540iA vs 540i 6spd

[YaoNYC]

hi all
how much slower is a 540iA with dinan engine and auto tranny chip vs. the 540i 6 spd?

thanks!

[mattyb]

why, which do you have?

[John in CT]

In my long-ago youth there was a running debate on the subject, the autobox shifts very very quickly, but eats up a few ponies too. Driving the 6 speed like you stole it would yield one set of acceleration figures, easy on that expensive clutch and gearbox and you have another set of figures. These are fast cars by the standards of ten years ago, don't try to run with today's fast cars IMHO.

[Paul in NZ]

for me a manual is more about the involvement AND the fact if i want to be in second i will be,uphill or down .....i strive for every shift to be perfect,and dont often acheive it!If you do a lot of city driving i would go for the auto

[Derek A.]

slower as in drag strip or laps around a track - big difference !

[YaoNYC]

why, which do you have?

i dont have one yet.
been looking for one for a little while

you enjoying yours?

[YaoNYC]

In my long-ago youth there was a running debate on the subject, the autobox shifts very very quickly, but eats up a few ponies too. Driving the 6 speed like you stole it would yield one set of acceleration figures, easy on that expensive clutch and gearbox and you have another set of figures. These are fast cars by the standards of ten years ago, don't try to run with today's fast cars IMHO.

thanks for the info.
yes, back in the day they were considered extra fast, however by todays standards i still think its decently quick. Standard sport sedans are still around the 300hp range so its not far off.

[YaoNYC]

for me a manual is more about the involvement AND the fact if i want to be in second i will be,uphill or down .....i strive for every shift to be perfect,and dont often acheive it!If you do a lot of city driving i would go for the auto

that is a good point. however for me, traffic is a strong consideration to take into account. i was just wondering how much slower the automatic would feel.

[YaoNYC]

slower as in drag strip or laps around a track - big difference !

i was just referring to 1/4 mile, 0-60 and highway passing acceleration.

[Dan in NZ]

In normal driving you'd hardly notice any difference. At full throttle on a race track, if you're a professional driver, you'd find the auto a tad slower. Technically the auto is about 0.5-1 second slower from 0-60 mph, but that's assuming the 6-speed has had the clutch dropped at about 3000rpm, run out to the rev limiter and slammed into second, which you wont be doing every time you drive it if you love your car. More about personal preference really...