[94bird]

I drove an Audi TT with a DCT (dual clutch transmission). Basically, it's a paddle wheel shifter on the steering wheel, but this thing was amazing. We've been working on a DCT for future applications and driving this car was a revelation about how good things can be with such a system.

A friend and I drove the car for a few minutes before it had to be returned to Borg Warner.

2 paddles. Left one downshifts and right one upshifts. An automatic type shift lever was on the center console. If you put the lever in the S (sport) position, the paddles controlled the shifting. Downshifting entering a corner was SMOOTH and quick. Upshifting was also very quick, but a little more line pressure would have made them a bit firmer. There was obviously an electronic throttle since when it downshifted and blipped the engine rpm you didn't feel a thing in the accelerator pedal. The shifts were not clunky or obtrusive like they are in Ferraris with paddlewheel shifters. Audi's system is MUCH more refined.

No clutch pedal was present in the car and I didn't miss it at all.

I can't say enough about how fun this car was. Heck, I was downshifting and upshifting just for the fun of it to see the engine rpm rise and fall with just the flip of a switch. In S mode the engine would stay in a gear for a period of time (at least 10 seconds) even when you had light throttle application, such as a steady state corner where you wanted to hold a lower gear to be ready for corner exit.

No more missed gears or overrevs, faster shifts, left foot braking, think what that would mean over a few laps on a road course. How about over a 12 hour race? This whole weekend when I thought about my drive in the car all I could do was smile.

Now, what would this be like with a RWD car and about 800 HP? Hmm, we shall see . . .