In Top Gear Christmas special James had the Z3 1.9L auto....with a blown HG. He complained about the trans always searching for a gear. I think the engine problems had a lot to do with it. I've found the auto to be very well programmed in the ti.

Trust me, I miss my 5 speed. But with bad knees and gout...The manual sucks for a 150 mile a day commute. I've got 2 auto cars and 2 manuals...One of the autos was my dedicated track car, I cringe to think how many 5 speeds and clutches that car would have gone through while I was autocrossing it.