[Kmm]

Is the only difference the shifter paddles on the steering wheel?

Thanks!

[Autumn]

The sport auto shifts more quickly as well.

[Kmm]

Is it enough to really notice? Is the quote of the 5.4 sec 0-60 with the sports automatic.

[Micleg]

Rumours have it that the only differences are looks: leather beneath the stick, different stick shape and paddles by the steering wheel.

[PrinceBarin]

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=683337
http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=674338
http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=660335

[kiforrest]

Different gear change mapping in my opinion. I have driven both and the sports auto is more aggressive I.e. changes down quicker, plus it provides the sports plus mode which means the car will hang on to a gear without changing up/down without human intervention when in the sports plus mode

[PrinceBarin]

Originally Posted by kiforrest

Different gear change mapping in my opinion. I have driven both and the sports auto is more aggressive I.e. changes down quicker, plus it provides the sports plus mode which means the car will hang on to a gear without changing up/down without human intervention when in the sports plus mode

Out of interest, is the Sport transmission similarly aggressive in both modes? I am guessing you would drain a lot of fuel if it was. I am aware that the sport auto holds the changes in Sport mode which is pretty cool, but I wondered if it was still more aggressively mapped in standard mode when compared to the standard box.

Would be great if someone could get some facts & stats from BMW on the real differences between these transmissions.

[CoolDude196]

Originally Posted by Kmm

Is the only difference the shifter paddles on the steering wheel?

Thanks!

+1 literally asking myself the exact same question

[SomeRandomer123]

Originally Posted by Autumn

The sport auto shifts more quickly as well.

Yep, sport auto shifts quicker (200ms), you get flappy paddles, a nice leather surround around the improved "gear stick" and slightly different software. For what it's worth (£150 difference in the UK) go for the Sport Auto. I drove a 328i with the standard auto and it wound me up because it had constant power interruptions and the lack of flappy's to control it was a hindrance. Therefore I feel the Sport Auto is smoother.
Oh and it adds the Sport + mode!

[PrinceBarin]

Originally Posted by SomeRandomer123

Yep, sport auto shifts quicker (200ms), you get flappy paddles, a nice leather surround around the improved "gear stick" and slightly different software. For what it's worth (£150 difference in the UK) go for the Sport Auto. I drove a 328i with the standard auto and it wound me up because it had constant power interruptions and the lack of flappy's to control it was a hindrance. Therefore I feel the Sport Auto is smoother.
Oh and it adds the Sport + mode!

The shift speed for the ZF 8HP is 200ms but it's the same hardware in both the standard and sports auto so my conclusion is that the shifts must be the same for both gearboxes, unless the software can actually control the shift speed, which I doubt.

Not to doubt your experience of the two systems though (I haven't tried either yet). I just wondered if the shift mapping is consistently more aggressive for the sport auto in both comfort and sport modes. For example, is the sport auto in comfort mode equal to, say, the standard auto in sport mode?

[SomeRandomer123]

Originally Posted by PrinceBarin

The shift speed for the ZF 8HP is 200ms but it's the same hardware in both the standard and sports auto so my conclusion is that the shifts must be the same for both gearboxes, unless the software can actually control the shift speed, which I doubt.

Not to doubt your experience of the two systems though (I haven't tried either yet). I just wondered if the shift mapping is consistently more aggressive for the sport auto in both comfort and sport modes. For example, is the sport auto in comfort mode equal to, say, the standard auto in sport mode?

Aah you could be right. Although I have tested both, the Sport Auto was in the 320d and the Standard Auto in the 328i, both of which are massively different engines from what I have grown accustomed to, although I am more familiar with the 320d. I think there definitely needs to be more clarity from BMW as to what the differences are! Couldn't comment on the aggressiveness of the shift, I can't recall!