[davewf]

F11 2011 520d with sport auto. No VDC

If I push the gear selector to the left the car displays S and the gear Number. Car changes automatically unless I push it forwards or back into manual

Now leaving the car in normal D I change from comfort to sport by pressing the button alongside the gear selector the car just displays sport with no gear number.

So question is what is the difference? Apart from the gear number. Both change the gear change point, and I think the switch mode may be altering the throttle response.

Owners manual no use.

[AP]

shifting the gear lever over to D/S puts the gearbox into sport manual. As you say you can manually shift gears or the car will do so for you so you don't exceed limits.
If you put the car info sport mode, the throttle response changes , you will notice you only have to lightly touch the accelerator and it has a much more exaggerated feel to it. The steering should also feel a little heavier although I only notice it at higher speeds. You will also find the gearbox if left to it own devices prefers to stay a high revs unlike comfort where it stays at the lower revs.
you can mix and match, sometimes what I like to do is drive in sport mode with the gear lever in D/S and manually control the gears. That way you get full control, and heavier steering and lower revs if that's what you want.

All these settings are quite confusing and I decided to post a matrix not long a ago, see here
http://f10.5post.com/forums/showthre...ghlight=matrix
Those people with active suspensions systems, it gets even more complicated.

I also find if you want a quick burst of acceleration, to save looking down to find the driver mode switch, its easy to just put the gearbox into D/S. Can do that without taking my eyes off the road.