I posted my car on another web site I belong to(sportbike) and it started a huge SMG/Manual debate. I'm sure this has been discussed before but a fresh perspective would be nice.

BMW has come a long way with the new SMG's, can a manual trans beat it? What's the verdict? I always felt a true sportscar had to have a manual trans, maybe not anymore?

6 speed>SMG

wa? reilly??
with smg u can launch like a 6spd and shift instantly!

SMG II can complete a shift in 80 milliseconds (not sure what the stats are in the new M5's 7-speed version). I seriously doubt there are any humans who can do that with a 6 spd, and, if there are, there might be five of them in the world, and they surely can't do it with the consistency of the SMG. I truly respect those who believe you need to have a clutch pedal and row on your own gears, and there is even a little bit of that thought in me. However, after debating between the two transmissions and a lot of seat time, I am completely sold on the SMG. Better performance, period, and isn't performance one of the primary reasons we love the M3? Not to mention the advantage of not having to worry so much about your better half destroying your transmission by missing gears all over the place. It's also just plain cool. The sound of the SMG blipping the throttle during downshifts is intoxicating.

I am a diehard manual trans guy, but with the SMG technology, you will be quicker over any given stretch of road or track. This is especially true if you can master left foot braking.

I have driven manual trans as well as SMG and F1 gearbox Ferrari Challenge cars at the track and I have been quicker with the new technology. I haven't lost my love for shifting. There is nothing like executing a perfect double clutch downshift..........but the F1 systems are quicker..........Period!

in 1st gear...6speed probably, every other gear smg...for 90% of drivers

6 speed will yield a faster 1/4 mile time
SMG will yield a more consistent 1/4 mile time.

6 speed will yield more awkward shifts around a track
SMG will yield a faster and more consistent track time.

but with smg you can use launch control and take off like a 6spd with out the complications...

Correct me if I am wrong, but doesn't the launch control only allow you to launch at 1800 rpm's?

^ yes you are correct....thats why i beleive with a competent driver launching the car around 3500-4000 rpm..would definetly take out the smg in first gear...but after that you're bascically competing against the worlds best shifter...so id give SMG the upper hand.....but MANUAL is just so much more fun...if i doesnt have a third pedal i dont driver it..:D

Fastest 1/4 times are normally obtained by launching at around 6000rpm.

Thanks guys.. good feedback..

on a track the smg is so much better.

Speaking strictly of performance, and excluding professional race car drivers who might shift inhumanly fast (if you are one of them, you win at driving and can skip this post):

Launching -- 6MT > SMG

Everything else -- SMG > 6MT

I'm not speaking about personal preference here -- do not confuse this with me saying "6mt sucks and SMG is better". Some SMG haters seem to do that every time SMG vs 6mt comes up and it is annoying as hell.

Yes, if you have driven with a clutch all your life, you MAY miss it and you MAY not like SMG. You will NOT be able to launch your car as well with an SMG as you will a 6mt. Did you buy an M3 to "launch" well? I hope not, if you did you made a mistake and should get another car :)

With SMG and lack of a clutch pedal you do lose one extra avenue of involvement with the car and I completely understand why some people can't stand that, but I love the fact that SMG lets you focus more on EVERY other aspect of driving as you only have to flick a paddle on your steering wheel for an instantaneous shift. To me, that outweighs the extra "fun" factor of having my own clutch pedal, but as I stated before, we are into personal preference territory here and if SMG means less fun driving for you, just don't get it.

On a side note, I have only seen and experienced SMG's launch control on US-spec E46 M3's. How much better is the Euro 3800rpm clutch dropping LC?

Either Car and Driver or Road and Track did a comparo with 2 M3's (1 6spd, 1 SMG), and the 6spd was faster to 60 and 1/4 mile.
Yes the SMG definitely shifts faster, but the SMG transmission is still larger than the manual,
more mass=more power loss

Either Car and Driver or Road and Track did a comparo with 2 M3's (1 6spd, 1 SMG), and the 6spd was faster to 60 and 1/4 mile.
Yes the SMG definitely shifts faster, but the SMG transmission is still larger than the manual,
more mass=more power loss

The reason why the traditional three pedal M3 was quicker to 60mph and through the 1/4 mile had to do with the ability to launch the vehicle at higher rpms. This has been explained several times.

The transmission is the same...

Either Car and Driver or Road and Track did a comparo with 2 M3's (1 6spd, 1 SMG), and the 6spd was faster to 60 and 1/4 mile.
Yes the SMG definitely shifts faster, but the SMG transmission is still larger than the manual,
more mass=more power loss

Explain yourself. How is it more massive that it losses power?

Explain yourself. How is it more massive that it losses power?

I think he meant it weighs more..

When we first got this car to turn it into a race car and the driver found out it was SMG, he was like "Uh-Oh. At the first sign of trouble, we're yanking that thing out and dropping in a manual (the word had been that racing and SMG was a :nono reliability-wise).

Now that he's been racing it, I think you'd have to pry it from his cold, dead fingers :D

'nuff said :)

When we first got this car to turn it into a race car and the driver found out it was SMG, he was like "Uh-Oh. At the first sign of trouble, we're yanking that thing out and dropping in a manual (the word had been that racing and SMG was a :nono reliability-wise).

Now that he's been racing it, I think you'd have to pry it from his cold, dead fingers :D

'nuff said :)

^ end of thread :alright

This post should be stickied.

6mt>smg.....


oh yeah... and i dont think you can skip gears with SMG....sometimes i need to shift from 5th to 3rd or from 3rd to 6th.. that cant be done with smg.

^ yes you are correct....thats why i beleive with a competent driver launching the car around 3500-4000 rpm..would definetly take out the smg in first gear...but after that you're bascically competing against the worlds best shifter...so id give SMG the upper hand.....but MANUAL is just so much more fun...if i doesnt have a third pedal i dont driver it..:D

yea this is true but it depends on how hard you hit the gas!
harder you hit it the harder the launch!

6mt>smg.....


oh yeah... and i dont think you can skip gears with SMG....sometimes i need to shift from 5th to 3rd or from 3rd to 6th.. that cant be done with smg.

apparently you have never driven the smg..how do you think you do highway punches?!? i do 2-4 shifts all the time to try and save gas..and vise versa when wanting to get froggy all you do is flick the paddle 2 or 3 times..

6mt>smg.....


oh yeah... and i dont think you can skip gears with SMG....sometimes i need to shift from 5th to 3rd or from 3rd to 6th.. that cant be done with smg.

please delete/edit your post, that is incorrect.

I think he meant it weighs more..
Yea weight of few solenoid is something very considerable :)

6mt>smg.....


oh yeah... and i dont think you can skip gears with SMG....sometimes i need to shift from 5th to 3rd or from 3rd to 6th.. that cant be done with smg.

I like how people comment on something they never driven in their live. Very trustworthy feedback on your 6mt>smg:embarrasm

Yea weight of few solenoid is something very considerable :)

The SMG system is a little heavier, but since racing has a spec'd weight for the class, it just allows you to take more weight out of somewhere else :alright

SMG weighs about 20-25 lbs... not considerably much in a 3400lb car.

SMG weighs about 20-25 lbs... not considerably much in a 3400lb car.
Exactly my point. Some people might save this weight or even more by going out to gym and the 1/4 mile times will improve drastically

Either Car and Driver or Road and Track did a comparo with 2 M3's (1 6spd, 1 SMG), and the 6spd was faster to 60 and 1/4 mile.
Yes the SMG definitely shifts faster, but the SMG transmission is still larger than the manual,
more mass=more power loss
its exactly the same manual trans with actuators added to the outside. exact same power transfer through it.

I like how people comment on something they never driven in their live. Very trustworthy feedback on your 6mt>smg:embarrasm


I HAVE driven SMG. at least in the 3 SMG cars that i drove you have to tap the paddles multiple times to pass gears.... it doesnt skip the gears, im pretty damn sure it engages them.

I HAVE driven SMG. at least in the 3 SMG cars that i drove you have to tap the paddles multiple times to pass gears.... it doesnt skip the gears, im pretty damn sure it engages them.
Actually usually with smg it doesn't engage till you stop tapping the paddles so you can skip gears. For example my friend has a mercedes slk with touch shift(same concept) which until you had stopped tapping them it wouldn't engage. So you could actually go from 5th gear to 1st without engaging 4th-2nd. SMG's only con is that you can't raise you rpm's up for a "perfect start" really other than that it's perfect.

i guess i didnt downshift fast enough ;) AHHAHA.. dont let anyone fool you, 6mt>SMG. Ive never been beaten by an smg car.

i guess i didnt downshift fast enough ;) AHHAHA.. dont let anyone fool you, 6mt>SMG. Ive never been beaten by an smg car.

you've never raced anyone that could drive...

I HAVE driven SMG. at least in the 3 SMG cars that i drove you have to tap the paddles multiple times to pass gears.... it doesnt skip the gears, im pretty damn sure it engages them.

This is even worse -- you've driven it and *STILL* don't know how it works.

These kind of posts made researching 6mt vs SMG a chore for me. So much hate, and even MORE totally false information about SMG.

A race team just said their driver prefers SMG. Did you miss that one? What more do you need?

How can you still throw the 6mt>SMG comment out there without knowing you are just cluttering up the thread with a useless post? If I'm going to tout the superiority of one thing over the other, I try to at least have the courtesy to back up my opinion :)

Hey since all this arguing is going on I am going to throw this one in. Since smg engages the clutch for you would it not do its best in slipping the clutch so you will not damage the tranny? With that being said would the more you mod the car and have greater hp would it not slip the clutch more. So a equally modded 6mt and SMG would not the 6mt be significantly quicker? Is that why we never saw great times out of the M3 that was fully gutted and pushing something like 500hp. That car should have easily been in the high 10s low 11s and if I am correct I think it was in the 12s.

The SMG computer has adaptation ability to compensate for higher HP and strong/stiffer clutches.

I've never dragged a SMG car, but I would venture that a 500hp 6spd car vs a 500hp SMG car would be pretty close. The driver of the 6spd would have a hell of a time getting the car to hookup where SMG would take care of that.

Can the SMG skip gears?

Answer: Yes and No. It all really depends on what mode you're in and how you're driving the M3.

The SMG computer has adaptation ability to compensate for higher HP and strong/stiffer clutches.

I've never dragged a SMG car, but I would venture that a 500hp 6spd car vs a 500hp SMG car would be pretty close. The driver of the 6spd would have a hell of a time getting the car to hookup where SMG would take care of that.

I think the guys with SC'd M3's seem to have a tougher time with SMG at a drag strip, because launch control just wasn't working out very well. I haven't heard of it being an advantage when it comes to a launching yet.

You could dig up posts from jmweb/jerry as I believe he was one of the only people with aa stage III and SMG, but I am pretty sure he said SMG was useless for 1/4 runs because launch control didn't work for crap on his car.

If you can find any details I'd appreciate it Kevlar. Stock for stock a 6mt will smoke an SMG on the launch -- a friend has a 6mt e46 M3 and he tore me a new one a few weeks ago from a dig. Only 1800rpm US-spec LC though, I'd like to see how much better the 3800rpm clutch drop Euro LC does.

you can reprogram the launch control with a factory scan tool (ive access to one)
however, while the smg is so much faster,
better in every way....
i think its so lame to have an m car with one... 3rd pedal ftw.

you've never raced anyone that could drive...


here we go again...... not all of us need a s/c to go fast....:lol :alright

A race team just said their driver prefers SMG. Did you miss that one? What more do you need?



oh wow.... im sold!!!! thanks for that.... now i gotta trade my 6sp m3 for a SMG m3... IF a "race team" says that, then its gotta be fact!

damn kev, that girl in your sig pic has the greatest ass ever! its hypnotizing! I wish the picture was larger, is she a butterface? :)

... IF a "race team" says that, then its gotta be fact!

Track records at the last 3 events are documented fact :)

First... the 6mt cars achieve an awesome launch, especially if you have the wallet to be able to afford 6000rpm launches while you ride the clutch out.

From what I am told (but never tried), you can disable the F1 launch control and go straight to burnout mode. You would have to modulate the power with the gas pedal instead of the clutch, but it should be possible to get a good launch if you can modulate the wheel spin.

That being said... if noone has accomplishd it yet, there must be something I am missing.

What I do know... 6mt has so far proven to be fastest in the 1/4 mile drag, but the SMG unit will be more consistent and faster around a race course... If you look at SMG times at the track... they are almost always the same.

you can reprogram the launch control with a factory scan tool (ive access to one)

Everybody says that ... but I have NEVER seen it done.

First... the 6mt cars achieve an awesome launch, especially if you have the wallet to be able to afford 6000rpm launches while you ride the clutch out.

From what I am told (but never tried), you can disable the F1 launch control and go straight to burnout mode. You would have to modulate the power with the gas pedal instead of the clutch, but it should be possible to get a good launch if you can modulate the wheel spin.

That being said... if noone has accomplishd it yet, there must be something I am missing.

What I do know... 6mt has so far proven to be fastest in the 1/4 mile drag, but the SMG unit will be more consistent and faster around a race course... If you look at SMG times at the track... they are almost always the same.

Burnout mode doesn't actuate the clutch like the normal launch control does -- all you have to do is mash the gas to 100% quickly from a stop and you will get a 3800rpm clutch drop as you engage 'burnout' mode, or when you are preparing to use launch control (complete stop/ shift lever forward/car in 1st) you mash the gas 100% very quickly and the car recognize you want to do a burnout, so when you release the shift lever, you get a 3800rpm clutch drop with no clutch actuation as opposed to an 1800rpm clutch drop with clutch actuation as the car accelerates. Euro SMG's launch control drops from 3800rpm -- not sure if their burnout mode does the same.

The instance I mentioned having my friend smoke me from a stop -- nasty clutch burning smell as he pulled away. Don't know what RPM he dropped it from but must have been pretty damn high ;)

Burnout mode doesn't actuate the clutch like the normal launch control does

Right... I'm thinking tho that once the clutch it engaged, you can modulate the power with the gas pedal. You should have enough power to maintain a little wheel spin. It is easier to do with a clutch because you can ride the clutch out.

Primary job of SMG is smooth, crisp fast shifts AND to preserve clutch longevity. Launching at 6000rpm and riding the clutch out goes against it's primary function. 6mt will be fastest to the end of the 1/4 ... but they will also be fastest to go to the shop for a new clutch as well.

Fastest acceleration occurs with about 5-7% wheelspin if memory serves me correctly.

Can the SMG skip gears?

Answer: Yes and No. It all really depends on what mode you're in and how you're driving the M3.

If the question was "can smg skip gears" then the answer is YES not yes and no... It either can or it cannot... and in this case it can

oh wow.... im sold!!!! thanks for that.... now i gotta trade my 6sp m3 for a SMG m3... IF a "race team" says that, then its gotta be fact!
Did you at least tried to listen to yourself for a second?
No one telling you to sell your precious 6sp and get SMG, but at least don't argue about something that you obviously don't know.

Do you at least know where most of inventions/innovations come from? No? Well That's called "The Race Track".

Can you tell us why F1 is using "SMG" if it is so bad and slow and whatever else? Or may be you will start saying that ABS is also worse and you can stop/control car better without it? Hope not...

Be just a little more open minded and you may eventually see the advantages except beating on the same "Oh, but 1/4 launches are worse".

Track records at the last 3 events are documented fact :)

Um, track record != SMG is superior.

Frankly, you should stop using that line Scott. Those track records are falling because 1) you have a semi-pro driver in a club race environment 2) those Nitto tires are performing far beyond anyone's expectations and 3) this is the FIRST E46 M3 H-Prepared in club racing. There are too many variables to point to to indicate that SMG is the reason why you guys are setting track records.

Aren't you guys running into problems where the SMG goes into limp mode in race conditions? If anything I think your experience should indicate that SMG is NOT a good transmission to use in racing environment.

All opinions (yes I said opinions) posted here are anecdotal. Nobody here's taken two E46 M3 with similar equipment to the drag-strip on different transmission choices and tested it back to back.

Roundel had an article when the SMG came out a few years back, and one of the local (So. Cal) guys took a 6 speed and an SMG to the drag-strip and the 6 speed was consistently faster in the 1/4 mile, although the difference is at best, margin of error.

Anyone want to settle this once and for all, Irwindale Speedway has a program where you can arrive and "race" on their drag strip every Thursday night. Someone bring their 6 speed and someone else bring their SMG and I volunteer to drag the piss out of it to see which is faster. :D

Are all of you here buying cars only for drag-strip? Is this is THE ONLY thing that is selling point to you having irrelevant margin in 1/4 mile? If yes, then all I have to say is WOW that's sucks!

Um, track record != SMG is superior.

Frankly, you should stop using that line Scott. .

Sorry, I gave our opinion and it was quickly dismissed because it was our opinion - so I went to facts :)

Those track records are falling because 1) you have a semi-pro driver in a club race environment .
How do you know the previous records were not set by drivers are near equal talent?
2) those Nitto tires are performing far beyond anyone's expectations .
Funny, people will tell me until they are blue in the face that our tires can't be THAT much faster :D But they are a contributing factor as are many things on the car (see point below).
and 3) this is the FIRST E46 M3 H-Prepared in club racing. .
That is incorrect. I can think of at 4 drivers off the top of my head just in the Pacific region that have raced an e46 M3 in HP: Simon Atik, Brad O., Bits Fajardo and Mike Allen. In fact, Simon still holds the HP track record at Fontana.
There are too many variables to point to to indicate that SMG is the reason why you guys are setting track records..
THIS is correct. There are many reasons for success of a car (even down to lug nuts not falling off during a race). It's a complete package. But the SMG tranny is a part of that package and a contributing factor. Ralph thinks it contributes to faster lap times, but we don't have quantitative data on what that difference would be. We do know we setting track records.
Aren't you guys running into problems where the SMG goes into limp mode in race conditions? If anything I think your experience should indicate that SMG is NOT a good transmission to use in racing environment.
Not correct. We have had an electronic glitch when the car has come off the track, but we have not lost one lap of racing due to the SMG tranny (we haven't lost any race laps for any reason) and we have zero DNFs for the season.:)

Again, sorry for going to well again on the facts, but if I didn't, I'd be some guy that just says "SMG is great - I love it".

Can you tell us why F1 is using "SMG" if it is so bad and slow and whatever else?

Let's be fair. SMG is nothing like a F1 gearbox. While the "S" stands for sequential, the SMG gearbox isn't a sequential gearbox at all...it's marketing. The computer does the shifting, but it's still shifting a H-pattern gearbox. Some info on what a sequential really is (they can be shifting manually or by computer as well):
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/sequential-gearbox.htm

Or may be you will start saying that ABS is also worse and you can stop/control car better without it? Hope not...

Actually, I, and quite a few racers/track junkies, can brake quite a bit better than the stock ABS systems in our BMW's. The difference would become less noticable when you start considering aftermarket ABS systems built specifically for Motorsport. The street systems in our cars are actually very slow in reacting and can't possibly hold the tire at it's optimium slip angle the way that a sensitive foot and a well trained driver can.

All of that said, the SMG system SHOULD be faster than the 6-speed around a road course. It shifts faster than a human can, plain and simple. There's also the consideration that a skilled driver can use left-foot braking to his advantage in every corner due to the lack of a need to press the clutch pedal when downshifting. I picked up quite a bit of time in open wheel cars with proper race gearboxes (i.e. straight cut gears and dog rings) when I started shifting without the clutch at all, freeing up my left foot solely for braking duty.

THIS is correct. There are many reasons for success of a car (even down to lug nuts not falling off during a race). It's a complete package. But the SMG tranny is a part of that package and a contributing factor. Ralph thinks it contributes to faster lap times, but we don't have quantitative data on what that difference would be. We do know we setting track records.

Sorry Scott, didn't mean to sound like I was calling you out. The way the last few posts were framed made it sound like the SMG is why you guys are setting track records, and I was trying to point out that Ralph is quite the driver and there are several factors that made the car the juggernaught it is in local club competitions, one of which MAY or may not be the SMG.

But since you do not have a non-SMG race car prepped similarly we will never know. :D

SMG newbie here...

When you shift a car with SMG, do you let off the gas as you would in a 6mt when you push the clutch in and change the gear?

If you're in 6th (SMG manual mode) cruising down the highway at 65mph and you punch it without downshifting, do you stay in 6th as the RPMs slowly climb as they would in a 6mt? Or does the car downshift for you as an automatic transmission would if you were to punch it from 65mph?

From my understanding, if you're in 6th (SMG manual mode) and want to go to 4th, it would require 2 flicks of the paddle or 2 flicks of the shift knob...correct? Do you let off the throttle or stay on during the shift?

Thanks for the input. Trying to make up my mind which transmission I want when the time comes to get an E46.

SMG newbie here...

When you shift a car with SMG, do you let off the gas as you would in a 6mt when you push the clutch in and change the gear?



Not required to lift, but a slight lift normally makes the shift smoother


If you're in 6th (SMG manual mode) cruising down the highway at 65mph and you punch it without downshifting, do you stay in 6th as the RPMs slowly climb as they would in a 6mt? Or does the car downshift for you as an automatic transmission would if you were to punch it from 65mph?


Never tried... I would think it would stay in 6th tho (unless you are in automatic mode).


From my understanding, if you're in 6th (SMG manual mode) and want to go to 4th, it would require 2 flicks of the paddle or 2 flicks of the shift knob...correct? Do you let off the throttle or stay on during the shift?


Two quick taps of the paddle or knob... and again, no lift required.

Sorry Scott, didn't mean to sound like I was calling you out. The way the last few posts were framed made it sound like the SMG is why you guys are setting track records, and I was trying to point out that Ralph is quite the driver and there are several factors that made the car the juggernaught it is in local club competitions, one of which MAY or may not be the SMG.

But since you do not have a non-SMG race car prepped similarly we will never know. :D

Would be interesting from the data stand point to be able to do that comparison - and who knows, maybe a day will come (if this tranny blows up or something) where this car will have a manual in it. :)

One thing Brian didn't mention is with the paddles, the driver being able to keep his hands on the wheel. Is that worth anything?

One thing Brian didn't mention is with the paddles, the driver being able to keep his hands on the wheel. Is that worth anything?

I would imagine that and the consistency of SMG are a bonus, plus the driver being able to focus on his line instead of a botched shift are a bonus.

One thing Brian didn't mention is with the paddles, the driver being able to keep his hands on the wheel. Is that worth anything?

Not as much as left foot braking. That's probably the biggest benefit of SMG on the track.

Not as much as left foot braking. That's probably the biggest benefit of SMG on the track.

Ah, now I know why Ralph wanted that ///GSP big brake pedal kit so bad. :D

Are all of you here buying cars only for drag-strip? Is this is THE ONLY thing that is selling point to you having irrelevant margin in 1/4 mile? If yes, then all I have to say is WOW that's sucks!
+1

handling > power when looking at an m3; thats generally what i've seen atleast...

One thing Brian didn't mention is with the paddles, the driver being able to keep his hands on the wheel. Is that worth anything?

It's worth something from a consistency or emergency standpoint, but not a huge deal from a speed standpoint...there are a few very good Touring car and GT drivers who rarely use both hands on the wheel anyway. :eek:

Are all of you here buying cars only for drag-strip? Is this is THE ONLY thing that is selling point to you having irrelevant margin in 1/4 mile? If yes, then all I have to say is WOW that's sucks!

+1.

I mentioned it before -- if you bought an M3 to launch well you made a BIG mistake and bought the wrong car entirely.

I think the fact that a race team is posting here is great -- at the very least, you've got some evidence here that SMG isnt the pure novice novelty that some people *try* to make it out to be. Of course you get the "its not true F1" arguement and the "its all a marketing ploy"... Well, so be it -- I'm personally very happy to take advantage of this "marketing ploy" to get what has proven to myself and others to be a very capable transmission that works well for the E46 M3.

I really dont like the comparison of "which is better". After putting in tons of research into 6mt vs smg, buying an SMG car and then reading even more comparing the two, the last thing I'd ever say about SMG is it is simply "BETTER", just different. Whichever one suits your driving the best is the "better" choice :)

keeping your hands on the wheel only matters during turns..and depending on how sharp of a turn wouldnt the paddle shifters be off to the left or right or upside down?!? meaning you'd have to move your hand to reach the shifter anyways? I have an smg so im not knocking it just noticed that when turning corners its easier to reach down for the knob than to use the paddles since they're at the bottom of the wheel or on the side in mid turn when trying to upshift...then again ive only had the car for a week! so after driving it for a while i could get used to knowing where the paddles are during a turn

keeping your hands on the wheel only matters during turns..and depending on how sharp of a turn wouldnt the paddle shifters be off to the left or right or upside down?!? meaning you'd have to move your hand to reach the shifter anyways? I have an smg so im not knocking it just noticed that when turning corners its easier to reach down for the knob than to use the paddles since they're at the bottom of the wheel or on the side in mid turn when trying to upshift...then again ive only had the car for a week! so after driving it for a while i could get used to knowing where the paddles are during a turn

Keeping your hands on the wheel is more important during the race and usually you don't shift while cornering - you do it before or after the turn.
On the streets, yes if you pulling out of somewhere - it is easier to use lever than peddle.

Keeping your hands on the wheel is more important during the race and usually you don't shift while cornering - you do it before or after the turn.

This is usually true on our cars that are geared for street driving. But once you have a proper race gearbox with 5-6 usable gears, you are constantly shifting in the turns. That said, it's probably best to avoid such practices on the street or at a DE event.

This is usually true on our cars that are geared for street driving. But once you have a proper race gearbox with 5-6 usable gears, you are constantly shifting in the turns. That said, it's probably best to avoid such practices on the street or at a DE event.
I thought it was basic knowledge that you do all your braking, shifting before the turn unless there is a need for it.

I thought it was basic knowledge that you do all your braking, shifting before the turn unless there is a need for it.
There's a difference between what is safe and fast to teach to folks who are learning high performance driving and what it takes to get the last few tenths out of a race car in a competitive situation. I can think of a particular turn at VIR where I actually upshift while turning BECAUSE it unsettles the car and helps it to rotate around a turn.

Like I said, there's a difference in what you'd do in a competitive race and what you would do while driving the car around at a DE. I only bring it up because you specifically mentioned not shifting during turns in a race.

I thought it was basic knowledge that you do all your braking, shifting before the turn unless there is a need for it.

Don't forget trailbraking ;)

SMG is faster on the highway or when you are moving.

From a stop though I need to figure out how to get launch control to work.