Originally Posted by AshyLarryMP
Not every M3 is created equal. Some are born faster than others. They also have different mileages and wear to components like fuel injectors and tires. And one test is not a big enough sample size to draw a solid conclusion from.
A tenth of a second wouldn't really affect my decision either way. I mean, if the manual was proven to be faster I would still get the automatic.
+1 to keeping both hands on the steering wheel when I'm going fast through a turn.
This isn't a formal scientific study, so you'll never find any journal publications that review the same two cars multiple times. Therefore, these kinds of reviews is the only published comparison that we can refer to.
I would have to disagree about your M3 production statement. I would hope that manufacturing standards for M cars would be at a standard high enough to not allow significant outliers in production. Mileage, tire wear, and how the cars part wear down are all factors that are dependent on the driver , not the car (unless there are functional defects).
Lastly, you should never be downshifting mid corner. Shifting down should always occur before corner entry, so whether you're driving a manual transmission or DCT, you'll always have both hands on the wheel while corning.
The point of my post was to stress that DCT does not have a significant advantage over manual transmission in straight line performance. Those of us that feel that part of the joy of driving is taken away with the removal of a manual transmission will appreciate this.