[SteveinTO]

I doubt I have anything new to offer in the explanation of double-clutch down-shifting. It just always has seemed to me if you have a big jump, like 5th to 3rd, and you're whistling into a corner, the synchros take forever to match things up.

Back in my Formula Fords days a 4th to 1st downshift was SOP at Riverside Turn 6, generally while turning and braking. The Hewland 4-speed had no synchros because they were slow and complex (the synchros). Simple dog rings engaged the gears and you didn't use the clutch. As you brake with the ball of your foot, you bumped the lever into neutral, whang the throttle and push it into 1st. No clutch. Kind of like throwing a light switch. No drama either, when done correctly, the engine just changes pitch. That feeling (from 40 years ago) is the standard by which I judge, unfortunately.

Our Porsches are a little different, but I think in most cases you can out shift the synchros. 'Course I could be a "cult of one" here, I've never driven one of our cars when it was new.