You are correct with a Tip you do not have to let up on the throttle thus keeping boots up. However normal drivers like us, even those with a few years of track experiance can not shift a manual as fast and perfect as a pro...thus around a track the Tip car shifted in manual mode will be faster normally.

 

It's actually down to two factors. PTM which actively aportions drive to the appropriate wheels, and torque braking. The Tip doesn't shift any faster - sorry, but the DME knows you're going for a "launch" and ensures an optimum torque split between front and rear when you side-step the brake.

PDK maybe faster, but so what? Will you derive more pleasure from it? Doubtful.

 

I have what must be a constitutional deficiency. In all my years of driving automatics I have never been able to get myself to run the engine up against the brake. Just seems wrong. With a turbo car the advantage is obviously huge, but I will take the manual trannie just the same.