My thoughts on a 2008 BMW 328i

[VTEC_Inside]

Take this for what you will as I only drove the car for about 15min.

Exterior, ho hum... LEDs under the door handles was uber neat though.

Interior is nice and to the point. Materials don't seem particularly special, but executed quite well.

Onto the drive...

I loathe automatics, but the automatic in this car was nothing short of amazing. The "DS" mode might as well have been reading my mind, and the manumatic mode was not far off of driving a manual car.

Steering feel is worth mention. Nothing particularly special once into a corner IMO, but the turn in feeling is something I've never felt before.

Overall ride and handling didn't blow me away as I expected it to, perhaps I ruined it by expecting too much. It definitely handled well, but didn't manage to also subdue bumps in the road as well as the Legacy Spec B I drove a while back.

Power was a bit of disappointment IMO. Perhaps I was fooled by the presentation, but I'm sure my RSX would give it a good run and then some if not at least up to moderately illegal speeds.

I dunno. I really did expect to be a lot more impressed by an almighty BMW especially considering its $50,000 price tag. Alas, while I found it to be a very NICE car, I didn't really walk away from it converted or anything. It would be tough to sell me a car like that for $50,000 especially since despite being catered to the enthusiast they delete the f'in dipstick. I quote the salesman "BMW owners don't check their oil", I would have walked away at that, but it was a friend of mine taking it for a day so...

[93JC]

I loathe automatics, but the automatic in this car was nothing short of amazing. The "DS" mode might as well have been reading my mind, and the manumatic mode was not far off of driving a manual car.

General Motors 6L45

[Raza]

General Motors 6L45

Actually, they dumped the GM automatics.  They all run ZF six speeds, as I do recall. 

[93JC]

335s use ZFs, but the lower ones use GMs.

[Raghavan]

BMW's use GM transmissions?

[Raza]

335s use ZFs, but the lower ones use GMs.

Are you sure?  I could have sworn they ditched the GM automatic altogether.  The GM is a five speed, right?  The 328i runs a sixer. 

[Raza]

BMW's use GM transmissions?

And up until recently, Jaguar and Porsche used Mercedes transmissions.  I know Jag's running the ZF now (in newer cars), I don't know about Porsches.

[The Pirate]

Are you sure?  I could have sworn they ditched the GM automatic altogether.  The GM is a five speed, right?  The 328i runs a sixer. 

No the 6L45 is used in the 328i.  In GM parlance, the number ahead of the letter refers to the number of gears in the tranny.

93JC is right.

[The Pirate]

BMW's use GM transmissions?

The automatics in some 3 and 5 series cars from the 90's were Gm transmissions as well.  GM makes a damn good automatic.

[Raza]

No the 6L45 is used in the 328i.  In GM parlance, the number ahead of the letter refers to the number of gears in the tranny.

93JC is right.

Why run a ZF 6 speed in every car but one, and run someone else's six speed?  That can't be cost effective.

[The Pirate]

Why run a ZF 6 speed in every car but one, and run someone else's six speed?  That can't be cost effective.

If the 328 is the volume leader, and the GM tranny costs them significantly less per unit, it could work out.  I'm not sure though, you are more of a numbers guy than me.

It might be a power output issue, but the 6L45 can handle more than 300 ft.lbs. of torque.

[Raza]

If the 328 is the volume leader, and the GM tranny costs them significantly less per unit, it could work out.  I'm not sure though, you are more of a numbers guy than me.

It might be a power output issue, but the 6L45 can handle more than 300 ft.lbs. of torque.

But if they run the 6L45 on the 328i and the ZF model on their V8 and turbo I6 models, what does the torque capacity of the 6L45 matter?

[the Teuton]

It isn't like the 6L45 isn't a good tranny, either.  It's among the smoother out there right now.  Why not use it in a 5er?

[The Pirate]

But if they run the 6L45 on the 328i and the ZF model on their V8 and turbo I6 models, what does the torque capacity of the 6L45 matter?

What are the torque levels of the turbo 6 and V8?  It might be above what the 6L45 can handle without self-grenading.  I don't know why they do that, honestly.

[Raza]

What are the torque levels of the turbo 6 and V8?  It might be above what the 6L45 can handle without self-grenading.  I don't know why they do that, honestly.

300 and 360.  Odd that the horsepower ratings are also 300 and 360 respectively.

[93JC]

And up until recently, Jaguar and Porsche used Mercedes transmissions.  I know Jag's running the ZF now (in newer cars), I don't know about Porsches.

Porsche has used ZFs for many years. In fact, the only one I can't think of that didn't use a ZF was the 928, which was sourced somewhat from Mercedes-Benz.

Jaguar used GM three- and four-speeds for decades.

Why run a ZF 6 speed in every car but one, and run someone else's six speed?  That can't be cost effective.

The 6L45/50 is also used in the X3 and X5.

[Submariner]

Porsche has used ZFs for many years. In fact, the only one I can't think of that didn't use a ZF was the 928, which was sourced somewhat from Mercedes-Benz.

Jaguar used GM three- and four-speeds for decades.

The 6L45/50 is also used in the X3 and X5.

Hehe...no wonder my parents jag had so many transmission problems.

On a side note, the 5-speed slushie in my BMW is a great box.  I wouldn't call the manumatic feature particularly brilliant, but it is smooth as can be.

[565]

Take this for what you will as I only drove the car for about 15min.

Exterior, ho hum... LEDs under the door handles was uber neat though.

Interior is nice and to the point. Materials don't seem particularly special, but executed quite well.

Onto the drive...

I loathe automatics, but the automatic in this car was nothing short of amazing. The "DS" mode might as well have been reading my mind, and the manumatic mode was not far off of driving a manual car.

Steering feel is worth mention. Nothing particularly special once into a corner IMO, but the turn in feeling is something I've never felt before.

Overall ride and handling didn't blow me away as I expected it to, perhaps I ruined it by expecting too much. It definitely handled well, but didn't manage to also subdue bumps in the road as well as the Legacy Spec B I drove a while back.

Power was a bit of disappointment IMO. Perhaps I was fooled by the presentation, but I'm sure my RSX would give it a good run and then some if not at least up to moderately illegal speeds.

I dunno. I really did expect to be a lot more impressed by an almighty BMW especially considering its $50,000 price tag. Alas, while I found it to be a very NICE car, I didn't really walk away from it converted or anything. It would be tough to sell me a car like that for $50,000 especially since despite being catered to the enthusiast they delete the f'in dipstick. I quote the salesman "BMW owners don't check their oil", I would have walked away at that, but it was a friend of mine taking it for a day so...

I feel exactly the same way.  I drove a BMW 325 auto back when my friend was looking at one.  I wasn't blown away.  It was a nice enough car, but I didn't really feel any of the wonderful steering or the amazing ride and handling trade off.  It seemed pretty much on par with it's competitors.  My friend however (who incidently knows absolutely knows nothing about cars and drove a Camry) was totally smitten with it, saying now he understood what those magazines were raving about.

I definitely feel there is an Emperorer's new clothes situation with many people's impression of  BMW's. 

[Raza]

Porsche has used ZFs for many years. In fact, the only one I can't think of that didn't use a ZF was the 928, which was sourced somewhat from Mercedes-Benz.

Jaguar used GM three- and four-speeds for decades.

The 6L45/50 is also used in the X3 and X5.

The 996 used Mercedes 5 speeds, I'm almost sure of it.

[Raza]

I feel exactly the same way.  I drove a BMW 325 auto back when my friend was looking at one.  I wasn't blown away.  It was a nice enough car, but I didn't really feel any of the wonderful steering or the amazing ride and handling trade off.  It seemed pretty much on par with it's competitors.  My friend however (who incidently knows absolutely knows nothing about cars and drove a Camry) was totally smitten with it, saying now he understood what those magazines were raving about.

I definitely feel there is an Emperorer's new clothes situation with many people's impression of  BMW's. 

Thank goodness someone else finally sees that.

[JYODER240]

I'm pretty sure some Cadillac's use ZFs as well.

[93JC]

The 996 used Mercedes 5 speeds, I'm almost sure of it.

ZF 5HP19HL

[TheIntrepid]

ZF 5HP19HL

ES 250HP 3.5L

[CALL_911]

ES 250HP 3.5L

POS

[Eye of the Tiger]

ES 250HP 3.5L

FE 88HP 1.9L

[93JC]

I'm pretty sure some Cadillacs use ZFs as well.

Off the top of my head I can't think of a single Cadillac that has ever used a non-GM automatic, except the BLS. I don't know what the BLS uses, but I assume it's the same as the Saab 9-3, which uses an Aisin 5-speed.

[93JC]

ES 250HP 3.5L

That really is the transmission used in the 996.

[TheIntrepid]

That really is the transmission used in the 996.

SXT 205HP 3.8L

[Eye of the Tiger]

SXT 205HP 3.8L

SVT 240HP 5.8L

[TheIntrepid]

SVT 240HP 5.8L