Performance rear-end w/6speed

[flashinthepan]

Old topic, but very curious -

It seems if you have a 6-speed, you could easily slip a performance geared rear end ratio into your 330's ???

I seldom even use 6th gear & when I do use it, I can go to immensly high speeds easily & quietly.

Wouldnt this help in the scenario of swapping to a lower rear end ratio (higher number) ??? To me it would seem BMW would naturally do this with 6 speeds?? I wouldnt be winding out nearly as much since I have an extra gear ??

Has anyone else pondered this with the 6-speed manual ???

or maybe I have lost my mind ???

[???1]

Perhaps the performance increase is minimal ?

 

[membim]

I agree. BMW should have put a 3.46 ratio gear in the 6 speed cars. That would have made the car that much more fun to drive and give some purpose to the sixth gear. That ratio would probably hurt gas milage in stop/go driving as well as interstate.

 

[MrElussive]

Usually, the 6th gear is a very boring gear. It is just for chilled, highway driving, for getting good gas mileage. I really like it, personally...I use it as much as I can just because 6th gear is so cool.

 

[flashinthepan]

Usually, the 6th gear is a very boring gear. It is just for chilled, highway driving, for getting good gas mileage. I really like it, personally...I use it as much as I can just because 6th gear is so cool.

MrE-

What is your Rearend ratio on the G35 ?

I just think the 330's w/6-speeds could be better 0-60 cars with a lower (higher numerically) rearend ratio. But then again maybe BMW tested this out and found the performance increase minimal ?