Smg

[solo88]

Hi all I've been thinking about buying myself an M3 2005 right before next year. I just had a question about the SMG. Can someone describe how to use that? How do you downshift? what if you brake really hard how will you guess within a second where to shift? How does the SMG paddles behind the steering wheel work? How does the one in between the seats work?

On a seperate issue, I'm a musician and I earn all of my money under the table. I'm not sure if any of you have this experience but I plan on reporting my earnings this year *just started the job* so as to not look like my downpayment came out of my ass. Anyway, if I give a bigger downpayment, will I be more likely to get the car? Or, if I don't have a job where I can "prove" with checks what I earn will they not let me have the car? For an M3 I'm willing to give up about 25-30 grand downpayment and I'm not sure if that is enough for the dealer to say *oh sure we'll finance you if you give that much of a percentage down*. Either way, I sure don't want the IRS on my ass for buying an M3. I WILL report what I earn and pay taxes, so I wonder if they'll still get on my ass since I don't get paid with checks but simply cash money. This one has been buggin me for a while and any help would be great. Thanks for all the help

 

[slats]

I don't own an SMG but just look at the pictures on the bmw website and its pretty much self explanatory. Tap it one way to upshit, tap it the other to downshift and you can also use the wheel paddles. I think it downshifts for you when you brake.

 

[ariper79]

No guess work involved, the smg does all the thinking. You cannot downshift and over-rev the engine in an smg, it just won't downshift if that's gonna happen. At least that's supposed to happen, forgive me if someone has had a problem with that.

 

[R3LzX]

I own a M3 with a six speed.. i personally (this is my opinion) think that the SMG is a waste of money.. There is and probably wont be for a long time no alternative to a standard transmission, number one reason is of course performance.. second reason is longevity..

dont bother with the SMG if you are good witha standard.. you can speed shift and accelerate so much better and on demand with it..


With regards to your earnings situation.. I would simply establish credit.. here is a way to do it without spending any money at all

first step.. open up a credit card and try to get as decent a line of credit as you can

second have your girlfriend set up an auction on ebay and place a plain old abstract painting as the itme for sale.

third use the credit card to buy the painting from your girlfriend

get the money from her, and pay off the balance with your own money..

do this about ten or twenty times for a period of about a year if you can.. use different items and have her set up different accounts if you can.. using different people is good too..

i did this when i did not have any credit and now ahve a credit score that is well over 700

do not claim over 30k to the irs if you can get away with it.. if you are getting paid under the table then keep it that way... Claim as little as possible.. I am paying out the ass cause i make good money selling cisco Equipment.. I get 1099ed at the end of the year and have to pay like there is no tommorow.. you dont want that.. at all..

pay them something.. but nowhere near everything...hope this helps

 

[solo88]

Ahh thanks for the advice. I do have a credit card actually....2 of them that I've had for I'd say about 3 years now. I've always made my payments and keep using those cards and paying them. That's a good idea I should ask my girl to sell some kind of fake picasso or something. I had no idea that a credit card was enough to get good credit and have enough buying power for an M3 for example. The only thing is that I wouldn't want the IRS after me for such a large down payment. I heard stories *which I can't really believe completely* that if you pay for an expensive car cash the dealer will begin to interrogate you as to where you obtained that money. Is that true? That would suck if it was haha. Does anybody else have experience with a situation like this? Thanks for the input.

 

[R3LzX]

The limit is usuallt 10k after that is where it gets ugly. if you buy used, from a private party however.. then you are good to go...

 

[solo88]

so after 10K is more dangerous to give as a down payment? See that's what's really shitty to live with. I wonder if there's anything else I would be able to do.

 

[donmbmw]

All cash transactions of 10k or more MUST be reported to the IRS on a special form. This law was passed during the drug war days because of all the cash drug dealers have to spend.

 

[solo88]

that's pretty much my problem. I'm just a musician. So on this special form, can I just put down that I earned it this way? I'm sure if the law was passed for drug dealers, they might want to investigate me. The M3 is awesome, but now I'm not sure if it's worth all the trouble. If anyone has been through something similar or has any suggestions I'd like to hear. thanks

 

[quattrosnow]

Question

What does an new M3 SMG costs in the States? Here in Europe you have a new one for 60650 euro, an second hand from 2002 : 35000 euro.