Cambiocorsa vs SMG vs Tiptronic

BMW SMG vs CC

I purchased my '05 CC Coupé after spending 4 years and 1 month driving an '02 BMW SMG M3. During the 28,000 miles (~45,000 km) I put on the car, I read, and occasionally contributed to the Roadfly M3 Message Board. There may have been an occasional post about the clutch in the M3, but in 4 years, I never saw a single comment about 'shortened' clutch life (vs. manual) of the SMG. I know of others on the M3 Message Board with 60,000-70,000 miles, and no mention of clutch replacement. Replacing my M3's clutch was a subject that I never gave a single thought to - now, after a little over 2 months on Maseratilife, it seems that the CC clutch life is a significant issue - significant not only because of the inconvenience of the repair, but the not-so-insignificant cost ($2,000-$4,000 depending up dealer and other repairs conducted at the same time).

It is my opinion that the BMW SMG software (and perhaps related to hardware for all I know about it) is much smoother and easier to operate, especially at low speeds. I live at the end of a short cul du sac where children play almost every day. In the 2 1/2 months I've owned the Coupé, I have found no combination that allows me to drive slowly and *smoothly* through the children playing when I come home. I've tried sport setting in 1st gear, no sport setting in 1st gear - sport setting, no sport setting in 2nd gear. It is jerky no matter how I 'feather' the gas or hold the gas steady. Previously, I never had this problem with the M3's SMG - yes, I know that I have more hp (only ~35-40 since I had the Dinan airbox and exhaust system) and more torque (~40 KW) in the Coupé, but I would think that this would not completely account for the jerkiness in the F1

Please don't misunderstand, I love the Coupé... I love the power... the torque.... the beautiful lines of the car... and the magnificent quality and design of the interior materials; but, IMHO, the BMW SMG is superior to CC's operation. And yes, I drove an F1-equipped Maserati before buying, so I knew in part the difference in smoothness and shift speed. However, I attributed part of the lack of smoothness to my unfamiliarity with the CC. If I had it to do all over again, I would still trade for the Maserati - I love it; I am just disappointed that Maserati (presumably, with help and information from Ferrari who has been in the F1 transmission business a long time) does not have smoother software and software that does not significantly shorten clutch life. We can only hope Maserati will make future changes in the transmission's software, improving the performance and maintenance of the F1.
Leo Newland

Low Speed Jerkiness/Stainless Steel Brake Lines

SJP63 said:

Sorry to hear your having trouble with the shifts.....I replaced my M3 SMG with a Coupe CC and yes its not as "foolproof" as the SMG but I have no trouble with seamless smooth shifts on the Maser. Try lifting of the throttle just a little as you shift. The M3 has the paddles on the wheel so going round a corner out of a junction, the shift to second was impossible on the paddles as up and down were reversed. Also no hill hold on the SMG.....well there was but it only operates on steep hills, the Maser is much better in that respect.

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SJP, I'm with you - I love the fixed paddles on the steering column as opposed to BMW's paddles that turn with the steering wheel - that is why I used the console gearshift probably 80-90% of the time when I had the M3. I did use the paddles some and the auto mode rarely in the 4 yrs I drove the SMG.

With regard to my post, I'm not having a problem with smooth shifting upon acceleration, and yes, you are correct when you suggest lifting slightly. I've been lifting off the gas when shifting since the second week of ownership and get those same smooth seamless shifts as you. The biggest problem I have is the jerkiness at low speed when pulling into my neighborhood.... and the same jerkiness when going up the driveway into the garage. The SMG was always very smooth at low speed and the F1 isn't, or at least so far. I'll ask the dealer about it first time I'm there, but he's some 50 miles away - not a trip I make very often.

I had a Brembo big brake kit (with SS hoses) on my M3 and had wonderful brakes. I like the Brembo brakes on the Maser but would like to firm up the 'top end' when they are first applied - anyone have any thoughts as to whether or not SS brake lines would improve that on the Coupé? I've been looking for a source for the Maserati SS braided lines, but so far have not found one.