zed,
coming from GT3 to RS4 is not easy (shifting that is). u need more time. i experienced the same when i had mine & i couldn't deal with it. now i'm from RS to R8 is better since i have more seat time. time is ur best friend on this. all i can say is Porsche got the best manual/shifting combo (especially GT cars). BMW second. audi comes in 3rd. glad u haven't driven Mercedes manual, yet.

 

In order to get it smooth, I just curl my toe and leave the slightest pressure on the throttle when shifting and it literally makes it ten times smoother if you do it right... practice practice practice.

 

get a snub mount

 

I believe the snub mount won't work for our cars. ONLY for the S4.

I notice that with the rs4, when shifting, the rpm pin wants to hover a little before dropping down. In conclusion, shift at desired rpm and wait for a second or two before hitting the gas pedal. Give it a shot. It worked for me.

 

I have the same issue in my TT - 6spd.

I realized that riding the clutch a bit longer makes smooth shifting much easier, although I feel like its not good to do. I dont know much, its my first car thats stick so...

 

The harder drive my car the smoother it drives. I have experienced the cut out between 1st and 2ndbut I now drive with the traction and esp off all of the time. Has anyone noticed better or worse shifts with a short shifter??

 

Yeah...on my old B5 A4 and my current B5 S4, I had a hard time adjusting to the clutch engagement. Coming from my little JDM car that had a really low engagement, it took awhile for me to drive it smoothly, but I finally got it down over time. It was even worse when I had the clunky stock shifter with long throws! Once in awhile when switching from my JDM to the Audi, it'll take me a couple shifts to relearn again. Just be patient.
Shiet...have you guys driven a WRX? Now that car, no matter how deliberate I am with the clutch pedal, I can't drive those cars smoothly at all. The clutch engagement is too damn high. Makes my Audi seem real easy to me.

 

I've had similar lack of smooth shifting experiences with my '08 RS4 - only occasionally though...

 

I solved the jerky shift between first and second gears, but I have another issue. I usually shift into the next gear at about 3,000-3,500 RPM under normal daily driving conditions. After one year, the engine light came on. The car had carbon on the valves. Had to pull the manifold and clean all valves. Changed all fuel injectors. When do you shift?

 

I'm about the same with mine...no CEL's yet though (and hopefully none coming).

 

Practice makes perfect!

I also had the 1st to 2nd jerk problem when I first picked up my RS4.
After getting over the initial blow to my ego, and embarrassment when taking passengers, I found that over time my shifts were getting smoother and smoother. So, just keep driving and enjoying the car, knowing that it will just click someday.

I have the JSM short shift kit, and it didn't really make a difference. For me, it was mostly footwork. I did find however, that with Sport mode on, I shift smoother in general.

 

I continue to think that the clutch travel on the RS4 is just waaaay too long. It makes mastery of 1st to 2nd tough. It is a lot easier with the ESP completely off. If you want a perfectly smooth shift just eyeball the revs and release the clutch around 2300.

 

I wonder if a LW flywheel and a stage?? Clutch would help the hovering.. It sounds like the Heavier mass FW for these cars has so much circular momentum that it takes a second for the slave to engage? Can anyone verify this?