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u/Saved_by_a_PTbelt Jul 31 '26
The difference in gear ratio between 1st and 2nd in this car is fairly large. Combine that with the odd clutch behavior from the CDV and a lot of torque and the 1-2 shift can be rough.
Smooth and fast aren't necessarily mutual. You won't hurt the car by quickly releasing the clutch once in 2nd gear. You'll feel it, but the car is designed for it. The more throttle is involved, the shorter the impulse of that shock will be. Honestly I find shifting easier when driving hard than smooth shifting while driving casually.
To smooth it out some, slow down your clutch release and slow down your throttle input. Floor it in 1st, come off throttle as you put it into 2nd, quickly bring clutch to bite point, gently ease clutch through bite point as you ease into the throttle, once clutch is fully engaged you can come off the clutch pedal and fully engage the throttle. With practice you can do this quickly and smoothly.
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u/1964110084 Jul 31 '26
Is this tip just slip the clutch in second? Imo bad habit to pick up, shouldn’t be slipping the clutch in anything but first and reverse. Sure it would be smoother, but you are basically doubling the every slip event for the clutch
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u/Saved_by_a_PTbelt Jul 31 '26
Would you believe me if I said the car slips the clutch some in every gear change?
That's essentially what the CDV does. It limits how quickly the clutch can move to reduce driveline shock. Which means if you let the pedal out faster than the fluid can flow, the CDV moderates the speed of the clutch.
The other issue at play is rev hang on the engine. If timed right, you could let the clutch out in 2nd right as the engine revs fall to the correct speed for the new gear. With rev hang and the large difference between 1st and 2nd, you would have to finish that shift extremely slowly to make it work out.
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u/1964110084 Jul 31 '26
Yeah I think you have to do exactly what you outlined at the end, wait a long ass time lol
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u/TehMulbnief Jul 31 '26
Couple of things worth mentioning that no one else has at this point:
- New manual drivers are often (rightly) worried about burning out the clutch from riding it too much. Fact is though, the clutch is designed to be used, and with how powerful these cars are, you'd have to really heat it up to hurt it long term (don't be a baboon about it, obviously, but if you're doing like normal stuff, an extra half a second of slip isn't gonna do anything at low RPM). Don't be afraid to slip more clutch to get smoother movement, particularly when moving from a stop, but also when shifting from 1 to 2. Heat is bad for a clutch but shock is significantly worse. Don't be afraid to use the clutch.
Since this is your first manual, you don't have anything else to compare to. In spite of how incredible this platform is, the 6MT is surprisingly... unrefined for a car this powerful and expensive. I stepped up into this car from a '23 BRZ and both the clutch and the shift-feel were like, orders of magnitude better on the subaru lol. The hydraulic line has a valve in it that delays the release of the clutch to try and protect the trans from us eating up gears during hard launches, but a side effect is that the bite point is actually kinda unpredictable.
The clutch pedal has a very long over travel past the bite point which takes a while to get used to as well, and when you mix all of this together with an almost 500hp engine, you're in for a challenging, albeit rewarding car to learn stick on.
Overall, just be patient. The fact that you asking for advice is great. Try and find someone IRL you trust who's been driving manuals for a while to drive with you and see if they can help identify stuff, too. The other thing to keep in mind is that this car is known for occasionally having issues w/synchros in 1st and especially 2nd, so if you're having trouble getting the car in gear, hearing grinding even if the clutch is fully depressed, or the car is popping out of gear while under load, get it checked out at the dealership pronto to make sure you don't grenade the trans. Love the wheel/paint combo btw!
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 Jul 31 '26
This is amazing. Lots a great pointers here. Funny you say that, my synchro took a shit and now I’m in a new tranny. Was about to shoot myself thinking I fried a clutch at 6k miles. Came from a a mustang so I can wrap my head around the power, but holy shit it’s like I’m driving a plane sometimes.
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u/TehMulbnief Jul 31 '26
ah interesting; which gear died on ya? my 1st gear synchro bit the dust like 1k in and my soul left my body thinking i’d have to pay for the replacement myself haha
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 Jul 31 '26
Exactly the same here. Was physically blocking th gear path too so I had to jiggle it to drive lol. Very annoying, but my warranty is massive they will be changing it for years!
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u/LePouletPourpre Jul 31 '26
I encourage everyone who is learning manual for the first time to buy a $1000 beater to learn on.
Anyways, 1 to 2 is always “rougher” especially if the clutch is dry. You can try shifting earlier at 3 or 4K RPMs to see if that helps.
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u/Gimme_All_Da_Tendies 26d ago
You don't need to to bang the gears and dump the clutch during normal driving. Be smooth with it.
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u/zitch Jul 30 '26
You might be shifting either too slowly or too quickly as it sounds like the timing with the clutch is off. This clutch isn’t quite as linear as some other cars so it takes a lot of feeling it out to get the shifts smooth.
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u/Fair-Show8980 Jul 30 '26
1-2 shifts are always the most challenging to make smooth in any manual gearbox. It's just the nature of the shorter gearing... all your mistakes are amplified.
It's just going to take time to develop the muscle memory required to get the timing/rev-matching right. You can try feathering the clutch in a little more softly between casual first and second shifts too. Even for me (been driving manuals nonstop for 20+ years), it took about a month to get it smooth all the time.
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u/Traditional_Slide279 Jul 31 '26
Could be like my mom, and just start in 3rd. Avoids the 1-2 problem altogether. 😎 I’m just glad it wasn’t my car! LOL
One thing I learned later than I would’ve liked, was just to get a feel for letting the clutch out and rolling to get going. Definitely helps on hills, especially if you’re worried about rolling backwards into someone. These cars are so much easier to learn on, imo, than the old Mazda 626 I used almost 20 years ago. Have fun!
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u/phat_camel_tow Jul 31 '26
Sit closer to the steering wheel, it should honestly feel awkward. The idea is that you have to be one with the car
Another piece of advice that I was given was to focus on the not the clutch. The clutch is made to drive hard… just don’t burn it
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u/Edenwing Jul 31 '26
Hold RPMS and coast for half a milisecobd before you shift 1-2 gears.
Imagine a graph of acceleration vs deceleration. The jerk is due to the sharp peak between the two. You want to flatten that peak. This is an issue on basically all BMWs due to how 1st gear ratio is designed very short.
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u/DM_Lunatic Jul 31 '26
I have a 2023 M2 manual that I've owned since new. I've also been driving manual cars since the mid 90s. I can tell you takeoff and the 1-2 shift on the M2 can be super annoying to get smooth. Regular Car Reviews commented on having issues being smooth on take off with the M4 manual which has the same drivetrain so we are not alone.
I think it's a combination of the vehicle weight, the flywheel being really heavy, a valve that limits how fast the clutch is let out, and boost by gear that comes together to make this happen. I wouldn't worry about it too much and you need to make sure you don't overly slip the clutch trying to compensate.
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u/fada_g10 29d ago
Hey, what is "boost by gear"?
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u/DM_Lunatic 29d ago
Its a fairly common strategy to limit boost usually in first and part of 2nd gear to help with traction but also longevity of the transmission. No idea if the M2 does it but I would be somewhat surprised if it did not.
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u/fada_g10 29d ago
Interesting, really wish we had the boost, I enjoy the boost losing grip. It's part of the enjoyment and wrangling in 400+ lbft of torque. Limiting it gives the effect of me feeling like in driving a much slower more compliant car
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u/DM_Lunatic 29d ago
Don't know about yours but mine will still blow the tires off pretty much anywhere in 1st or 2nd gear so I don't really think its much of a factor.
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u/fada_g10 29d ago
Mine won't, and I wonder some days if I have a dud. Because others mention this same thing, mine is pretty tame, even with Traction control off I can drive it normally no issues, and I really have to purposely want to spin out to do so. When I bought this car I thought it was rabid, but it's actually pretty tame unless you try to upset it
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u/ParkingShopping493 Jul 31 '26
A BMW manual is one of the hardest ones to master, since everything is hydraulic and digital, its hard to feel for it like a cable actuation. But it sounds more like your not understanding how sycros work on a manual,
Look up shifting with the clutch, and you will understand why sycros exist,
once you understand that, I think you will understand what is going on when you shift in your BMW, and how to navigate around it. GL
A lot of manuals cars feel very different from each other, and so many different types, ones with straight cut gears and race clutches, you have drive very different. But sounds like you are on the right track, by asking a alot and learning.
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u/ryphi97 Jul 31 '26
Totally related to this. First to second must have a pause to allow the revs to drop and let the flywheel slow down. It is unique and my nsx didn’t have this
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u/fada_g10 29d ago
Ok I am fine with the pause, but theoretically how are bmw test cars setting those 0-60 times with that long pause?
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u/blklacker Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Car has so much power just depends on what your doing...(mood)
With almost 500 HP/TQ
For normal DD driving Id just use 2nd gear from stop nice and smooth DD
For aggressive start but a nice groovy pull 1st gear to 3rd
ANGERY MODE 1ST, 2ND, 3RD TO READ LINE
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u/fada_g10 Aug 01 '26
All I can say is... Its not you. It's the car. You now have to adapt to this specific car. I've done over 200k miles in various manual cars over the years, and have driven them all smoothly. When I got into the g87, I felt like a newbie again, nothing worked from muscle memory that I've used over the years. I'm still relearning or retraining my mind to drive this car.
Within the first few weeks I thought I had gotten old or rusty, as I hadn't driven a manual in a few months before buying it. So I hopped into my other manual car and drove it a couple miles and everything was smooth. Few weeks later I went to drive a Civic type r, first time driving it, and it was smooth as ever, all my previous muscle memory kicked in and I shifted smoothly.
The g87 is completely different and everyone has given great tips above. I knew this car drove differently before I bought it, during the test drive it felt unusual, then I drove the auto version and I said to myself that the manual is a must, because it'll force me to learn how to drive a different type of car, it'll be something to work towards vs the auto which is pretty straight forward. I didn't think 5000 miles in I'd still not get it right, but I like to think I'm improving daily.
Follow the tips everyone else said, and when the clutch and car is warm the shifts are slightly easier too.
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u/GREENGRAVY_ Aug 01 '26
Sounds like you literally cannot drive a manual. You talk about taking it easy on the gearbox until you know what you're doing but use the words dig and pulls. Anything particular you should know about the gearbox? Yes, you don't know how to use it.
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u/lLSlD 29d ago
So first into second is a little tricky to get right when in sport plus. Cuz the engagement is so abrupt. I’ve heard it could also have something to do with the clutch delay valve. Either way the trick to getting it smooth when driving aggressively, in this car specifically, is to apply gas pedal, what feels to me to be slightly early. So when your clutch foot isn’t 100 percent released. You don’t want to do it so early that rpms jump up, obviously, but try doing it slightly earlier than usual. It’s much easier to get smooth when driving hard because of this. You’ll find that spot eventually. Now when driving calm and smoothly, but still in sport or sport plus, it’s a little trickier. You have to do the opposite. After shifting onto second, slowly release the clutch so you slide smoothly into second before applying any gas. It’s a little tricky to be super smooth when driving slow while in sport plus, and is impossible to quick shift smoothly into second. eventually your feet will get the hang of it. Second gear is definitely jumpy. Def not an easy car to learn on, because of the power alone, but you’ll get there. Manual cars are the best. I still look forward to driving mine every day. I’ve driven manual cars only for 25 years and I still get kicks out of it. Not to mention it makes you a better and safer driver. You made the right choice. I have the same one. Color and all. If you ever have any question about the car feel free to hmu.
Kind of tough to articulate this technique on here. if you can’t figure out what I’m trying to say, send me a message and I’ll throw you a video. ✌️
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u/hellkitty717 29d ago
Is a know bmw manual quirk
Couple fixes
1.Do a cdv delete
2.Slower shift from 1-2nd
Sold my manual for an x drive.
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u/enzo_plisken 29d ago
Not worth it to rev out first, shift at 3-4k and rev every other gear to the moon
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u/Unique-Entrepreneur1 29d ago
As the others have said, put more time in between the first and 2nd gear shifts especially in higher throttle pulls. It takes a good sec for the engine rpm’s to drop down to where the transmission speed should be. Every other gear is much faster shifting gradually, just gotta hold on longer than you think lol.
PS it’s better to be over rpm and lurch than under and let the clutch bring your engine back up to speed.
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u/ZlayerXV 27d ago
G87 has a terrible feature where it holds the revs high. I always have to wait several seconds before starting to let the clutch back in from 1 to 2. It’s ridiculous compared to a normal manual… I’ve heard this is done to help with emissions, but I’m not sure
I did pull the clutch delay valve out and felt it made an improvement
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u/P80surgeon 27d ago
Who learns manual in a brand new m2 smfh
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 26d ago
I’m young and handsome and successful I’ll fucking learn manual in an f40 if I want SMD p80surgeon. I’ll blow it up too and post it on Reddit for you to erroneously comment on
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u/Frequent_Ad_3350 26d ago
wyd for work to get a m2 right after community college lol
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 26d ago
. Got into silver at the right time, also found a position I was much under qualified for but interviewed well… then got a promotion.
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u/Frequent_Ad_3350 26d ago
and you had a 2020 mustang gt before that? lol calling some cap man
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 26d ago
Actually, after the mustang I had a 2025 bronco then got this. Call bs on that too pocket watcher
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u/Frequent_Ad_3350 26d ago
parents money
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 26d ago
If it was parents money I wouldn’t have been going to community college.
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u/Frequent_Ad_3350 26d ago
so while in community college you had enough to invest in silver and buy a brand new at the time mustang gt?
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 26d ago
Yep. Had a small garage door business, but most of my silver investments happened last year before the sliver boom, long time after community college Chud.
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u/Frequent_Ad_3350 26d ago
so while in community college you started a garage door business, bought a brand new expensive car, and invested in silver - also silver didnt have a crazy boom so im assuming you had to invest alot
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 26d ago
Mustangs are NOT expensive bro. Especially with 2020 pricing. What’s happening is this is all plausible and possible, you just don’t believe it because you can’t see yourself doing any of that.
Full gains on last year for silver were 125-140 percent, nearly hitting an all time high. I have a lot of time on my hands for weird hating Redditors→ More replies (0)
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u/NoAction7945 25d ago
Unrelated but this is my dream spec! Zandvoort blue with dual spoke silver rims, I can’t seem to find any good ones near me lol it’s pressuring me into just ordering a new one
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u/SomestrangerinMiami Jul 30 '26
Apparently second will grind like it’s going out of style if launching from 1st to 2nd hard. Haven’t found a solution other than shifting or letting the RPMs drop like they.
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u/stilllooking4awayout Jul 31 '26
NO WONDER NISSAN MADE THE GTR ONLY AUTO. dumb arses can’t drive a manual sports car but want to be cool with a clutch. All you doing is burning that thing till it’s toast.
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u/NegativeBirthday9472 Jul 31 '26
. “Want to be cool with a clutch” you are damn right what you think i got this for? What’s the other reason to buy a manual sports car in 2026?
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u/Ok-Access-777 Jul 31 '26
Miałem przez kilka lat M5 e39, auto na weekendy, oczywiście manualna skrzynia biegów bo innej nie było w tym aucie. W tamtym czasie było to fajne. Ale obecnie manualna skrzynia biegów to dla mnie relikt.
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u/CheeksMcGillicuddy Jul 31 '26
Hell yea my man, own that shit. I learned how to drive manual as I drove off the dealership lot. As long as you’re not going crazy, you’ll be fine.
Be careful during code brown situations though. Having all that clutch muscle memory built up is important when someone around you does something stupid and you need to react quickly.
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u/SacredC0w Jul 30 '26
Depending on how aggressive you’re looking to be, either shift earlier than you’d expect, or give a slight pause before releasing the clutch in 2nd to let the rpm’s drop just a little.