Quote:
Originally Posted by surewin
 Truth
Some interesting thoughts from Car and Driver when the DCT was released:
But Is It (DCT) Quicker?
After scouring the test results for some useful conclusion, the answer is “not really.” The M DCT car hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, cleared the quarter-mile in 12.7 at 113 mph, and achieved 150 mph in 26 seconds flat. Compare that to the six-speed manual’s numbers of 4.3, 12.8 at 113, and 24.3, respectively. If you zoom in even closer and look at each 10-mph increment, the two cars trade off which is quicker until 120 mph, when the manual starts pulling away.
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The difference is DCT will bang out those quick consistent shifts all day long, lap after lap. The manual driver is still human, and will suffer from shift fatigue over time. In daily driving, it's a wash.
Clutched "automatics" have finally evolved to a point where performance is no longer a material dividing line, and the cost of the transmission is low enough that it's making its way into mainstream cars. These numbers really show that despite a fairly stubborn segment that insists on full manuals, the clutch pedal is on its way out. But the concept of a manual, with a clutch (albeit computerized) and the ability to select gears will continue to stick around.