First Drive: 2011 BMW 135i DCT - Motor Authority (blog)
Dual-clutch gearboxes. But does that really make the manual better. [Disclaimer: BMW paid to fly us out to New Jersey Motorsports Park for two days of track time in most of the 2011 lineup, stuffed us with great food and plied us with drink. Still, it was the cars that sent the real message. Not if by better you mean "faster. " Because dual-clutch gearboxes are brutally fast, far less prone to user-induced error and generally just better for driving a car hard: you can keep your feet over the go/stop pedals, heel-toe is unnecessary, and both hands stay on the wheel at... If by better you mean more fun, however, the manual wins every time. Sure, it's pretty cool clicking through the gears video-game style as you run up to and beyond 100 real-world mph, but the novelty quickly wears off and you're left either driving for maximum pace or finding a 7/10s drive a bit less enjoyable. The 2011 BMW 135i with DCT, of course. While Volkswagen and Audi have had similar DSG systems in their cars for some time now, the entry of the DCT (BMW's moniker for their dual-clutch unit) into the 1-Series lineup, it's accessible in a relatively affordable, rear-wheel-drive luxury... For most, the DCT is the perfect compromise: fully automatic driving for the 90 percent of the time you're just getting around town, and a truly performance-enhancing manual mode for those weekend runs. Source: www.motorauthority.com
