Has the 6 Manual gone the way of the dodo bird?
02-11-2011, 01:13 AM
#62
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02-11-2011, 01:21 AM
#63
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Most PDK haters are either stubbornly ignorant about how the PDK is used or simply prejudicial.
As I said many times, we do not find manual tranny haters among PDK users. It is always the reverse. Manual tranny owners hating PDK. Some manual tranny users find a primal urge to express PDK hate and do it directly/aggressively, others do it nuanced. The latter often say 'PDK can be great, but for me I want 6-speed'; they added nothing to the thread, but found an instinctive need to put down PDK.
It does not matter. Choice is good!
02-11-2011, 02:11 AM
#64
Three Wheelin'
Maybe it is an age thing - after 30+ years of MTs and loathing autos and the near miss of SMG, finally something else that actually works well, if not better - if performance is the goal. Kind of a "'s 'bout time" moment. 
02-11-2011, 10:29 AM
#65
Rennlist Member
Hey...it's the weekly MT vs PDK discussion!
Having both, I can say that you can't go wrong with either. Just pick the transmission that you enjoy the most.
When driving the PDK, I never feel like I'm disconnected from the driving experience. It's fast and fun. Down shifts make you feel like a racing hero.
When driving the MT, I love the process of rowing the gears and trying to execute clean downshifts.
No losers in this debate.
Having both, I can say that you can't go wrong with either. Just pick the transmission that you enjoy the most.
When driving the PDK, I never feel like I'm disconnected from the driving experience. It's fast and fun. Down shifts make you feel like a racing hero.
When driving the MT, I love the process of rowing the gears and trying to execute clean downshifts.
No losers in this debate.
02-11-2011, 10:40 AM
#66
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because it applies to you and not to me. I am a stick driver of many decades and just bought a 5-speed stick daily driver. I have a Porsche PDK and I do not go around trashing the stick-shift tranny...
I also own a clutchless manumatic car and a) know how to use it to get the most from it; b) enjoy driving it immensely. But it's a sedan, not a Porsche 9xx. All I did was express my personal opinion that I would not want to own a Porsche 9xx with one...which you define as "trashing" because you can't stand to hear anyone express an opinion disagreeing with your own. Likewise I wouldn't want to own a 6-speed Panamera (well, ok, I wouldn't want a Panamera if someone gave it to me for free) or a 7-series Bimmer with a standard. I like Tim Tebow and I like *****, but I wouldn't like Tim Tebow with *****
Last edited by Palmbeacher; 02-11-2011 at 10:56 AM.
02-11-2011, 11:39 AM
#67
Nordschleife Master
PDK vs. Manual was a decision I faced with my C4S and I had decided PDK. The sales manager at my local dealer loaned me a PDK and a manual to drive to my hearts delight one afternoon and when I came back I changed my mind. The PDK can shift faster than I can ever physically hope to do and launch control was physics defying. However, after the novelty of the launch control and sport plus wore off, I basically used the PDK as an automatic tranny. The manual, though slower, made me feel more involved in the driving experience. So, I concluded the PDK is absolutely brilliant and it can beat my ability to shift but it removed me one more level from the driving experience. In the end, I got the manual. Unfortunatley though, I agree with the above comments, the manual will probably eventually become very scarce if not disappear. I was shocked Ferrari dropped it from the 458 Italia and doesn't even offer it as an option. I also should mention that I have the luxury of a Cayenne with an auto tranny to drive if I tire of shifting. If I was using the 911 as a daily driver and my only means of transportation, the PDK would make a very compelling argument. It is nice to see the opinions of others as I have contemplated this issue often.
My solution is to have a PDK car for a track/summer car to be more competitive and keep my old car for a DD and when heading to the track for pure fun.
I would never stop driving the manual as a DD even though some think it's a pain. I love it and it keeps your skill level high.
02-11-2011, 12:40 PM
#69
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02-11-2011, 01:19 PM
#70
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and you know what opinions are like(especially academic ones)....right?? Right, and everyone has one of those also!
02-11-2011, 03:53 PM
#72
Like so many things, driving a manual transmission is all about doing something the wrong way, but learning to do it brilliantly. PDK might have better performance, but I've never felt that it actually makes the car more enjoyable to drive. There'll always be a few of us that prefer a manual, so Porsche will continue to make them for a while yet.
02-11-2011, 05:05 PM
#73
Race Director
02-11-2011, 05:36 PM
#74
It's all about demand. There's enough demand to warrant production of the GT cars, the Turbo, the Targa, etc. There's plenty of demand for manual transmissions. Whether you'll be able to find one in stock on a dealer lot is a different question, but I don't see them disappearing completely for at least another couple of model cycles.
02-11-2011, 05:40 PM
#75
Not any age thing at all. Got my 07 C2S in my early 30s, enjoyed the 6-speed for the last 3.5 years as a DD and often in traffic.
Test drove a 2011 C2S Cabriolet with PDK and SC last month )whilst still in my 30s) and was blown away. I never thought I would associate "thrilling" with an automated transmission but I had a blast. In Sports Plus mode, the upshifting was aggressive allowing the RPMs to spool up in gear and I must say the rev-matching on downshifts was absolutely sublime. At the end of the day, I'm still a 3 pedal guy but I will seriously consider PDK if I move to a 991.
Test drove a 2011 C2S Cabriolet with PDK and SC last month )whilst still in my 30s) and was blown away. I never thought I would associate "thrilling" with an automated transmission but I had a blast. In Sports Plus mode, the upshifting was aggressive allowing the RPMs to spool up in gear and I must say the rev-matching on downshifts was absolutely sublime. At the end of the day, I'm still a 3 pedal guy but I will seriously consider PDK if I move to a 991.