Glenn930

Is a PDK Tranny Track Worthy for just several D.E. events per year?
I know I'm going to hear hell for this question but I'm looking for a dual purpose Porsche to be used as a daily driver in the city with traffic and also be able to take to the track and do several Driver's Ed events per year. In the past, I have had two cars. A every day normal car but a not so much fun daily driver and a weekend Porsche but I wanted to use the Porsche more often.
Question:
Can the PDK cars be that dual purpose car that I have been looking for?

paradisenb

Without a doubt the PDK can handle both tasks very well. Perception is probably the biggest obstacle preventing Porsche from dropping the gear shift in favor of the steering wheel paddle shifters. The Cup Cars already blip the throttle automatically between downshifts.

EPWilson

I can't find it at the moment but Excellence did an article about a guy that built a race car with PDK. As far as I remember it worked pretty well.

Matt Romanowski

I've instructed in a bunch of PDK cars and they are great. It makes instructing easier that the student only has to concentrate on driving and not shifting.

white924s

For what it's worth, at the last DE event I attended, PCNA had 2 Cayman R's at the track to give demo rides with factory drivers.

Both cars were PDK, and both cars were blisteringly fast (passing GT3's and turbos even in higher run groups). I'm sure no small part of that is due to the talent of the drivers (they are pros after all), but clearly the PDK wasn't holding them up at all

mdrums

That is the green Speed Merchants car. I spokw with them at the PCA 48hrs race asking them about the PDK since they were teaming up with Suncoast Porsche for some service work and aftermarket parts. I thought they would be trying to sell me on stuff but actually the oppiste...they have been racing the PDK for a few years thousands of miles and went to replace the clutch packs and found out they did not need replacing so they just changed the fluid and put it back in the car.

I DE's a 09 PDK for 3 years...about 12 DE's a year with no issues with PDK.

LDadrenaline

have to second Mike... have ridden with him a few times and the PDK works flawlessly.

btw, when the hell did you get a GTS? car looks great in the sig

mdrums

LD I got it a few weeks ago. I now have proper seats, a roll bar and harness...finally huh?

Mark Dreyer

+1. I've found for those students that are fairly new to the hobby, whose cars are equipped with manual trannies, one of the best ways to get them smooth fast is to make them minimize gear shifts. Usually I'll have them go around most of the track in 4th gear, with a downshift or two only at the slowest turns.

PDK should be great for your purposes.

J richard

And from the other perspective the wear and tear on the clutch, zinged syncros, mis-selected gear and potential overrevs are all minimized or eliminated...

with paddle shift your manhood will not be called into question...the excellence article is a good one to read.

early_grayce

I raced the Speedmerchants green PDK at Mosport last month.
Finished first in class in GTB2 in my first race (ever). The car worked flawlessly. The upshifts and downshifts were near perfect. A true pleasure to drive.

Eifeler

This is key from my perspective. I love rowing through the gears as much as the next guy but given the choice between a low maintenance PDK or a sequential, I'll take the PDK every time. There's plenty of places to spend the savings.

Gary R.

If I get to the point where i'm just doing DE's it WILL be in a PDK car...

Jay Gratton

I hate to agree with Matt, but I do. They are faster then a clutch too!

Plyman438

At the local track where Zone 4 PCA do their DE's, you can pretty much stay in third gear all around the 1.4 mile track in a Boxster or 911. At most, using two gears is all one needs to get around quick. At where our club race is held, the track is 2.4 miles long, but again two gears is pretty much it. Top average speed for even a GT3 cup car in capable hands is under 80mph. Manual vs. PDK is kind of moot point on shorter tracks with very short straights.
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2001 Orient Red Metallic Boxster