[newmoon]

Originally Posted by torqueaddict

My point was, that someone who's a purist doesn't care if an auto (dual-clutch or not) is faster or shifts quicker. You're looking at it from purely a performance perspective, but that's only a small part of it.

You are willing to go with one or the other based on that performance aspect first and foremost. So I would not consider you a manual purist.

I'm not disagreeing with you at all about the autos. They are quicker most of the times, but their performance cannot make up for their lack of engagement compared to a manual.

I am familiar with the dual clutch trannies and how responsive they are. A friend of mine owns a modified Audi S4. The thing is a bullet and yes, the shifts are instantaneous up and down. Still, I'd rather have a manual clutch.

I think the Porsche GT3 is the best example of this. The PDK tranny is quicker, but the purists wanted the manual, so Porsche built it.

This! The obsession with lap times and quarter mile times fuels the push towards automatic versions. While autos shine in regards to the stopwatch they lack in the driver engagement and pure fun of actually driving the car.

Nothing wrong with either automatics or manuals, whichever car best fits your needs. For myself there is no right or wrong answer in the manual vs auto debate, it depends on the car.