140.6

Here goes.

Slightly OT portion of the post but I have a point. I have some left knee issues that are probably going to result in a lateral release and micro-fracture surgery to fix and obviously no guarantee that fixes the issue completely or forever.

I currently have a GT4 which I like but am also on a list with a MSRP dealer for a 991.2 GT3, my allocation will probably be early to mid-year next year so I have some time.

I am trying to decide which transmission to go with, PDK or Manual, obviously a very personal decision and there is no reason to rehash which one is better and why.

The only way I can see to get enough seat time to make an informed decision on whether or not to go with PDK is to sell the GT4, buy a 991.1 GT3, and then drive it until my allocation comes up.

Let's take money out of the equation in terms of value of GT4 vs GT3 at the time of my allocation arrival, either way I am expecting depreciation.

Anybody have any thoughts on the plan, or maybe a better plan.

Thanks,
Pete

montoya

Your knees aside- to me the answer to your question is really easy.

If you track- PDK
If not- Manual

You don't need to drive one for an extended period. But if you want, I'll trade you plus cash....

robmypro

Your knee will ultimately heal. Get the one you really want. Now, if you were asking about the 997 manual, PDK all the way.

140.6

Fair enough.

I track very little and I will never 'win' DE awards/events, nor do I really care about that, I do it because it is fun and it's a relatively safe environment to explore my limits, the car's limits are much higher.

My point with relation to my knee is that it may or may not be fixed well enough to live with a manual long term, though that is what I am hoping. So, my thought was experience the PDK before I order the car I want to keep. Ideally I am going with a manual, but then again you never know how things work out

If you are serious and I end up deciding to do this I make take you up on your offer.

Earlierapex

I've always been a manual man, and I debated GT4 vs. GT3. Ultimately I chose the GT3 because the engine is such a perfect mechanical enterprise.

Now, I would honestly struggle in deciding manual vs. PDK-S. The technology is so incredible and so perfectly matched to that beastly engine that I think a manual would be a bit too much of an anachronism - like attaching a rotary dial to an iPhone.

It's almost impossible not to have fun in this car.

In other words, it would be a tough decision even without the knee issue.

Archimedes

IMO, if you can drive the GT4 manual, you'll be able to drive the .2 GT3 manual, so I wouldn't trade it for a .1 GT3 in the meantime.

I was in a similar situation with my Spyder. Was recovering from a badly dislocated left hip, broken femur, torn labrum, etc., and wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to clutch again. Took a flyer and bought a new Spyder.....and had to sell it 6 months later due to the pain. But that was my situation. Luckily I only lost the taxes on the sale and it was worth it to me to drive the car for 6 months.

I'd prefer the GT3 in manual, but I know I'd come to regret the pain I'd have every time I got out of the car. Honestly, if I could drive a stick, I'd be looking for GT4 or Spyder again.

Drifting

Looking at this medically (I'm a physician), you first need to know what your knee will let you do. What you've described could go either way, but you easily have a 50% chance you won't be able to tolerate shifting a manual long-term.

Once your knee treatment is finalized, then spend some time driving your GT4, including traffic, and make this decision first. If you won't know about your knee for a while, you may want to switch to a later GT3 allocation at the end of the production run.

All the talk about which transmission is the coolest doesn't matter if you can't tolerate the manual.

I'm a manual guy at heart, but have a serious injury to my left leg so I can't shift repeatedly without pain. Shifting the PDK-S manually in the GT3 (when not on the track) is the next best thing to a manual. It's 10x better than just driving an automatic slushbox.

I would get the manual for my .2 GT3 if my left leg was still normal, but that's life.

Wild Weasel

I don't agree with this. I love going to the track. I love having a manual at the track.

Going to the track doesn't mean you're chasing the very fastest of possible lap times. It's not a race. You're there to enjoy driving to the greatest extent available and what better way to do that than with a manual??

You want the fastest times, buy a race car.

RealityGT

^+1
I just want to row my own gears and turn some laps..

140.6

Thanks for the insight and all I can think to say is I am sorry you had to go through that, I can't imagine dealing with hip, leg, and shoulder at the same time. Hope you get to a good place with your recovery.

140.6

Thank you, your insight makes all the sense in the world. Fix the knee, test it with the GT4 and then worry about the transmission for the 991.2 GT3. Regardless of the 4-6 months following the surgery I am a bit concerned about the long term viability. I got a good 15 years out of my initial ACL reconstruction before I started having 'issues' (read that as multiple scopes) and now we are where we are with the current challenges. Most days I have no issues with clutches but just about every day stairs are an issue going up and down. Haven't been able to play tennis or basketball in a long time, have been trying PT to resolve with not so great results.

Thanks again.

Jamie140

Simple.

Buy manual. If you can't do it, trade for PDK, make some dough

Manual will trade way higher in North America.

Para82

I would book a trip to the Porsche Experience Center and spend the day with a 991 GT3 PDK.

If you have more time I would suggest book a couple weeks in Germany this summer and rent a 991 GT3 there and tour around.

Good problem to have.