a3 on the way to NA

[Brett Dikeman]

At 11:39 AM -0400 8/31/04, Louis-Alain_Richard at computerhorizons.com wrote:

>Regarding this DSG, I have mixed feelings. I was expecting lightning fast
>gear changes "à la" F1. Sorry, the feeling is very close to a normal
>torque-converter auto trans. So this is very deceiveing.

The gear changes are faster than Ferrari's F1 gearbox, and it has no 
torque converter.

Every single reviewer I've watched or read who has driven the car has 
commented on the shifts- mainly that they're so immediate, it's like 
they never happened; you push the button, you're in the other gear 
before your finger is letting go of the button.

   Everyone I have talked to who has driven the DSG has loved it. 
Every person I've talked to who has driven BMW's SMG HATED it.  With 
a passion.  Like the Post Bangle 7-series, even die hard BMW fans 
will tell you it's garbage.

Oh, and the best part?  The DSG has a launch mode 'easter egg', and 
unlike the M3, you can use it as many times as you please.  Part of 
me suspects that VW/Audi want to see if anyone actually manages to 
break it, and how it breaks.

Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson, who has thus far hated virtually every 
"flappy pedal gearbox" he's driven (BMW, Ferrari, Aston Martin, and a 
whole slew of others not worth mentioning) - loved DSG.  He 
purposefully tried to fake out the preselect system by doing oddball 
things on their test track- and couldn't.

Rumor has it Ferrari and others- are eyeing the DSG for their 
roadcars several years down the road.

I don't understand Matt's fuss about redline, especially since (as 
you said) it is conditional.

Brett
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