Andy

Remember, this is a drivers car. If you are driving around in the narrow, twisting roads in the Alps and want to have fun, downshifting to 1st is nothing unusual at all

BobPa

The first gear synchronizer is extremely poor on these cars. Double clutching won't help either. The only way to pull off a first gear downshift while rolling is to match revs. The problem is, a simple throttle blip is not enough with this car, due to the wonderful e-throttle which doesn't seem to readily respond to light taps of the throttle in neutral (perhaps the computer thinks "This moron can't be serious, where not even in gear!"). One solution is to seriously goose the throttle to get the revs to rise (with the clutch depressed of course), then let go of the throttle and simultaneously lightly push (don't force it) the shifter into first gear as the revs are dropping. When the revs cross the point where they roughly match the appropriate engine speed for first gear (obviously, you must overshoot this RPM when you stabbed the throttle to pass it on the way down) the resistance you feel trying to select first gear will magically disappear. It will take a little practice, but once you get it, first gear downshifts will no longer be a source of embarrassment.

Warren Wang

Go talk to the M3 guys. It's a common mistake to stuff their cars into 1st while going, say, 60mph or so, while they're trying to grab 3rd coming out of a corner. The synchros on that car work very well... I hear part of the problem is that the tranny on the E36 M3 shifts while loaded up in a turn, so the gates don't line up quite right...

I think it's a mostly PEBKAC (hi User Friendly fans) issue though...

Warren