I'm looking for some advice on the best way to drive a 335i with AT paddle shifters in tight turns. I'm going on my first autocross with the new car this weekend and would like to learn what others have found.
I just got past the break-in period on my July-build 335i (all-stock with AT, paddles, sport and premium package + engine strut brace) and finally had a chance to really drive it the past weekend. There's a nice isolated stretch of country road near my house with a series of several consecutive 90 degree turns in a left-right-left-right pattern each separated about 1/4 mile apart. It was a Sunday afternoon with no traffic anywhere. After I got the hang of it, the car drove beautifully
.
Here's what I learned after negotiating the turns a few times:
1. Driving in D or DS automatic mode was awkward. It often shifted at just the wrong time, causing me to be a gear away from where I really needed to be to negotiate the turn properly.
2. Using the paddles manually in DS mode worked brilliantly -- I think it worked even better than I would have done in a manual transmission. I seemed to get the best results downshifting at about 3,250 RPMs and upshifting arround 5,750.
3. DSC off + DTC on worked very well. It gave me enough wiggle room to power oversteer when needed while still keeping me comfortably away from the fences.
One relevant post I found was 'My 2nd track day' by CaptOz (see
http://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=84339). He found that: '...one push of the DTC...offers the best performance/safety margin for me. I placed my step into DS mode and used the paddles to hold gears as required. I loved it'.
Any other advice? Thanks.