[BiturboS4] SMG vs. 6-Speed

[Ian McCloghrie]

On Dec 28, 2002 "Kjos'" wrote:
> I agree with your response except that no one has stated that MS races a
> BMW, just a SMG equipped race car. I look at SMG as a general term applied
> to the new-technology shifters like we're talking about. Is it trademarked
> by BMW? If so, a different term needs to be used I guess.

AFAIK, yeah, "SMG" is a BMW trademark.  Ferraris are marketed with an
"F1" transmission, and they have other names on the Aston Martin and
Maseratis that are so equipped.

> econo cars do so it's understood that we're not talking about that class of
> car or tractors either.

Sure, my point is just that the supremacy of SMG/F1/whatever
transmissions in F1 racing doesn't necessarily mean that they're
better in street cars.  Toyota has one in the MR2 Spyder (they call it
an "SMT"), for example, and in magazine tests it's a good .5 seconds
SLOWER to 60 than the manual transmission model is.

> As I said, it's only a matter of time before you're driving  a SMG equipped
> car. It's only a year away (I hear) from introduction in BMW's 5-Series. If
> they come out with all-wheel drive (assuming 300HP or more) in a 5-Series
> I'd buy one in a flash.

I'd have bought my S4 with one, if it had been an option.  I wouldn't
have gotten it in my Miata, though -- that's a very different sort of
car.  I suspect that the SMG/F1/etc trannies will probably take over
the high-end manual market (it basically already has in Ferraris, for
example) but there'll still be a few available in cars like the Miata,
Elise, etc.

--Ian
'01 Nogaro Blue S4
'99 Mazda Miata LP FM2 Turbo