zenspector

Okay, so a couple of weeks ago I had made a decision to buy a new '13 C2S Cab w/ PDK, but the day I was to pick it up, I took a bad fall down my stairs, broke my arm and sustained a severe concussion. Needless to say, I didn't get the car, and it was subsequently sold.
Today, I go to my dealer with a fresh mindset, and cast rigged so i can hold a steering wheel. I drove a C2S Cab w/PDK, an S Coupe w/ manual, and a base Carrera w/ PDK. The dealer had just received a base Coupe w/ manual (gorgeous Agate and Black w/ glass sunroof), but it was still in wraps. I will be driving it tomorrow.
The sales manager turned me loose to drive each one (alone with no salesman) on a mixed selection of good country roads and interstate. It was quite an education.
I found that in normal driving the base was just as responsive as the S. The base is less torquey of course, but if I used the revs right , the driving experience was just as much fun. Although I don't track anymore, I could definitely see the advantages of the S there.
I have had a PDK Cayman and currently a PDK Boxster with a manual BoxsterS in between. PDK's are remarkable, but I still love a manual. However, my feelings of the 7 speed manual are mixed. Shifts are smooth, and clutch manipulation is great. But it still doesn't compare to the Boxster. Maybe it just needs to be driven and broken in.
I don't want this to turn into a PDK vs. Manual tirade, but I would like to know if any of you have had the same feelings comparing the new 7 speed manual to other P car manuals.

MarcusG

I have been a manual trans guy with every sports car I have ever owned. Over 30 cars in the last 25 years. I'm talking MT trans Saleen Mustangs all the way to a manual trans E34 M5 and so on. To be honest I couldn't imagine owning a "sports car" or even a performance four door sedan without a manual trans. Just to get the picture.

I really wanted to get my hands on a 997 4 years ago mainly because of a good frined of mine who graciuosly allowed me to drive his 996 GT3 but because of the age of my daughter etc. I settled on a MBZ CLS. If I had bought a 997 it would have been a MT car without question.

Along comes 2012 and the 991. Without having spent much time in a Boxter and my friends Cayman ( both manual trans ) cars I just had to compare the 991 PDK with a MT car. I'm 42 and feel I still have many years of manual shifting in me but after driving base C2's MT to C2S's PDK and MT and driving both paddles and button wheels I became enchanted with the "S" with the PDK. There's nothing like it short of spending money on an F car and that combined with all of the Los Angeles traffic I sit in this became an easy decision for me.

There's no love lost and I do not regret for one minuete I went with a PDK. There's plenty of enjoyment in driving this car with the PDK and if I ever get the need to shift a car manually, I'll just go drive another one of my cars.

There is no right or wrong answer on PDK or not. Don't let anyone talk you into a C2 or C2S, PDK or manual trans. You did it right by driving everything you can back to back. That's what I did and it helped me make the decision best for me.

I don't ever plan on tracking this car and agree that because it's not a torque monster you really can't completely enjoy this car unless you are over 5,000 rpm. At that point there was enough of a difference in power for me to go with the S but I'm used to having sports cars with tons of torque.

Good luck and it's great to see you are up and around after your fall down the stairs. Go drive that last car tomorrow and let us know what you decide.

Cheers

clembo

I had a 997 with stick shift and my 991 is a stick. I find the new 7-speed as easy to shift as the old car, I don't feeel any difference with the clutch, only use 7th gear on long highway runs. I love the car and love the ability to shift manually. I don't use the car as a daily driver, weekend toy only, and no traffic.

Get what you desire, enjoy your new ride.

FORENN

I have only owned MT 911s but I have driven many PDKs. The 7-speed MT is the best/smoothest IMO and I still can't get my head around driving a PDK on a regular basis.

But I agree with both MarcusG and clembo -- test drive a bunch of different cars and just get whatever makes you happiest. No online discussion can determine what is best for you.

duxsi

zenspector,
It definitely needs to be broken in.
When I first picked up the car, the clutch seemed extremely stiff and the gears felt notchy.
After ~5000 miles, I find the transmission (and the entire driving experience) to be extremely different now that it's broken in.

To confirm, see if you can drive a pre-owned one...

pcs999

Prior to my 991 MT I had a boxster MT. The 6 speed in the boxster was/is a smoother shifting box. The 991 MT has a weird sensation/feeling at the end of each shift...as if its connected by a rubber band. I felt the same sensation when test driving other 991 MT cars. It's still a great MT, but not as good as the boxster IMHO.

zenspector

Thanks for your responses so far.
It's funny that the car I had decided on before falling was a PDK. A decision based strictly on what I am currently driving (Boxster), and as I said, think is remarkable. I, too, have driven manuals for years. I just feel more engaged with the car driving one.
It's funny, too that I had decided on a Cab, but now that I have driven a coupe with glass sunroof, I am considering one instead. We always need to keep thinking outside the box, and what is best for ourselves, not what others say.
By the way, I am 67, and I feel I still have many years of manual driving ahead. Especially with my year and a half old new knee that is now completely broken in.

mtbscott

I don't know why some folks complain about the 7 speed MT. It may not be THE smoothest shifter I've ever owned, but it's more than adequate, I've only missed a couple of shifts in 25K miles. Both clutch and shifter get better with age and the ratios are very tall in general. 4th-7th can all be used at highway speeds depending on whether you're looking for max acceleration or gas mileage. I also do not regret buying the C2, it's got plenty of power for a street car.

stealthboy

I agree with this. While I really liked the MT from the start, now that I'm up at 4000 miles it's even better.

Chiboy

I first test drove a Cayman S with PDK and thought it was really slick. I came home raving about it. But then after I drove one with a six speed, I realized that while PDK may be the wave of the future or wave of the current, I still enjoy shifting a car with a clutch, even if it's less efficient. I gravitated over to a 991 and eventually focused my search on a 7 speed, which knocked out a high percentage of the cars, but found one and love it. The clutch is a little heavier and stiffer than my E46 M3 was, but the shifts are very snick-snick direct and precise. The car only has 1,200 miles on it, so I imagine it will just get better. For me, I just don't get the same enjoyment from leaving a PDK in auto mode or shifting with the paddles, but I am sure the PDK would be faster at the track. It's a very personal choice.

David in Talent

I have always driven manual Porsches and have owned 5 of them. I was dead set on ordering a manual 991S until I actually drove one. I did not like the position of the shifter and did not like the length of the shift throws. I currently have the factory short shift manual in my '07 C4S. Driving the PDK back to back after the manual, I was sold on the versatility, speed, and ease of the PDK. So at least for me, at age 70, it will be PDK and this will be the first non manual transmission Porsche for me.

parkerfe

I have 26k+ miles on my 991c2s w/7mt and love it. Its easy to shift and its light clutch is no problem in Atlanta rush-24hour traffic.

zenspector

It was raining Friday, so I didn't drive the base 991 coupe w/ manual.
However, today was beautiful, so up I went to the dealership. My salesman said it had been PDI'd, but not detailed, but he had it waiting with over half a tank of gas, handed me the key, and said, "Enjoy yourself while I get some paperwork done". Needless to say, I did enjoy myself! For over an hour on all types of roads!
The more I drove the car, the more I smiled. The manual was smoother than the one in the S last week. The combination of the manual and the engine seemed perfectly matched. It just felt right in every way. At least for me.
They are detailing it out in the morning, and I am taking delivery tomorrow noon.
Photos will follow.
Thanks guys.
Cheers

Huncowboy

Congrats on your new car!

If ours wouldn't be my wife's daily driver it would be a manual. She can drive manual fine it is just that the FL traffic is bad. I do not regret the PDK though. My first double clutch car, and it is just insane to see how fast shifting is. Bang bang bang… love it. Next time around I will definitely drive the MT as well but I have no idea if I will go MT or not. I wish we had some fun roads here, but we don't.

TTCarrera

I've gone through a similar car resume, although very heavily weighted towards Porsches: 15 over 39 years, including seven 911s and lots of track work. I agree with everything above.

To me, proper shifting is a skill. Maintaining or achieving RPMs and precise timing is a learned or acquired skill.

Now, the PDK can provide this perfection when driven in Auto ..... or it can facilitate the opportunities to get it perfectly in Manual if the driver gets the Rev timing right. Or, various degrees of wrong. The advantage is that you're not paying the dealer or independent shop large amounts of money for manual transmission work or, in extreme cases, an engine rebuild as a result of a botched downshift in a Manual.

My sisters and I learned to drive manuals on a John Deere tractor and various dusty pickups. So I don't consider activating the clutch pedal in & out and moving the shift lever without any gear clash a particularly sophisticated automotive skill. But I do respect those who think that it gives them some sort of gratification.

But for me, the PDK is the New Order and does everything I need. Plus when in Auto, Sport+ and WOT, the millisecond shift/bang of the PDK's 2nd-to-3rd shift is a pretty gratifying experience that's not possible with the Manual.

And for those into autocross or time trials, that shift happens exactly at redline, something you can only approximate in PDK Manual. If you get too cute and try to pull the paddle exactly at redline...but are a tick late....you might hit the rev-limiter, kill power and spoil your run. So if you're competing, you'd probably want to run in PDK Auto.

Just my humble opinions.