in S3, itd be a pretty even match. you'd have to consider the small lag time the auto tranny needs to shift into different gears, but then again. you also have to consider the shift times of the manual driver..

I love manual.. but in the 540, i think auto is the overall winner.. i test drove the i6 before i bought the auto and i figured what was the point of stick.. it'll never handle like my M3 did. so like ive stated time and time again.. id rather grab some t&a next to me than a shift knob in my 5 series.

you sir are the devil

hehehe auto better than stick? huh?
everytime u drive a 540? how many times
have u driven it? was it in good shape?
were you in too high a gear?

Prof please. I'm willing to use my car as a test mule for your experiment. If you can run off and leave me in your 540/6 all the way to the top end, then I'll concede. Till then, you only have opinions. :devillook


simple proof? all things being equal an auto tranny weighs more than a
manual one...heavier car (same power) means you lost the race in the auto
=[

simple proof? all things being equal an auto tranny weighs more than a
manual one...heavier car (same power) means you lost the race in the auto
=[
That's the best you can do? 55 lbs. is the difference. How about shifting times, and 2.81 vs 3.15 in the auto?
I think we (you and I specifically) have discussed this before.
540ia rated at 6.1 0-60
540/6 rated at 6.0 0-60
So given exact same tolerances in the motor and shifting the car like you stole it, yes the 6sp is faster by a whopping .1 seconds. So I would rather have the auto and give up the .1 seconds to ensure I don't miss a shift.
Good day.

With a manual, it's harder to talk on the phone and drive, or drink your beer.

That's the best you can do? 55 lbs. is the difference. How about shifting times, and 2.81 vs 3.15 in the auto?
I think we (you and I specifically) have discussed this before.
540ia rated at 6.1 0-60
540/6 rated at 6.0 0-60
So given exact same tolerances in the motor and shifting the car like you stole it, yes the 6sp is faster by a whopping .1 seconds. So I would rather have the auto and give up the .1 seconds to ensure I don't miss a shift.
Good day. I thought the generally accepted 0-60 time for the 6 speed is 5.5 seconds :dunno

:devillook wait until i track down a 4.6 or a 4.8... :devillook

With a manual, it's harder to talk on the phone and drive, or drink your beer.

or feel up a leg .. err something . :devillook jk

I thought the generally accepted 0-60 time for the 6 speed is 5.5 seconds :dunno

You are correct.Frankly,I can't even believe there is even a discussion :) .Auto's are more practical in heavy traffic,but my 6-speed is for the twisties and red line launches on occasions.

I thought the generally accepted 0-60 time for the 6 speed is 5.5 seconds :dunno
http://www.bmwtips.com/
I was going off of info from here. Sorry.

With a manual, it's harder to talk on the phone and drive, or drink your beer.

Beastmaster is right, If I spilled my Dirty Martini while speed shifting, I would be pissed! Not to mention the fact that I would have to pull over to lick ot off the upholstry, no alcohol abuse allowed.

That settles it, Auto is better!

Manual is faster if driven correctly! You lose quite a bit more hp to the wheels with an auto. Just about 5% or more hp lost at the wheels I believe.

With that in mind, the auto would need to have 5 percent more hp over the manual and equal drivers for an even outcome.

Weight is not a factor.

Shifting is not a factor for the auto with dinan tranny software.

Gearing is a factor :devillook

Beastmaster is right, If I spilled my Dirty Martini while speed shifting, I would be pissed! Not to mention the fact that I would have to pull over to lick ot off the upholstry, no alcohol abuse allowed.

That settles it, Auto is better!

Yes,you get an "extra" hand when you look at your "magazines" in traffic. :stickoutt

i don't see anyone in europe or any normal countries complaining about stick in traffic.
so stfu about that u pussies.

and @ humanoid the fact that u said weight is not a factor tells me a lot about your lack of knowledge. =] however, good point that with the torque convertor u do lose a bit of hp and of course, gain weight.

why all this 0-60bs? just do a 3rd gear run in each car, that way shifting is not a factor...

are we talking about which car is faster to 60? or on a track? cuz on a track teh stick
has more control thus faster laptimes

again back to the orig post i'm thinking that hte guy driving it was in too high a gear or the car was broke thats why he said it doesn't rev...
hes used to the auto dropping down to teh lowest possible gear when he floors it =]



ps - don't take offense to anyhting i say, i'm just an avid anti auto guy :stickoutt

I don't mind my 6 speed at all, I have always owned and driven stick. But with the big V8, I wouldn't mind an auto. I agree with M_specs though, it will never handle like my M3 did. So having the 6-speed and mashing through twisties just makes me miss my M3. But it seems like there are more autos out there, so I bought the 6 speed in hopes that the resale value will hold a little more than an auto. I rarerly keep a car more than 2-3 years anyway.

First off, I'd like to say I drive a manual E34 and I work at a BMW dealership, I am in a lot of cars daily and I really do think the V8s (except the e39 M5 and E34 530i) go really great with the slushbox.

I'm a die hard manual guy but if I ever found myself looking at e39 540is I would have a really hard time choosing between auto and manual... there's just something about that car that makes me feel differently.

Anyone who is citing performance as a reason in choosing manual is obviously a bit immature and should probably head over to Kill Stories more often than not.

I personally think the 6 speed in the E39 540i feels really nice. The auto is ok if you're wanting to be a bit more disconnected from the driving experience, but I'd have to say it is definitely slower than a 6 speed(first hand impression, not magazine times).

The reason E39 540i's don't want to rev up that freely is that they have something crazy like a 38 lb flywheel in there. It's ridiculous. My M3's is heavy at 21lbs stock, and the Nissan has just a 10lb flywheel that feels great(revs almost like a motorcycle in neutral).

The reason E39 540i's don't want to rev up that freely is that they have something crazy like a 38 lb flywheel in there. It's ridiculous.

That's what I mean, personally I think the OEM e39 540i shifter and clutch are butter smooth but the tach just crawls when the engine is revved in neutral.

Beastmaster is right, If I spilled my Dirty Martini while speed shifting, I would be pissed! Not to mention the fact that I would have to pull over to lick ot off the upholstry, no alcohol abuse allowed.

That settles it, Auto is better!
Thank you very much! Auto is also more conducive to getting road head. :bj :redspot :buttrock :alright

I personally think the 6 speed in the E39 540i feels really nice. The auto is ok if you're wanting to be a bit more disconnected from the driving experience, but I'd have to say it is definitely slower than a 6 speed(first hand impression, not magazine times).

The reason E39 540i's don't want to rev up that freely is that they have something crazy like a 38 lb flywheel in there. It's ridiculous. My M3's is heavy at 21lbs stock, and the Nissan has just a 10lb flywheel that feels great(revs almost like a motorcycle in neutral).


the e39 has a dual mass flywheel.

I personally think the autos are fine, even in my 530i. The 5 series (excepting the M's) are not meant to be hot-rods, so an auto seems to fit them better. What would be even better, to me at least, is an SMG. Maybe later I'll buy an E60 with an SMG and have the best of both worlds.

I beg to differ. :D Although I will concede the M5 needs the gearing to work. I just don't engines that don't rev to 7k.

U auto giys r sew gehe,my destigles hurtd. :)

U auto giys r sew gehe,my destigles hurtd. :)
Ban?

Ban?

The smileys prove I am in jest my good man. ;)

The smileys prove I am in jest my good man. ;)
I'm messing with ya Jimmy.

Thank you very much! Auto is also more conducive to getting road head. :bj :redspot :buttrock :alright

That's what I'm talking about :lol

Who cares which is faster. If you want real acceleration get a bike or buy an american big block. Auto is better for cruising and manual make driving a little more interesting and IMHO more driver active.

BTW, while instructing in a C5 Corvette automatic (circa '96 or '97) the stupid thing kicks down in a tight corner and sends us spinning off track. BMW auto's are better than that but for performance driving a manual is much more direct. 42 and not yet tired of driving a manual. I simply love rowing through the gears.

My ONLY complaint with my e34............Its an auto.

Anyone who is citing performance as a reason in choosing manual is obviously a bit immature and should probably head over to Kill Stories more often than not.

Are you kidding me? Less drivetrain loss, slightly less weight, and i doubt the auto can get through the gears as quickly as I can (not trying to sound pompous). Stock my e34 540/6 went 14.065 @101.75... have any stock auto e34 540's done that? From what I have read they are in the 14.6-14.8 range.

For me, though, the real performance gain I get is from the feeling of control I have over the car. I don't think I would track my car if it was an auto.

Are you kidding me? Less drivetrain loss, slightly less weight, and i doubt the auto can get through the gears as quickly as I can (not trying to sound pompous). Stock my e34 540/6 went 14.065 @101.75... have any stock auto e34 540's done that? From what I have read they are in the 14.6-14.8 range.

For me, though, the real performance gain I get is from the feeling of control I have over the car. I don't think I would track my car if it was an auto.

I am going to have to agree. I have conceded that the 540/6 will tan my hide.

My only contention is by how much.

I would think I would be in the 14.5-6 in 1/4, but I haven't run this little bad boy yet. When temp drop below 100 after 5pm here, I will take it to the track and post my times like a good little soldier.

I like my auto 540 because it gives me the best of both worlds, power when I need it and laziness in traffic. I still have enough power to play with other cars and win most of the time(the STI and Vettes have had the best of me so far), but still enough luxury to enjoy a nice traffic ride.

If I was to buy a second e34, it would be a 540/6. Since my wife can't drive a stick, I need to accomodate her as well. But a second car for me, would be a fun car, and 540/6 would do it quite nicely.

Although I know I would not win, I would still like to run a 540/6. Anyone coming near Sac soon?

I think there will be a Dyno Day when Valley Motorwerks opens shop here in Rancho Cordova, a new BMW Only Performance shop. Get a dyno, and let's do a run......

I like my auto 540 because it gives me the best of both worlds, power when I need it and laziness in traffic. I still have enough power to play with other cars and win most of the time(the STI and Vettes have had the best of me so far), but still enough luxury to enjoy a nice traffic ride.




There is no question I would drive the hell out of an automatic 540. It is just at this particular point in my life I am really not all that concerned with practicality. I don't need an automatic car and I don't sit in traffic a lot. I also don't have a wife.

I definitely enjoy a break from driving stick every now and then (occasionally stealing a family member's car/truck from time to time). My next car will most likely be an automatic and the e34 will be my fun-car.

Just want to make sure noone is taking this as me putting down the auto 540's. They are definitely great cars and they can definitely move... it's just for me, now, the 6-speed is a better fit.

Thank you very much! Auto is also more conducive to getting road head. :bj :redspot :buttrock :alright
winner by a landslide.... :alright

I personally think the autos are fine, even in my 530i. The 5 series (excepting the M's) are not meant to be hot-rods, so an auto seems to fit them better. What would be even better, to me at least, is an SMG. Maybe later I'll buy an E60 with an SMG and have the best of both worlds.
I think you ment to say the 530i is not ment to be a hot-rod(even if it wanted to ;) ).

:dunno never driven a 540iA. the 6 is great for control freaks like me. it's all the same motor so i don't know what the problem would be. :dunno

I learned stick on a SUZUKI FX when i was 13yrs old
then I went threw three automatic cars.. always wanted manual though,
NOw I have that manual and I do love the control and I don't see myself switching to auto n e time soon... maybe ever...

Manual is faster if driven correctly! You lose quite a bit more hp to the wheels with an auto. Just about 5% or more hp lost at the wheels I believe.

With that in mind, the auto would need to have 5 percent more hp over the manual and equal drivers for an even outcome.

Weight is not a factor.

Shifting is not a factor for the auto with dinan tranny software.

Gearing is a factor :devillook


yeah and a supercharged auto would leave a manual. :confused We are comparing stock cars.

i don't see anyone in europe or any normal countries complaining about stick in traffic.
so stfu about that u pussies.

and @ humanoid the fact that u said weight is not a factor tells me a lot about your lack of knowledge. =] however, good point that with the torque convertor u do lose a bit of hp and of course, gain weight.

ps - don't take offense to anyhting i say, i'm just an avid anti auto guy :stickoutt

Listen up mofo I'll tell you a couple more things:nono

The weight I mentioned, THAT IS NOT A FACTOR are you listening? Is the fact that the weight difference in the two Vehicles IS NOT significant to be relevant in this topic just like your opinion.

We're talking about the same model not different models. The only difference is the trans. The weight difference is about 55 lbs. For about every 100 pounds of weight you lose about 7-10 hp roughly. Once again we’re talking same models just different trans.

Maybe working on your reading comprehension would correct the issue with your smart azz remarks :)

If the cars were completely different models, then of course weight matters numb nuts. Grow some and come back when they drop. Freekin idiot!
:evil2

yeah and a supercharged auto would leave a manual. :confused We are comparing stock cars.

Don't know if a SC would spank a manual given all else equal.

That's what I'm talking about :lol
I miss that E30 of mine! It was great for that kind of activity. :eek: Let's see this is the provenance of the vehicle. S. Morita>Beastie>Island>sushi>Island>Bimbum>Makakilo. And now the seats are in Prozaks car! :biglaughb

a little off topic.. but still pertaining to the subject:

stick or no stick.. is anybody else embarrassed of their stock alarms. girls make fun of it and say it squeels like a mouse.. and today i took my boss out in my car to visit a client.. and he was like.. "wtf was that?!".. and i was like.. ehh~

anywaz.. i love manuals.. and i love my 540ia.. im bmw for life.. and thats my final comment. =)

Since we are BMW owners could we please write like we are educated--general comment directed at nobody in particular but everybody generally. I would hate to think we have Civic drivers in here talking about dad's 540i.

I would hate to think we have Civic drivers in here talking about dad's 540i.

Oh god save us all.

Is the 540 manual as slow from 0-30 as the 540ia? My auto isn't "slow" from 0-30, just sluggish.

Since we are BMW owners could we please write like we are educated--general comment directed at nobody in particular but everybody generally. I would hate to think we have Civic drivers in here talking about dad's 540i.

In most cases,then Dad has stolen Mr.Hefner's GF's.

Listen up mofo I'll tell you a couple more things:nono

The weight I mentioned, THAT IS NOT A FACTOR are you listening? Is the fact that the weight difference in the two Vehicles IS NOT significant to be relevant in this topic just like your opinion.

We're talking about the same model not different models. The only difference is the trans. The weight difference is about 55 lbs. For about every 100 pounds of weight you lose about 7-10 hp roughly. Once again we’re talking same models just different trans.

Maybe working on your reading comprehension would correct the issue with your smart azz remarks :)

If the cars were completely different models, then of course weight matters numb nuts. Grow some and come back when they drop. Freekin idiot!
:evil2

bro? when did i introduce different models? huh????

lets see if i can make this super simple for you

540ia vs 540im
that is to say one auto one 6spd manual
u're tellin me the weight difference between the two cars is 55lbs.
okay. that in and of itself means that the auto will be a slower car.
it'll take longer to brake, will have more weight transfer etc etc
everything associated with a car that WEIGHS more....
now, to this equation lets add the fact that a auto tranny robs
the engine of some HP...okay so we have a heavier car with less
hp...are u still following? :stickoutt

okay great, sooooo, now u can say the auto has numerically taller gears
thus allowing it to regain some acceleration time, but i don't think its enough
and if it were it'd lose out in top speed. not to mention braking and turning.

and dont' call me a mofo. no need for it.

The 540i accelerates even more rapidly, covering 0-60 mph in just 5.8 seconds with the manual, 6.1 with the automatic

i don't think it's really important which is quicker than the other.
it's really a preference of driving experience.
what you guys are comparing should not even matter if it's a 540 or a civic. all i see on the this tread is about which is faster, heavier,
having an extra hand to drink beer, practical on heavy traffic(if i wanted practicallity, i would've bought an toyota prius that saves major gas, not a 540).

currently i have a 02 540i6.
i've been driving manual all my life and i like shifting my own gears.
how can you experience the "ultimate driving experience" without
the smooth buttery clutch and the 6 gears? maybe smg is the
alternative solution but that's for the very small population out there.
i'm also proud of the fact that it's one of the few cars with V8 6spd.
why do u think there is a sticky on top of 5 series forum about 6sp swaps?
i don't see threads about people trying to mod their 6sp's into autos.
personally i would choose 6 speed over any autos.

some people see advantages driving autos but doesn't mean it's "better" in
anyway and same goes the other way.

just my 2 cents...

Anyonw want to trade my 6 speed for an auto? :evil2 :eyecrazy

Anyonw want to trade my 6 speed for an auto? :evil2 :eyecrazy

Only if you pay the difference........

Anyonw want to trade my 6 speed for an auto? :evil2 :eyecrazy

+1 :D

why do u think there is a sticky on top of 5 series forum about 6sp swaps?
i don't see threads about people trying to mod their 6sp's into autos......
just my 2 cents...
Sorry it's the other forum that they do that. On the corvette board the real heavy wieghts are converting to auto's and solid axles in order to keep from destroying clutches and rear ends. I don't have to worry about that I guess.
If my 540 was a 6 spd I might be tempted to auto cross it, but that is kind of like trying to make a truck fast. Takes alot of money just to replicate what others would be doing in an M3. So by having an auto, I don't waste my time or money attempting to make a race car out of a 3900lbs sedan. So by saying a 6 spd "gives you more control" big whoopy, how often is that necessary? The point I'm trying to make is, all that control doesn't net me a damn thing sitting in traffic, but not having to continually shift up and down does do me some good.
There's my .02 worth.

So by having an auto, I don't waste my time or money attempting to make a race car out of a 3900lbs sedan.

That's my plan. :devillook

Outside of the humor, this thread goes nowhere. It's like the e34 v e39 argument.

bro? when did i introduce different models? huh????

lets see if i can make this super simple for you

540ia vs 540im
that is to say one auto one 6spd manual
u're tellin me the weight difference between the two cars is 55lbs.
okay. that in and of itself means that the auto will be a slower car.
it'll take longer to brake, will have more weight transfer etc etc
everything associated with a car that WEIGHS more....
now, to this equation lets add the fact that a auto tranny robs
the engine of some HP...okay so we have a heavier car with less
hp...are u still following? :stickoutt

okay great, sooooo, now u can say the auto has numerically taller gears
thus allowing it to regain some acceleration time, but i don't think its enough
and if it were it'd lose out in top speed. not to mention braking and turning.

and dont' call me a mofo. no need for it.

:lol

The 55 lbs. of weight difference between the e39 540i and e39 540ia is not significant unless you feel that 3-5 hp is going to decide the race between the e39 540i and e39 540ia. If you do, god blesses you.

I’ll keep this simple for you and you may want to read it several times or get an interpreter.

I was reiterating on your comment to me about the weight issue. Weight matters if it’s a significant amount of weight or enough weight to change an outcome of a race wouldn’t you agree? IMO 55 lbs. is not a significant amount of weight for two vehicles that way nearly two tons each. That’s where my comment is coming from! Now, if the cars in question weighed 1500 lbs. then it would matter a lot! It’s ok to agree to disagree just don’t get personal.

I own a 540ia and it won’t be that close of a race if both rides are stock.

The 55lbs. of weight difference give or take a few lbs. is close to that of a spare tire and is not that critical in this particular scenario with two fat cars :rolleyes .

The downfall for the BMW auto is the loss of power through the drive train. It just won’t get the power to the wheels like the manual does.

"The downfall for the BMW auto is the loss of power through the drive train. It just won’t get the power to the wheels like the manual does"

You just went to the head of the class. :)

"The downfall for the BMW auto is the loss of power through the drive train. It just won’t get the power to the wheels like the manual does"

You just went to the head of the class. :)

Thanks for enlightening comment you post whore :D Some peeps can't seem to grasp this.

Are you kidding me? Less drivetrain loss, slightly less weight, and i doubt the auto can get through the gears as quickly as I can (not trying to sound pompous). Stock my e34 540/6 went 14.065 @101.75... have any stock auto e34 540's done that? From what I have read they are in the 14.6-14.8 range.

No I'm not, you should probably take a basic reading comprehension course to redecipher my post, though.

No I'm not, you should probably take a basic reading comprehension course to redecipher my post, though.

To elaborate on this post, let me reitterate that I care not for performance numbers.

Anyone who is citing performance as a factor swaying them towards manual better be using that performance in a controlled environment or I will be personally paying them a visit and hitting them in the head for the rest of us who look down on street racerzzzzzz.

No I'm not, you should probably take a basic reading comprehension course to redecipher my post, though.

re-read... now please tell me what i am missing... you saying that noone should choose the manual transmission simply for better performance still doesn't make sense to me. please explain.

re-read... now please tell me what i am missing... you saying that noone should choose the manual transmission simply for better performance still doesn't make sense to me. please explain.

Based on the performance of a near 4000lb luxobarge? Please, that is not the primary purpose of this car.

If we were talking about performance cars whose primary purpose was to track/race, I would agree.

Based on the performance of a near 4000lb luxobarge? Please, that is not the primary purpose of this car.

If we were talking about performance cars whose primary purpose was to track/race, I would agree.

Well that is where our disagreement stems from. I do track my e34 and have found it to be very capable.

Well that is where our disagreement stems from. I do track my e34 and have found it to be very capable.

I foresee doing more than autoX in my E34 in the future, but how many 5 series do you actually see as dedicated race cars? Not even 1% I'd imagine.

CVT >manual or automatic. :D

I foresee doing more than autoX in my E34 in the future, but how many 5 series do you actually see as dedicated race cars? Not even 1% I'd imagine.


Definitely not alot of e34 racecars... maybe that is why I am doing it. It's always nice to be different. At the last BMWCCA Auto-x everyone was asking about my car... I was loving every second of it. "Is it a 6? is it an 8? is it supercharged?" "Man that thing was getting rubber going into 3rd down the straight on every run". I enjoy beating alot of cars with drivers that are very surprised a big, old, 4-door sedan can be so agile. I just can't wait until I finally get the new suspension on it with some R compounds... should be good for 2-3 seconds a run on the auto-x course.

CVT >manual or automatic. :D

You disgust me...

CVT are the :devillook !!!
Anyone who drives one should be :smilielaz .

Well that is where our disagreement stems from. I do track my e34 and have found it to be very capable.
Take this you non-believers(not you^)!!Repent and rejoice :love1 :suave :woot: :luvlove :pimpflash :clap :drink1 :worship: :wow: :wiggle :boobies :boobies :boobies :booty

http://www.bmwm5.com/articles/usa2003/204.jpg

The point I'm trying to make is, all that control doesn't net me a damn thing sitting in traffic, but not having to continually shift up and down does do me some good.
There's my .02 worth.

You dont have to shift in traffic, the 4.4L V8 has enough torque to pull the car from a standstill in almost any gear.

humanoid - u are tellin me that in your opinion 55lbs is worth about 3-5hp
thats about what u get from a CAI. i'm not sure how dense you are to think
that 5hp won't make a difference? its not gonna be carlengths...but i'll make
a difference...

now, to this equation lets add the fact that a auto tranny robs
the engine of some HP...okay so we have a heavier car with less
hp...are u still following?

The downfall for the BMW auto is the loss of power through the drive train. It just won’t get the power to the wheels like the manual does

wow way to reword my comment from earlier =\



car a = 4000lbs 300hp @ wheels
car b = 4050lbs 295hp @ wheels

hint - car a is manual 540 car b is auto 540


tell me what u think is faster?

of course weights and hp are theorecticl to illustrate a simple
physics point...

Hey guys, KNOCK IT OFF ALREADY!

Well, the manual will have about 15 more rwhp. This is because the automatic loses about 20%, the manual about 15% in drivetrain losses. So, if you're talking about a 290 hp car, then you should get about 247 rwhp for the manual, and 232 for the automatic. The manual should be faster from a roll with a decent driver. From a stop, it will depend on the driver and the launch for sure.

No...