You are quite welcome. If memory serves, the 16 valve model has 4.1 for the automatic and 3.73 for the stick. I jacked up my 16 valver stick and counted revs and got close to 3.7.

Ya think it would be easy to find this kind of info wouldn't you. Ah well.

I suppose, in the end, you are free to use what works for you and the type of driving you do. If I had a 4.1 in my car, it would be snappier off the mark (it is a bit slow at that end), but revs at cruise sppeds would be higher and it is buzzy enough as it is. I can run under 3000 rpm at cruise with the 3.73 but would be over 3000 rpm with the 4.1. That makes a big difference on a long run. The auto box AW72 for the 16 valver has a higher top gear (.73 vs .79 for the M46) which brings the top gear revs to be almost the same for auto vs stick.

For me, mid range performance is more important (one second loss at the stop light won't change my life!). With the stick shift, I could pick one gear up or down as needed to do a mid range pass. So 3.73 or 4.1 would not likely matter there either. So it comes down to noise and gas economy at the top end. So I prefer the taller rear end, personally.

Bill