Manual vs. Auto performance

Originally Posted by theDreamer

One of the things from the linked auto v. manual thread that I was hoping to achieve in that thread, though I founder later after some digging, was how the auto compared to other automatics with paddles.

I enjoy manuals, when they are good (not my cheap car manual), but with the introduction of these new automatics with manual feel, I want to know if the same control can be achieved. Now being able to pick X gear and choosing it will probably never happen, but the control when I want it to shift, how smooth I shift in manual, etc. I know people talk about BMW having a nice system and then there are the F1 race cars that have the pinnacle of production systems, but where does Nissan fall into this range?

Can the auto compete on the track against a manual? Will it slow someone down because you have to hit multiple times to jump down gears, or how quick/slow it is at changing gears?