DSG
 

I think that's what its called...Direct Shift Gearbox.

For those of you who have driven an A3 with this feature...does it actually make a difference when shifting?

Faster than one can shift with a manual transmission. Two clutches, shift into one gear and the other gear is already preselected. Downshift and the throttle is blipped to ensure a smooth transision.

http://www.autozine.org/technical_sc...earbox/DSG.jpg

Re: DSG
 

You should go for a test drive; it's a very nice gearbox: very smooth shifts, and very very vast. Incidentally, it appears the DSG will start to be marketed as the S-tronic, which IMO sounds rather silly...

When you are driving it...does it work the same as a regular manual but with quicker shifts...or do you have to do something different than you would in a normal 6-speed.

There is no clutch for you to depress, so it's more like an auto than a manual; you just shift sequentially.

ahhh, thank you :)

I'm assuming its a stick and not paddles like on a Ferrari 430...correct?

It's both, actually. :)

Note the paddles behind the steering wheel and the +/- on the transmission.

https://static.flickr.com/28/129620561_1bb3c8c6d7_b.jpg