The eight-speed Tiptronic transmission slips through the gears seamlessly, with the center console-mounted gearshift providing sequential manual access to each cog.
There's an automatic mode to BMW's SMG, and it happens to be a very pleasing system, with adjustable shift speed so you can dial in how smoothly gears change.
Instead of stepped gears like a conventional transmission, it has a fixed planetary gear, and changes engine speed by adjusting the generator electric load.