I'm pretty sure that taking your foot off won't save your car...the steptronic is all electronic so the computer still does the actual shifting...I do take my foot off sometimes when i shift because the car feels like it pulls harder when you get back on the gas..but it also feels that the drivetrain hits hard....anyway sometimes even when in steptronic (not just sport) and you shift right before red line, with the accelerator on the floor, the computer will override your early shift and drag out a few more rpm up to redline to get max performance..maybe its just me...but i think everyone should try!