VAG’s decisions on who would be able to shift their own gears have always been a bit confusing, but the period of the 3.2 VR6 is really where this came to a head for U.S. customers. In 2004, Volkswagen brought their hottest Golf (finally!) to our market, featuring the singing VR6 in 6-speed manual only form with the R32. Great, but Audi offered the same platform in slinkier TT 3.2 quattro form. However, fans of manual shifting were overlooked as Audi opted to bring the top TT here only with DSG. This carried over to the A3 model range, where you could get a 3.2 quattro but only with the DSG box.
Looked at another way, though, the crisp-shifting DSG was the start of a new trend of dual-clutch gearboxes that – until quite recently – were the fast-shifting box of choice. And unlike the R32, the TT 3.2 isn’t super-highly sought, meaning you get the (arguably) better looks, same driving and sound experience, and here…a convertible roof for quite a discount:
