click above image to view more pics of the 2008 BMW M3BMW dealers in Europe have received the officially official specs of the new M3 only to discover that the car with be offered with a new seven-speed double-clutch gearbox, much like the DSG trannies used by VW/Audi. Dubbed the M DCT (M Dual Clutch Transmission), the cog swapper is expected to speed up shifts and shave a couple of tenths off the car's 0-60 time, which should put it squarely in the 4.5-second range, if not quicker. The system, developed and produced by Getrag, will likely be better received than BMW's maligned SMG trannies and eventually replace those systems in the 3-Series and 5-Series lineups. The M DCT will be controlled with the requisite paddle shifters on the steering wheel and an odd little joystick control on the center console like the one in the M5 and M6.
[Source: Autocar]
