chuckbdc

You have arrived, turn up the volume.

seapar

I have a c4s with PDK best for stop and go and hills. For fun and track I have a gt3. Learning to heel toe (work in progress). Just test drove a 7 speed manual 991c4S. I must say that the auto rev of the manual in sport plus when downshifting is otherworldly. Kinda fun.
Still I am working on the h/t since I far from perfect unlike the 991 computer.

Dallas911Guy

Moved from 2007 997 Turbo with stick...to 2011 Turbo S.

Duh...the S is wow fast and I added Evom EVT 650hp upgrade.

But....very boring to drive. Without doubt most incredible sub 3sec to 60 ride. But it is boring to drive. Only so many times you can risk jail a week to realize the S fun factor.

PDZ at DE was incredible! Duh. But on daily drives...stick.

And...my 07 was paid off and payment per ride on S is on par with an F16 ride.

Just bought a 97 993Gt2 Evo to spice up those trips to get beer!

Good luck.

John



John

mrstep

Same boat.

My test drives 100% convinced me that PDK was great, and the MT is now in my garage and it's just fun as hell. I'm quite sure I suck at shifting compared to what the computer can do whether that's in full auto or "manual" mode, but [to borrow a phrase] they'll have to pry the stick shift from my cold, dead fingers.

(I've strangely seen some PDK fans argue that stick is the equivalent of wanting manual windows or other odd analogies like a crank to start the engine, but in a world where GPS + cameras will in the near future enable cars to steer better lines, choose gears, and manage throttle & braking at least as well if not better than most drivers... I guess I'm willing to stick without some of the computer assists? I totally get it for heavy traffic commuting, competitive racing where others are using the equivalent tech, physical reasons, etc., but for personal driving enjoyment not so much.)

Mike in CA

This is an unresolveable argument. It's too personal; based on individual experience, preferences, past cars owned, any of a dozen other factors. 25 years driving manual Porsches, 4 years driving a PDK, and for me my current car is as enjoyable to drive as any I've ever owned. Not just more suited for any particular type of driving, but all-around as enjoyable. Honest. But I get that may not be the case for you. Now, can I try to convince you of something easier, like changing whatever your politics or religous preference might be?

suhaas307

I do understand that the PDK is on a different level. Everything it does is perfect. But I'd get a manual for the simple reason that it's a dying breed. Porsche is kind enough to give us the option of shifting gears ourselves (with some assist courtesy the rev-matching tech) and I don't know of any other sports-car (other than the C7 'Vette - and we all know that it's far from being a true 911 competitor) that offers a true-blue manual. Let's embrace it for as long as it's around. Because we may never get to experience it in a decade or two.

My 2 cents.

Nicoli35

I still hope to try the the manual rev matching but am not counting they'll upgrade my '12 with it. I'm sure it would help on track. Mostly it would just be wild to experience hehe.

parkerfe

I agree. For a track event or race car, PDK is faster and thus the way to go. For a DD, a three pedal manual rules. I have driven my 991C2S 15k+ since June as my DD in the Atlanta area and love it.

GSIRM3

Deleted

hepmonk

I love my PDK and love my paddle shifters. I do notice that when I drive, I often rest my hand on the nice round PDK shifter for brief periods of time - makes me happy. Not sure what that's telling me...
I'm convinced that there is a market for a PDK-manual hybrid. Three pedals and an additional 'D' on the H pattern right below the '7' which unleashes the Stig-in-a-box (and launch control and all that jazz). The rest of the time, you can exercise your left leg and right hand.

chuckbdc

LOL. I though I was surely the only one that did that.

You have something there with the transmission experience. To save weight, it ought to be done with a couple more sensors and software. Options to simulate favorite vintage cars could be downloadable. Shifting patterns, movement distances, and for the true purist, variable likelihood of getting into the next desired gear on the first try should be available.

zirrah

Used to do the same thing in my old M3 with smg.

toplabels

I did not order my 991S. It was built by someone else who decided he would buy something else at the last minute. My car came very very well equipped and the gentleman who who filled the options list thought a manual was the way to go for him. My three porsches are manual and I love them that way...thats just me, but must admit that I did drive a PDK on track at a Porsche invite in houston and liked the PDK so much to say that my next car would be double clutch.

I was so impressed with how intuitive this transmission is that it blew me away. On track just about when you might think of downshifting into a turn the tranny thinks for you at the precise moment. If there is an upshift while exciting it is so smooth that the car does not show even the smallest loss of balance.

It seems like manufacturers are pushing away from manual transmissions little by little for sake of technology and efficiency which is fine, but I hope it does not come to not having an option one day. The argument of transmissions is like this. One day you wake up wanting a hamburger and the next a fillet mignon. Not to say one tranny is one or the other. The point is that given the opportunity it would be nice to have both options available upon request as fas as I am concerned.

mrstep

Agreed - and I hope Porsche keeps both options, unlike many of their competitors.

Now if we add an analogy where we claim that PDK or MT are like the major political parties, making sure to assign parties along with insulting bits about those who could possibly favor either, we'll finally be getting somewhere!

Uli#141

I'm curious about the PDK, which I just test drove once around the block in a new 4S for less than 15 minutes.

Looking back at my manual transmission experience, everything was determined by the 'need for speed'. I learned as a teenager how to use a clutch not because it was fun but for performance reasons. The old slush boxes slowed down the car and they were more expensive.

Then, one day auto-crossing a decreasing radius with the need for a down-shift made me aware why heel-toeing would be a good thing to learn. No matter how smoothly I tried to engage the clutch, the rear-end always broke lose when I tried to do the downshift without it. It was fun to learn the new technique but it also introduced a new way of screwing up.

Then I learned how useful left-foot breaking is for car-control. The only problem was to combine left-foot breaking with heel-toeing at the same time. Too many paddles to use for just two feet and I'm not Walter Roehrl. One paddle less, i.e. clutch, and the problem will be gone.

A couple of years later, when I started to drive at the race-track, I learned to precisely time my up-shifts, minimizing the time spent on shifting. One passenger thought I was power-shifting, because I could up-shift in a fraction of a second. But that wasn't for fun, it was just necessary to minimize the time without propulsion. I could have used that concentration better for setting up for the next 1-2 corners.

Now PDK comes onto the scene, and 'some say' that it has the Stig inside, which would be very valuable.

I'm really looking forward to learning how to drive a PDK equipped car. What will happen at downshifts during trail-braking? What will happen when the 'Stig' up-shifts before the exit? Is the PDK wise enough for completing down-shifts before turn-in if possible at all? Will the PDK bounce off the rev-limiter for a couple of seconds because the next turn is so close that it doesn't justify an up-shift? Will it up-shift anyway because it can down-shift with such ease that you don't need to bounce off the rev-limiter? All I know is: it will be a blast to find out and learn something new.