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The dealership I am buying the car at let me borrow their DCT Z4 to get a little more acclimated. The sounds and auditory/sensory experience was much more involving than I had anticipated with that transmission.
Impressions:
DCT - Wicked fast and a lot of fun once you started to get the hang of it (timing is a fraction of second between manual mode and when auto kicks in to either upshift or down shift). I definitely experimented with the transmission to find what it's shift point was. The sound on the Z4 and the responsiveness with that transmission still blew me away even after it being my second time behind the wheel and it married to the 2.0T motor.
However, I noticed at times, I was fighting the transmission regarding timing so as to avoid it shifting for me, and when I did have the auto-shift kick in despite being in M mode, and I got pissed off (understand that the transmission is doing it to protect itself but it still bothered me). I also noticed that I was looking at the console more than I was ahead and that really bothered me since there is no inherent muscle memory regarding the paddles and what gear you are in.
All in all, I felt that it has the potential, but I missed total control. At times I felt like a rifleman who has only fired rifles and you are suddenly given a full machine gun. Yeh you can spray bullets, but to control it is a whole different story.
I also test drove the stick and it felt okay. Frankly, my trade in (2010 Z) felt snappier so far as the gates went. I loved the 6MT clutch. It took a little getting used too but was effortless once you got the hang of things. 2nd to 3rd was odd at times but nothing I could not get over and getting downshift was easier so far as rev-matching and so on.
And the big thing was 100% total control.
After driving the DCT car and getting back into my old car, my old car felt more "cumbersome" but once I got the feel back for it, I noticed I was more in tune with the manual transmission than I had been in the past.
It is a lease and I can turn it in, but again, I feel like I have the F22 or Spitfire dilemma. Do you go for what is technically superior and can nail everything around it? Or do you go for what is more fun despite it not being as quick (regardless if it is a .1 second difference). Yes I do drive in traffic and manual does not bother me at all from that standpoint. I also track and auto-cross so the times are what appeals to me. Not to mention you do get launch control.
I will have to make a decision tomorrow but thanks for letting me think outloud.
Frankly, I am still on the fence and despite all the help, I am still unsure of whether I should take the chance on the "F22 technology" or stick to what I know that allows me full control.
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