[AR1978]

Just bought a CPO BMW M340i and I was just wondering if the people on this forum that more knowledgeable than myself about BMWs use Sport mode or Sport Plus?

I'm trying out both and Sport Plus seems to keep the RPMs a bit higher to get a faster throttle response. Also does Sport Plus affect fuel economy?

[GRB60]

For me, Sport Plus is only for track or backroad "play" time. It's great, but for daily driving in traffic of any kind, too aggressive- and yes, it will affect fuel mileage.

[tturedraider]

There’s a lot of discussion about this and a lot of claims. Most of these claims prove to me the placebo effect is strong.

Here is a FACT. In the F30 the ONLY difference between sport and sport plus is that plus engages Dynamic Traction Control, just as if you pushed the DTC button. Dynamic Traction Control actually reduces traction control intervention. It allows a limited amount of wheel slip. Sport plus has no extra effect on the transmission or anything else.

There are many, many claims that it does more in the G20. I have never seen any technical information from BMW that indicates this is the case. If it is true, as far as I can uncover, BMW has never put out any information to advertise or publicize that. Here is an article from a well known BMW aftermarket brand that supports my belief that sport plus in the G20 is the same as in the F30. https://www.bimmer-tech.net/blog/ite...mode-explained

If anyone has any technical information or advertising from BMW that says sport plus does more in the G20 than it did in the F30 I hope they will post it here.

[G30M]

i've done a lot of testing in my car - 10,000kms of open road driving and 1000kms city driving

sport plus has a slightly more aggressive throttle response map

ie if you are going up hill, hold the gas pedal in same position, sport will give less power and sport plus will give more rpm & power to climb the hill - just a pedal calibration difference (it's the COMPLETE OPPOSITE in my M550i !!!)

[G30M]

sport keeps the rpm around 1600-1900 when cruising and will select a gear in that range

sport plus keeps the rpm above 2000rpm (2000-3000rpm) and will select a gear in that range

[G30M]

sport has a greater torque converter lockup ness (ie the car is more jerky when you lift off throttle, when you engage gear and accelerate) than comfort

sport plus has a higher torque converter lockup force and the car behaves more like manual / DCT

[G30M]

fuel economy seems to be around 5-10% if you drive the same way

[G30M]

sport plus also allows you to lose traction more than sport will, but there is not much in that department, i did some tests in the wet.

to properly lose traction but still be in control you engage DTC

[G30M]

the best way to have sport plus gearing but not be jerky i use comfort mode and the flick the stick to sport, but the throttle response is not as aggressive as putting it in sport and pushing the stick to sport mode

i find that comfort mode and sport plus gearing gives me almost the same economy when driving on windy roads but not wanting to be a boy racer

[zazzau]

Yeah to add to the other post this subject has been beaten out the park on the forum. Just search around; lots of good info.

What I can add is that Sports Plus is great at downshifting but if you’re just cruising it is terrible at upshifting — staying at lower gear much longer than it needs to. So yeah this isn’t a mode for daily.

On the other hand, Sport mode upshifts really well but does not downshift as aggressively — especially when you need that quick response.

Welcome to Sport Individual: I set everything to Sports Plus except the gearbox which I set to Sport. When I need to have fun I put the car in Sport Indiviual with the gear lever to the left (S mode.) It makes the gearbox more proactive and predictable and then when I’m cruising I move the gearbox back to normal (D). Works really well.

Congrats on the car!

[madpistol]

I think Sport and Sport+ are the same on suspension (if you have adaptive).

The differences are shift logic and engine response are a lot more aggressive on Sport+. It keeps the revs higher, and makes the car feel like it's ready to jump off at any time. Sport is still very fast, but it's a bit easier to drive normally.

G20 (or in my case G26) is much different from F30. DTC is a separate setting that you have to engage independent of Sport(+) mode. If you go to "Sport Individual", you will see that there are "Sport" and "Sport Plus" settings for both engine and transmission. These are changed depending on which setting you're in, and they do make a difference. For one, at least on my M440i GC, Sport+ transmission is a lot more aggressive in its shift logic. You can actually feel the power cut and slam between gears. It makes the car feel super aggressive. Sport mode is much less aggressive.

If I'm on a twisty road or chasing, Sport+ all the way. If I'm just driving and want to have some fun, Sport is easier to live with.

And yes, Sport+ will give you worse fuel economy.

[RCtennis3811]

In our G20 330i with coded Sport+, there’s far more pops and burbles outside the vehicle. I can confirm that with videos and 3+ years now of having that car.

Same thing with the G20 M340i - it’s more aggressive when driving, it’s louder, and there’s a bigger hit to fuel economy when driving.

Saying that there’s no difference between Sport and Sport+ other than changing DTC dynamics is false.

[tyranniux]

It's probably fairly easy to discern whether there is a difference to specific aspects of the vehicle by looking up what the options are in sport individual.

I believe, from recollection only, that the engine (presumably throttle mapping but perhaps other things too) has a sport and a sport plus setting, likewise with the transmission. The suspension only has comfort or sport.

Thus I would expect that both the engine and transmission are more aggressive in sport plus vs sport alone.

Not forgetting that flicking the shifter left when in sport plus is active also gives additional aggressiveness, albeit probably only in holding gears longer, this really is overkill for pootling about on public roads though

[tturedraider]

Why don’t one of you guys shoot some photos of the actual screens from your iDrive and the choices that are offered?


Here’s the owner’s manual.

[RCtennis3811]

See: not placebo effect.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by RCtennis3811

See: not placebo effect.

Can you post photos showing the settings changed to sport plus? According to the owner’s manual Sport Individual only applies to the sport setting.

[RCtennis3811]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Can you post photos showing the settings changed to sport plus? According to the owner’s manual Sport Individual only applies to the sport setting.

What do you mean? You can see there that I can choose Sport+ for 2 different settings in Sport Individual. Selecting the pre-programmed Sport+ puts both engine and trans in Sport+ with dampers and steering in Sport.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by RCtennis3811

What do you mean? You can see there that I can choose Sport+ for 2 different settings in Sport Individual. Selecting the pre-programmed Sport+ puts both engine and trans in Sport+ with dampers and steering in Sport.

Everything I see says Sport. Both photos you posted have the “radio button” in Sport, not Sport Plus.

[EXE46]

Originally Posted by tturedraider

Can you post photos showing the settings changed to sport plus? According to the owner’s manual Sport Individual only applies to the sport setting.

False! refer to the screen shots provided herein. My sport individual is set for Sport plus in drivetrain and transmission. I don't even drive in Sport, I remember one time I hit individual and noticed something was off and it was because the settings for tranny and drivetrain was change to Sport and not sport plus.

Sport plus is a completely different beast. The car wants to lurch forward if you try to drive it slow. Was approaching a roundabout in a shopping plaza yesterday in SI and the car stars to buck since I was crawling at that point.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by EXE46

False! refer to the screen shots provided herein. My sport individual is set for Sport plus in drivetrain and transmission. I don't even drive in Sport, I remember one time I hit individual and noticed something was off and it was because the settings for tranny and drivetrain was change to Sport and not sport plus.

Sport plus is a completely different beast. The car wants to lurch forward if you try to drive it slow. Was approaching a roundabout in a shopping plaza yesterday in SI and the car stars to buck since I was crawling at that point.

Post your photos from your iDrive screen!! The photos posted CLEARLY show the radio buttons set to Sport. And each category shows Sport also.

The screen shot I posted is straight out of the manual.

[EXE46]

Cannot at the moment , will do tomorrow if i remember. Someone here who is with their car now should post the pictures.

[tturedraider]

Originally Posted by EXE46

Cannot at the moment , will do tomorrow if i remember. Someone here who is with their car now should post the pictures.

Agreed