The Worst Car Seller. The Worst Anything.

"Michael Cohen" (hofmeisterkinky)
11/19/2019 at 09:44 • Filed to: None

It’s a sign I shouldn’t be looking for these anyway but still.

DISCUSSION (24)

E90M3 > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 09:49

Ah the E60 M5, only downside with the true manual is you can’t fully turn off the traction control.

Gerry197 > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 09:55

For a little while, when sequential automated manuals first came out, like the SMG and even DSG, people and manufacturers would consider them “Manuals” even in publications.

However, that is no longer the case, they simply call them automatics regardless if they have a clutch.

Either person running the ad still thinks that tranny is actually classified as a manual or it was simply a mistake.

Textured Soy Protein > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 09:56

Welcome to shopping for every BMW M car where the automatic option was SMG.

Tripper > Textured Soy Protein
11/19/2019 at 10:00

Beat me to it

Tripper > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 10:02

I have owned and E46 M3 for 12 years and have been shopping them since inception and I still get duped by the SMG. You get all excited about a car like “ omg this is awesome and the price is right!” Then you get to that next to last picture with that poopy little shift knob and you’re like FUCKYOU.

glemon > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 10:02

There are dealers in my area who list anything vaguely enthusiast oriented as manual, even if automatic. I think they do it on purpose, but don't really see the point. If you want a manual you will of course get a little irritated and look elsewhere, if you want an automatic you might skip over it completely. I called them on it a couple times, they obviously didn't give a crap.

Tripper > E90M3
11/19/2019 at 10:03

I believe there was a software update for that, if not there is definitely a hack. My buddy has one with thee pedals and it shreds them tires!

E90M3 > Tripper
11/19/2019 at 10:10

I heard it was like that from the factory so it did lunch the gearbox. Not sure if they were just trying to be conservative or if it truly will with too much abuse it’ll lunch the box.

Michael Cohen > Textured Soy Protein
11/19/2019 at 10:13

I’ve been in this hell for a while. Shopping E46 M3 and off a few years.

Michael Cohen > Tripper
11/19/2019 at 10:14

Have you considered converting your car to manual? It’s some money but the manual cars sell for more money too I think.

Thisismydisplayname > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 10:14

The only silver lining is the trans has all the parts and pieces to be a true manual, and there are ways to retrofit a clutch pedal and ditch the SMG. There was a wheeler dealers where they did just that. Not a huge undertaking, but trans is coming out and you have to line up the specialists to get the bell housing modified. But if you found one that checked all the other boxes, might be able to get a decent price on one and do the swap.

Tripper > E90M3
11/19/2019 at 10:15

My guess is that they wanted to avoid mustang syndrome. That car sans TC gets the fuck out way too easily and it stays out . Drifts are soooo dramatic (which I absolutely love) .

I honestly was not comfortable doing any spirited driving with the TC off. I looped it twice the fist time I drove it. It’s only slightly “safer” feeling the the E90 as you know. He beats the piss out of it and has had surprisingly little trouble with it except tires and gas.

Michael Cohen > Gerry197
11/19/2019 at 10:17

My post is tongue and cheek. I don’t think the seller is a bad guy. It’s more about me looking for a three pedal car. It’s fascinating how opinion of these trannies have changed. Back in the day magazines were calling the E46 SMG the best transmission they had ever used.

Michael Cohen > glemon
11/19/2019 at 10:20

Once I emailed a dealer as a courtesy to let them know their listing was misclassified and I got a barrage of sales calls and emails. They didn’t change the listing.

Michael Cohen > Thisismydisplayname
11/19/2019 at 10:21

I know people do this with the E46. Also E60?

Tripper > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 10:31

Oh mine is a manual, I’m just forever shopping them and hate that ALL of the car sites list them as manuals.

Gerry197 > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 10:40

Absolutely, though I have a problem with it, looking for manuals and seeing an SMG is a waste of time :)

A properly working SMG on an E46 M3 is pretty good, but not something you really want to own when it gets old. That’s why manual ones are worth so much more. I know BMW indy shops that won’t work on those SMGs because the problems are sometimes really hard to figure out.

From what I’ve seen, the conversion to full manual isn’t that bad, especially since you don’t have to swap the tranny. Even Wheeler Dealers show converted a SMG to manual, it looked pretty straight forward.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 10:45

Same, except they also acknowledged it was for more exposure for the ad and deliberate. Had the same happen when I messaged a guy about his sport bike being listed as a car (But then I kept sending him the link to the ad for a Saturn Ion)

Haase > glemon
11/19/2019 at 10:58

It’s not done on purpose, most of the time.. . The inventory systems that dealers use will list the car with the standard transmission (manual) or the system will recognize the car as having an “ automated-manual” and will list the car with a manual transmission.

At the end of the day, the reason why we see this so often comes down to laziness and poor product management.

Haase > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 10:59

It’s not done on purpose, most of the time... The inventory systems that dealers use will list the car with the standard transmission (manual) or the system will recognize the car as having an “automated-manual” and will list the car with a manual transmission.

At the end of the day, the reason why we see this so often comes down to laziness and poor product management.

RPM esq. > Gerry197
11/19/2019 at 13:40

Yeah, I had an SMG E46 M3 and enjoyed it. It was the state of the art when it came out, but it’s outdated now. N ow that those cars are pretty aged I would get a manual if I were to buy another one.

E90M3 > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 14:50

Not for the E60; it’s a different transmission. For starters it’s a 7 speed, the manual is a six speed.

Michael Cohen > MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick)
11/19/2019 at 16:20

Reminds of the other thing e46 sellers do. Take a picture of a convertible head on so we can’t see its a soft top. Like we’re not going to figure it out.

MKULTRA1982(ConCrustyBrick) > Michael Cohen
11/19/2019 at 18:07

All that does is ensures that when you get pissed off about them wasting your time it’s probably in person