if you practice your launch enough you have a good chance to keep up with him. I have a couple buddies with Audi's the one being an s5 the other a3 s-line but both audis are MT and we find the Z is equally as quick to s5 and quicker then the a3(just wait till I am in the FI club those turbos audi puts in are tiny then I will crush them both
)........but again as mentioned you are up against a AT which will have smother launch, but IMO is kinda boring all they have to do if mash the gas pedal down and it will go no skill with clutch work!
At least you can tell him you have a drivers car (being MT) and didn't sell out for a AT (this just makes it easier to let women drive it
)