The BMW world has been mostly focused on the Competition BMW M3 ever since the new model was unveiled. For rather obvious reasons. The new G80 versions come in two flavors and since one has more power than the other and is officially faster, it’s only natural to have it in the spotlight more often than not. However, BMW is still deeply involved with the enthusiasts community so a manual gearbox is offered in some markets.
We sampled the manual M3 not long ago and were impressed with it. The same could be said about the guys from The Straight Pipes who got their hands on a manual M3 and showed us how Launch Control works. That’s right, the new M3 comes with Launch Control even on the manual version and that’s meant to help you get the most out of the car. Unlike the Competition version, which will eventually come with all-wheel drive, on the base version the power goes to the rear axle alone, making it a bit feistier.
One important note the guys also make about the manual gearbox is that you can now turn off the automatic rev-matching easily through the infotainment screen, without having to turn off the DSC. Furthermore, you can have that setting included in your pre-programmed M1 and M2 buttons on the steering wheel, so you can lose the gear shift assistant at the literal press of a button.
And, once again, the gearbox on the M3 is called ‘rubbery’, something we’ve heard on a number of BMW M models fitted with a manual shifter in the past. Apparently people want it to be more precise and have tighter gates on it. Something we’re sure not everyone agrees with. There’s plenty more insight in the video though so you might want to check it out, if you’re interested in buying such a car.
