How exactly does the BMW Steptronic work?

I am looking into the new 2008 BMW 135i. But I'm a little confused with the steptronic transmission. With the steptronic transmission option, is the car at all like a manual car (i.e clutch, manual shifting without using the steering wheel)? My friend had a 2003 BMW 330Li that was an automatic, but had the Tiptronic so he COULD shift manually if he wanted to. Is the new BMW 135i going to be an automatic first, manual second? I want a standard manual car with the OPTION to use the steering wheel to shift (without the clutch), but I want it to be a manual car First. And what is the difference between Tiptronic and Steptronic? Thanks.|||First of all Steptronic IS the automatic. You merely "row" through the automatic gears. It will hold the car in first (or any other gear) for as long as you want until you push/pull the gear shift into the next gear. Almost all automatic cars have this feature in one shape or form.





BMW has BASICALLY two manual type transmissions. One is the common manual where you have to depress a clutch, grab a shift lever, move the lever and let the clutch back up.





The other type is SMG (or sequential manual gearbox). It IS a true manual transmission with clutch, gears, etc. However the drive does NOT have to press on a clutch pedal (which is non-existant on an SMG). Moving one of the two paddle shifters on the steering wheel will automatically trigger servos that disengage/engage the clutch.





SMG was developed from Formula 1 racing.





Once again, Steptronic is an automatic transmission that you either leave in auto mode or "play like you have a manual transmission". SMG is a true manual transmission.





If anyone doubts this, Google SMG or go to a BMW website or any other car manufacturer that has their varient of SMG.|||BMW never had Tiptronic, it has always been Steptronic. Tiptronic is the Volkswagen Group's name for the same technology. And no, the Steptronic isn't going to be the same as a manual. You have no clutch, the transmission is essentially an automatic, but with a computer hooked up to the paddle shifters or the gear lever that lets you control which gear. The shifts will still be slower than a manual. You can't have paddle shifters with a mechanically traditional manual, the only way to change gears is via the shifter. The only way to have a paddle shifter with a manual is either something like BMW's SMG (which isn't available in the 1ers), or Volkswagen Group's DSG, but then some people debate whether or not thats a true manual. But shifting a Steptronic is pretty much like trying to peddle a moped, then calling it a bicycle. Its not effective and you'd be better off with a manual.|||Whether is the tiptronic, switchtronic, steptronic...etc they are NOT manual transmissions. They are just features of an automatic transmission that allow you to select your own gear. But it is still an automatic transmission; so you will not get acceleration times or the other qualities of a stickshift car.





The only automatic system that IS like a manual transmission is BMW's SMG. You may read more about it in the link below.|||Tiptronic and Steptronic are about the same. You can not get a car with a manual transmission and have paddle shifters bc you would have a clutch with a paddle shifter. You can however get a bmw with a Steptronic Automatic and then you can shift gears by moving the lever side to side and then you get the paddle shifters.