Video: DSG vs. 6-speed manual

In case you're not familiar with it, DSG is a transmission technology that uses two computer-controlled clutches to change between gears. Unlike the a regular manual transmission, the driver has no control over the clutches -- rather, they are entirely operated by the computer. The driver can, however, shift gears manually as they would with a tiptronic transmission, or run the car in automatic mode. Volkswagen Group markets its dual-clutch tranny under the DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) moniker. In this video, professional racer Keiichi Tsuchiya drives a VW Golf GTI with a 6spd manual, while Naoki Hattori drives the VW Golf GTI with DSG. Despite Tsuchiya's incredibly fast shifting skills, the DSG wins in every trial. Later, the DSG-equipped VW races a more powerful Opel Astra Turbo and Renault Megane RS, and wins in both cases. Tsuchiya, who was first skeptical of the DSG, later agreed that "the shift timing is just perfect." (Thanks to Ben for the tip.) Video after the jump...