Quote:
Originally Posted by M.barnes
what ZF8 cars have you driven? wondering if the software is different as several really glowing reviews in the UK of the M135i with sports auto.
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We never got the M135i here
I drove a 335i M-sport and a 640i Gran Coupe M-sport. Both at drive events, both loaded to the hilt. I drove the two pretty far apart, so I can't say if I felt much difference between these two ZF equipped cars, but I drove a 135i DCT at the same time as the 335i M-sport, and I could tell a definite difference.
Most of the programming differences will be related to the speed of the shift, not the input response. There's no reason to delay input response, even if you're going for a buttery smooth luxury shift. That would dictate that the shift itself should be slow.
It's hard to describe input lag, but what I noticed is that with the DCT, the shift started immediately as I pressed the paddle. With the ZF, the shift really started as I was releasing the paddle. We're talking about very, very small differences here, but small differences can make or break the feel of something. Try pausing mid-step as you're walking around. You'll notice that it breaks your whole rhythm. Ever been on a phone conversation with a lot of latency on the line, like a bad Skype call? It's unbearable. Human perception is tuned to very fine intervals when it comes to actions we take intuitively.
The ZF is, without question, the best sport-auto transmission I've ever experienced, but it's still has that fractional delay that drives me nuts. Granted, I owned one dual-clutch car and immediately went back to a manual. I can't shift as fast as a DCT, but when I press the clutch, the pedal moves with my foot. There is no delay. That is good
handling, and that's what I demand from my car.
Sorry, didn't mean to rant at you
