When Dual Clutch Transmission disappears, it’s undoubtedly a sign of the times. Whether you love it or detest it, it will be missed! The DCT proved that BMW truly is the Ultimate Driving Machine and was the best there is!
The popularity of the dual-clutch transmission (DCT) used by BMW M, a multi-speed transmission technology that uses two distinct clutches for odd and even gear sets, cannot be questioned. In fact, drivers who had M vehicles with it were head over heels in love with it! This is due to the fact that it produced rapid-fire shifts, was simple to use in any traffic, and provided more theater than the standard automatic. Bottom line: DCT sped up automobiles!
The DCT’s gear selector, which was described as a “bizarre type of transmission,” had the look of a frozen tear drop and had the most peculiar pattern. However, that pattern gave it personality and made it evident that it wasn’t your ordinary automatic gearbox. On the contrary, it was far more intriguing and unusual. The ancient DCT was in so many fantastic automobiles. It had excellent paddle shifters behind the wheel and had many levels of shift aggressiveness. You could be certain that you were operating a performance vehicle with a DCT and extremely quick, jerky shifts.
Fans of the DCT were a little miffed when the F90 M5 moved to a traditional, torque-converter 8-speed automatic from ZF. Even though the 8-speed was a top-notch automatic, people craved the quicker, full-throttle upshifts of the previous DCT. So, fans were much more disappointed when BMW gradually stopped offering the DCT for the M. That’s because the original DCT was associated with so many fantastic automobiles.
However, BMW has made the decision to abandon Dual-Clutch Transmissions in favor of conventional 8-speed torque converters, even in the M vehicles. The F90 generation M5’s 2018 model year launch marked the start of this transformation.
Following the phase-out of the DCT were the F10 BMW M5, F06/F12/F13 BMW M6, F80 BMW M3, and F82 BMW M4. DCT was originally an option for these cars, but it is no longer available. The new G80 BMW M3 and the G82 BMW M4 have both switched to the ZF 8-speed, hence the M Division no longer offers a dual-clutch option. And that modification is long-lasting.
Fans of the DCT should be aware that the BMW M2 is the only vehicle still using the BMW DCT.
All self-shifting transmissions for the M Division moving forward, whether they be the present ZF 8-speed or an upgraded model, will be conventional torque-converter automatics. Sadly, neither now nor in the future will there be a dual-clutch option. The DCT has officially said goodbye since efficiency is of the utmost importance in today’s automated environment!
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Actually, BMW Has a Good Reason for Not Including a DCT in the M3 and M4
Instead of the DCT system we are accustomed to seeing on the previous generation M-cars, BMW has opted to use the ZF eight-speed torque-converter automatic. Karsten, the person in charge of M GmbH’s transmission design, discusses in this video why an advanced performance vehicle like the BMW M3 or M4 would benefit from traditional transmission technology.
Karsten contrasts the benefits and drawbacks of the torque converter with the dual-clutch automatic. He instantly brings up the fact that dual-clutch automatic transmissions can use inertia to shift gears more quickly than torque converters. Using torque converters won’t work for it.
Torque converters, on the other hand, have always been incredibly smooth, especially at low speeds, which makes them perfect for high-end applications. It’s important to note that modern torque converters have advanced much from the clunky, performance-robbing “slush o’matics” of the 1990s and early 2000s. BMW is a luxury brand, but it’s easy to forget that with so many high-performance M models. Their transition back to more opulent cars includes the usage of a torque converter.
The new M3 and M4 won’t be any less thrilling because of this, either. A extremely capable device, the M8HP76 torque converter can change gears in as little as 150 milliseconds. The torque converter has additional benefits.
“We now have, in theory, all gears pre-selected with the torque converter transmission, through the converter lock-up clutch and the direct clutch to clutch shift,” says Karsten. He continues by saying that just one gear is pre-selected in a dual-clutch automatic. The rapid shift to the pre-selected gear follows from this. It will not be ideal to change to a different gear that has not been preselected, which is why some dual-clutch systems may feel clumsy or insufficient in low-speed applications.
Another factor in the new M3 and M4’s torque converter inclusion is packaging. DCT units are bigger, heavier, and more complicated because they are essentially two gearboxes in one. Whatever the case, modern torque converters have advanced significantly, and as Karsten says, “the gear shift is fairly close to perfection both in terms of speed and comfort.”
Even in M cars, BMW is switching from dual-clutch transmissions to eight-speed automatics.
Before the new 2-series is released, you should probably buy an M2 if you enjoy BMW’s dual-clutch transmission. According to BMW Blog, BMW is abandoning its dual-clutch transmissions across its lineup in favor of conventional eight-speed torque-converter automatic transmissions. Indeed, even in M vehicles.
Fortunately, a six-speed manual will still be available, according to the BMW representative. But depending on the model, there will be different iterations of an eight-speed automatic transmission listed there in place of the DCT.
The current M 8-speed automatic (8HP) has the following advantages over a 7-speed M dual-clutch transmission (DCT):
- matches the DCT’s performance
- More gears can be placed more closely together.
- increases fuel efficiency.
- enables use with xDrive all-wheel drive, whereas the DCT transmission was only intended to be used with rear-wheel drive vehicles.
The BMW Blog provided their own explanations for why this is plausible. Right now, efficiency is king, and the ZF eight-speed is simpler to tune for that. BMW’s significant electrification aspirations, though, are also set to materialize soon. When you know electric M vehicles are on the road, investing in the development of an upgraded DCT that could equal the performance of the eight-speed automatic doesn’t make sense.
With the new toothy G80 M3 and G82 M4 being the latest to swap the DCT for ZF’s eight-speed auto, that leaves the M2 as the final M-car with a DCT. The silent phase-out of the DCT began with the 2018 model-year launch of the F90-generation M5, according to BMW Blog. The M2 is already outdated, and spy images of the upcoming model are already circulating.
Given the current confusion around BMW’s marketing and overall direction, you might want to buy a new M2 nevertheless. It’s a tiny rocket that might end up being remembered as one of the greatest internal-combustion BMWs ever produced.
b Andrew
2009 saw the introduction of the Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) for the M3. Currently, it can only be found on the Z4, 335is, or 135 models. Your acquaintance does not have a DCT if he does not own an M3, 135, or a 335is.
You both now own DTC (Dynamic Traction Control). However, that is quite different.
We Will Miss The BMW DCT Transmission
There has been a battle going on in the automotive industry for what seems like eons between those who think sports cars should have manual gearboxes and those who think automatic transmissions are the future. With the dual-clutch transmission (DCT), which enables vehicles like the Volkswagen Golf GTI and BMW M2 to simulate the engagement of a manual transmission in an automatic transmission, a delicate truce was recently established. Many of BMW’s M Performance vehicles have used these rapid-fire gearboxes with great success, but a recent switch to conventional torque-converter transmissions has some fans up in arms. Now there is even worse news: it appears that BMW may be killing the DCT permanently.
The E90/E92 BMW M3 was the first BMW to use the DCT transmission. The seven-speed Getrag “M-DCT” gearbox complemented its roaring 4.0-liter V8 engine to a tee. When the F90 BMW M5 first appeared without a DCT, many people were extremely dissatisfied. We discovered a ZF automatic transmission in its stead, which is widely regarded as one of the best true automatics available. Although this may be the case, supporters of the DCT nevertheless long for the dual-clutch system’s quick and frequently violent changes. The only M vehicle still on the market that features a DCT is the current BMW M2, and it will likely be the last. The ZF will likely replace it because of how simple it is to calibrate and how much better it increases fuel economy.
It is reasonable to state that the DCT is dead since, in the future, BMW will make the inevitable transition to electrification, which will be the last nail in its coffin. But let’s not forget the brief period of time when two pedals did not signify boredom but rather something novel that puts an end to the war of transmissions. We will sadly miss it.
BMW used DCT when?
BMW M Gmbh originally unveiled the 7-Speed M BMW Double-Clutch Transmission (DCT) on November 1st, 2008. The 7-Speed DCT gearbox was first proposed for the M division by BMW, the first automaker in the world.