Quote:
Originally Posted by limeypride
Where do you get your data from about the ZF in the F90 M5? I have about 6,000 miles experience in it and while there are facets of the DCT transmission I'd like to have back, I still prefer the ZF overall.
I agree with you for the M2/M3/M4--they're far more laser-focused on the raw driving experience. However, performance and luxury (which incudes smooth shifts in normal driving) are exactly what the M5 is about--what's why I bought it... and my E63S (and, among other things, got rid of the E63S because I didn't like the rough-as-nails transmission). My RS7 also departed in part because of the transmission but, in that car's case, its ZF fully supports all of your concerns--it was tedious, fussy and labored/slow between shifts (unless you were in AMAX mode which only works from launches). The ZF in the M5 is not.
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30km test drive with mix of normal road and mountain roads famous for hillclimbs near Arashiyama.
ZFat does an excellent job when left in auto, but hesitates on manual shifts when pushed a bit. It did not want to downshift when I braked hard into a hairpin and dropped down to 2nd around 4,500 rpm even though there should have been plenty room. Thought it might be problem with the setting so I tried to raise it to three bars only to see it already on three
I got tired of trying to get better out of Zfat and left it on auto most of the time and I've never done that in an M.
We own an E43(had 13' XFR as well), most likely slower shifting than E63S and I still prefer the shift feeling over ZFat which provides very little drama and fake head bang on upshifts(no actual impact but noise is there. You know what I mean).
I myself am a keen track driver but Tsuchiya describes best of how I felt driving M5 (soft damping yet very snappy at the limit unlike older Exx generations). Also refuses to downshift fast while braking at 5:50 and 6:45 after about 3 laps. Given, the transmission was in first bar but it downshifted faster before if you roll back a bit.
I just think that ZFat is not really suited for dedicated track driving thus unfit for the future M3. If it were, we would see a lot more M140i/M235i's running but we just don't. I go to Suzuka/Okayama with E92 DCTs but I have yet to see one reporting tranny overheating, although one reported a mild loss of shift speed after 10 laps at Okayama. Meanwhile the M235i's...
Meanwhile I agree F90 M5 suspension is much more compliant on road even in sport plus mode and I liked it. I just wished it has a sharp transmission response like DCT or even E63S.
M stands for motorsport and I want to see M division enforcing and teaching some characters to owners whether they like it or not, just like they used to.