[beafraid]

A6 slush box was Tiptronic, like the SQ5, and had a sport mode which delayed up changes to keep the engine in the usable torque range for longer and improve response but still not a patch on the manual.
I am bemused by the popularity of auto boxes in the UK now and find it interesting that in the US, land of the corner less freeway and almost universal auto box fitment, BMW offers a manual M5 super saloon due to customer demand which UK/Europe does not get. Sell quite a few of them according to one Florida dealership I have been to. Audi no longer offer a manual RS4 in the UK despite a significant proportion of the buyers of the previous model specifying manual transmission.
I have heard stories about management of torque by gearbox internals/clutch being an issue with manual box but R8 can be specified with manual as can Chevrolet's Corvette in the US.

See I was a big 'manual man' - then I drive BMW's 7 speed DCT (135i). It was AWESOME! Never missed having the stick with that car for 11 months...

Then I went back to a manual (Toyota MR2), and realised I had missed it a little bit, but the DCT was so good it didn't matter.

Then I went slush box (SQ5), now given pre-135i I would have NEVER entertained the idea of a slush box this choice at least says some modern autos are MUCH better than old, the 8 speed ZF, with the right programming is a peach - Audi got it really right in all the guises I've driven it in (SQ5, A6 Bi-Turbo, RS6). In the BMW X5/6 it's AWEFUL though, and it's the exact same box, just with BMW programming! And the Merc 7 speed slush box is even worse - so there are still ones to be avoided.

Then I went back to the manual MR2, and REALLY enjoyed having stick back, which showed the Audi programmed 8ZF while probably one of the best slushes, is not as good as a DCT/STronic.

I am now 6 days away from my Audi S1 (which BTW is 6spd manual only!), and I'm really looking forward to it, however, the Mrs Octavia vRS DSG is also coming in 6 days and I will exclusively take that on long runs based on the gearbox...

All in all, I will happily take any of a manual/DSG/Slush in the future, but a slush will have to be a damn good one, and I will only have a manual if there is a DSG/good slush on the drive for long haul...

 

[beafraid]

S1 sport back, Vegas yellow with black contrast roof/black pack - all the options, literally every one.
vRS Estate TDI DSG in Rallye Green with black pack, again all the options, except the pano roof.

Reason I say long journeys is I never sit in traffic locally (perks of living in Dorset), so the DSG is great for just getting in and going to your destination within thinking too hard, and my destinations tend to be a city (usually London/Manc/Notts) where I will be in traffic and so hence DSG as you say is nicer on the knees there. The vRS has temporarily had ACC removed as an option in the UK due to parts shortage which is the one thing I will miss big time as I used it regularly on the SQ5 for the long runs, makes a WORLD of difference to tiredness and fatigue.

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[beafraid]

I heel/toe or at the very least rev match while off the brake on every down shift in my MR2 out of habit now. It became a skill I had to learn very fast on my first track day in it, as it was raining and locking up the rears heading into the bus stop chicane was not a pleasant experience!!

Colour choice was odd actually, I had gone from the understated white SQ5 and wanted something a little more stand out, however certainly wasn't planning the bumblebee look - just an actual colour, but once I saw the marketing shots it had to be done! I am going to have to behave myself as it wouldn't be hard to remember/find me!
The Wife is by no means a car head like me, I spec'd her car on the basis we would be sharing our new ones. Originally she wanted white, but I said no as she forced me to have white on the SQ (only thing she chose on it!), the green in the brochure had us both saying 'who would choose that!', but went for a test drive and it happened to be that colour, she fell in love with it and so the deed was done!
She actually commented that she's not sure she wants to be seen in the outlandish bumblebee yesterday, I gently reminded her of the Skoda colour choice and that ended that conversation!

We are way of topic now! Sorry to the OP!

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