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I test drove an E92 M3 DCT yesterday. My first experience with DCT. I've been driving manuals most of my life, my recently sold 135i was a manual and I have a 335i sedan with the steptronic. I've always said I hated driving autos and steptronic wasn't fun at all for me. I've heard great things about DCT, but really didn't think it could sway me from the enjoyment of driving a manual.
Well after the test drive yesterday, I've come to some pretty expected conclusions. Shifting is FAST. If you are picking the transmission that allows you to drive as fast as possible, go with DCT. On the other hand, it absolutely does not replace the driving enjoyment of a manual. It still feels like the car is doing everything for you (obviously), and it has the same feeling as driving a steptronic (only with practically no delay when shifting). As someone who loves double-clutching/rev-matching downshifts and practicing my heel-toe technique, DCT just doesn't do it for me. I guess I just prefer driver involvement over being the fastest car, especially if it's a daily driver. I can totally see serious track rats opting for DCT as it is very fast.
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