0.2 of a second here or there makes absolutely no difference in 'real world' driving… The most critical thing for a road car/engine is how it feels when delivering it's power.
The engine in a 235 has an extremely linear delivery which when spread over 8 low ratio gears makes the experience very dull. Extremely fast yes, exciting? sadly not.
The ratios of the 6sp manual makes for a much better delivery
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