When did BMW's get sports mode?

I presume you mean 318.

Several models have been available with a "Sport" version and a "sport" [manual] gearbox was an option on some top end cars as long ago as the

80's*. Auto boxes had various modes from at least the early 90's (my '93 740i had Economy (normal), sport and winter modes selected by a momentary slide switch next to the selector). Step/Tiptronic has been available (often as an expensive option) since the late 90's. More recent cars (and posh Merc's etc.) have had the ability to vary suspension / damper settings, the degree (if any) of DSC / ASC), gearbox, throttle response and even max power (M5).

More base models, such as the 318i, often omit these more esoteric features.

• on the sport version the dampers / springs / ride height / wheels etc. would be permanent; the sport's box had a different gate, narrower ratios and a lower top gear than the regular model.

381?

Sports Mode, like a button or something? They never put a button in the 3 Series cars, but there was (is) a Sports Package that gives stiffer springs, an upgraded wheel package and better seats.

The really big question in my mind is that you ask when a feature started, but go on to point out that your current model car is not equipped with it. Under this circumstance, it seems to me that the question would be when they took the feature out.

Sorry about the wrong number. I get confused by all these numbers.

I assume my cousin's 3 Wagon is a Sports version because it has a sports grill. But no button for Sports Mode (or Sports + or Econo) though mine does.

I wonder if that was an option on some sports wagons but not others?

You guys are talking about two different things.

First of all, the "sports" packages offer a bunch of things that may improve handling and performance.

Secondly, the "efficient dynamics" system gives you that "Sports/Econo" switch that goes into the engine control system and affects the engine operation. For the most part, if you don't have the "efficient dynamics" stuff, the software in the engine controller assumes you want performance rather than economy. That switch allows you to change between two modes of the engine controller with different behaviours tailored for different applications and allows BMW to advertise good EPA mileage numbers while still making zippy cars.

It's all a bunch of crap. Get an old Bavaria with crank-up windows and a carb and go for a drive.

--scott

That's right. I was wondering why my cousin's "sports" package did not include the "Sports/Econo switch" or even the"Sports" switch which BMW must have had before they invented econo mode.

I understand your sentiments exactly but nowadays, new cars come with wonderful info systems for playing music and other technological gems that make driving much more fun.

The "sports" package may even remove the switch, and it may instead include firmware that is "sporty" all the time.

Stop it with the music and pay attention to the road! If you have enough attention available to listen to music you're probably not driving fast enough.

--scott

And don't even get me started about people wanting cup holders ...

Nope, my wife bought a 2014 Sports and it comes with the sports mode switch

Do you go on long road trips? We have a lovely four hour one to visit an aunt, and it involves 90 minutes of freeway before it turns into a curvy lovely highway. There is often traffic preventing unnatural speeding. With her old Acura RSX I actually got caught doing 139 kph in an 80 kph stretch and the cops said at 140, they would have impounded the car

For you Americans, that would be like doing 87 mph in an a 50 mph zone

I would say that a person who drives distances and doesn't listen to music is someone who doesn't love music.

My cousin's 2010 wagon has this interesting cup holder that pops out of the glove compartment. It's a bit awkward, especially when you're trying to use the glove compartment.

My wife's 2014 has more traditional cup holders.

I have to drink a lot of water for health reasons. Shouldn't a car have a cup holder for water drinkers?

In a 6-pot, the music is the engine.

David

If you have to drink a lot of water, then why not just drink a quart every time you stop for a piss? There's no need for any cup holders if you do that.

:-)

You mean like the lovely hired [i6] E30 320i I got to drive in Denmark back in the 80's. It ws a great drive, although if it started raining I would want to go out in my more modern 735i instead...

I was never a big fan of industrial rock

Sport and Economy on the shift lever is a button that changes the transmission behavior. In Economy, the default mode, causes the transmission to shift in a way that delivers optimum fuel economy -- the upshifts come earlier and the downshifts from stomping on the gas take longer to be invoked. Selecting the sport mode causes the current gear to remain longer before the next gear is selected, and downshifts come easier. This gives more power at the expense of using more gas. If the car is turned off while the sport mode is selected, it will be in the economy mode upon the subsequent restart.

You are mixing your apples and oranges. The sport grill (I'm not sure what that is) is part of the sport package. Among other things, the sport package includes some aerodynamic stuff, a different steering wheel, a tire package, stiffer springs, and seats with thigh support and side bolsters. The sport/economy button is standard.

Cars with the selectronic, or whatever they call it, may not have the sport mode button because there is a manual shift mode that the driver invokes by moving the gear selector to the side. No sport button, but still a sport mode, and a means of selecting the gear changes manually.

That's what my cousin has, selectronic but no sports mode button.

My wife's car has selectronic, paddles, and a sports mode button

It could be argued that a simple "sport" transmission mode accomplishes most of what modern cars call a "sport mode", although the active suspensions obviously take it a step further.

As for music, I thought cars have had that for decades. I don't need my car to connect to the Internet, though.

Cupholders are a nice thing to have, though, even if only for occasional use.

I think they really call it steptronic, but whatever.

You can put the gear selector in D and you have the economy mode, and you can move the lever to the side and you get the sport mode. In the sport mode position, you can move the gear selector fore and aft to invoke manual gear changes.

All modern cars have a variant of the sports/economy button that changes the shift points of the transmission. This is true on cars that only have a D choice. If your car has gear selector positions that are labelled as P R N D, then there will be a sports/economy button. If the choices are P R N D 2

1, or similar, then there will be a button that disables OD (overdrive), otherwise the driver simply moves the gear selector to the desired position -- there is no need to have multiple programs that are button-selectable because the driver can invoke his own program by moving the selector among the available positions.

Auto makers are smart enough to realize that while 99% of the products they sell will never be operated outside of the economy mode, there is a group of consumers that will want to have a more aggressive shift program. Even when there are drivers that want the more aggressive shifting program, they don't want it all of the time.

Econo Mode is not just about the transmission. The fan and the air conditioning are also affected.