SMG (1) on E36 98/99 M3

[jes330]

SMG on E36 M3..anyone had it?
Can anyone comment on their experience with SMG (version 1) that came out on 98/99 E36 M3's. Couple for sale here, at good prices and a guy told me in no uncertain terms that the first SMG was plagued with problems and was why they were cheaper now. Still he was a car saleman so a broader sample would be appreciated...

Cheers,

 

[sarahj12]

Hi, in my experience SMG I is disappointing. I test drove a 99 E36 M3 convertible here (and still available after 4 months!) at Brisbane BMW. There are noticeable delays in shifting, both in auto mode and manual mode, especially between 1st and 2nd gears. It feels like everything comes to a stand-still (significant cut of power) while you wait for the gears to change. Gear changes are much smoother in my E46 323 steptronic! I hadn't read much about SMGI but had read a lot about SMGII and super-fast gear changes, so perhaps my expectations were unrealistically high regarding SMGI.

If you already drive a 330Ci with steptronic, then I think you'll also find the SMGI a disappointment. I haven't driven a manual E36 M3 but this would probably be a lot more enjoyable.