again i think it's in the design. with the isf if you put in a 6 speed i am not surprised it will be slower, but i still stand by my point though that more gears are not necessary for a car to be faster. i most definitely don't think the m3 is faster than the isf at high speed, but if m3 is only a little bit slower than the isf at high speed pick up (if that's true) with 6 gears vs 8, then i say the benefit is marginal.

in the m3 if i shift right at the redline to the next gear, it will right be around 4rpm and the power is fully there to continue to pull, i don't feel the need to "wait" for the power to come back up. of course if i shift early and keep the rpm around 2k then it's another story. but that's about how the car is designed and driven. i don't doubt the c63 and isf are "easier" car to drive in normal condition, but given how the m cars have been designed traditionally, more gears might help on the m with that high rev redline.

with that said, if they go with tt v8 for the next m5, the characteristic will be a lot different (more low end tq and probably not as high rev). in that case then gearing might play a different role

 

I have driven the M6 and although its fast it doesnt feel like it has 500hp because of the insane weight. It was a thrill to drive and it made an awesome noise but it just didnt blow me away. I expected brutal acceleration

 

Have you driven the 2010 550i GT hatchback/wagon, with its twin-turbo V8, 450 ft-lbs. of torque, and 8-speed automatic? (see my recent review, in early December) Yes, it also is heavy, but, even so, trust me......it will DEFINITELY get out of its own way

It's doubtful, though, whether this car will be as fast as the new M5.

 

a lot of people when they drive the m3/m5/m6, they don't "feel" the car as fast. that's because of the engine tq/rev design. unlike most other engines, the tq is very gradual, and it doesn't have the "push" to the seat feel that people use to determine how quick a car is. but fact is, these m cars they pulls and accelerate very fast. i also experienced the same when i first drove the e46 m3, e39 m5, and my m3. but as soon as i get used to them and notice how i constantly find myself driving at 90+ (sigh...), i figure the difference

 

As promised, here is a vid of the upcoming M5 on the Ring. At 3:38, there is some rocking going on the incline. Manual tranny perhaps?

Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4vFD...layer_embedded