AFAIK the frame is at the bottom of the aero totem pole. At the very top is position, then wheels. Some aero bikes are faster “just” because they put the rider in a more aggressive position.
Just to add a point: the Teammachine has some aero elements, so I think the closest competitor is Specialized Tarmac SL7, which replaces both, the old Tarmac SL6 and the Venge, Spec’s dedicated aero bike. I don’t know whether I’d be swayed by the extra aero features.
Agreed. In 2019 I test rode the Teammachine and the Timemachine back-to-back, and I wasn’t super impressed by the Timemachine. The Teammachine immediately felt special, but the Timemachine was meh in comparison. It was a good bike, don’t get me wrong, but it traded comfort for not that much extra speed. And for that price I expect an exceptional bike, not just a good bike. I couldn’t check power numbers (none of the demo bikes had power meters), but the 3T Strada I test rode on two other occasions time felt much quicker and livelier.