96redLT4

I watched the now famous video of the GT2RS lapping the 'ring and it did not look like the drivers were shifting manually. For those who have PDK transmissions, is it faster to just leave the car in auto mode and concentrate on braking and steering or do you shift manually in fast lap situations? I have always wondered this having manual transmissions in my fun day cars.

Jim

Drifting

If the pros are faster lapping a track leaving it in auto mode, the I'm sure mere mortals such as ourselves are faster in auto mode.

Personally, I leave it in auto mode on the track, but shift manually in every other environment.

Kobalt

Im driving the PDK in manual. I do it mostly because I want more involvement and control. I'm not saying I'm faster because of that - I suspect that I'm not

IMO: Driving it in automatic mode makes the car very sensitive to your input with the gas pedal.
The car reacts to how fast you move the pedal and use that too as an indicator how to shift.
So basically you must be careful with your feet. They've done an amazing calibration job thought to get this to really work.

The car has no eyes, I believe, so when driving in rain I definitely prefer manual: The car have no clue that it should upshift where it actually downshifts.


Fastest are probably the combination: Drive it in auto: Upshift/downshift with paddles where the car don't do it like you want it to.

Footsoldier

This is what they do.

shapiroeric

I drove in Sport mode on the track. Only because I feel it’s one less thing to concentrate on. Whether it’s faster or not is of no concern. Fun factor is still the same.

TRAKCAR

There are corners where I don't like the car downshifting because it feels too bound up over bumps.

But if in auto I get higher RPM shifts and wont bounce into the limiter but to me the last few RPM the car doesn't pull as hard anymore and perhaps its faster if you short shift just a little.

I've never driven it on track in anger if full auto mode but it could be faster on some tracks, slower on others I think.

When following cars in full auto they seem to have a harder time controlling the car with 2 shifts, while I ride through it a gear higher. Its not the shifts that upset a car, its the bound up nature of a gear down.

I will try to go back to back next time and experiment to see if I can data proof one way or the other is faster/slower.

JarmoL

That's so true. I had a chance to test a 991.2 GT3 on track a week ago.
It was just a few laps so I decided to keep it on auto mode. Coming from old manual GT3 it was actually little alarming how fast it reacted. Add to that the fact the engine is also razor sharp in it's reactions..
I am sure It would take me some time to adjust that.

Footsoldier

I don't have any data, but just said that's what they do, because that's what they told me!

Had full trackday with them at Leipzig and the Porsche guys told me for best lap times, they just let the box upshift, but sometimes (not always) would manually downshift, to override for extra engine braking etc.

MirageJHU

In the 2RS new Nurburging record lap it looks like Lerner is using the paddles behind the wheel - until he gets to the long straight.

It also looks like the nannies are off...

but he also knows the 'ring better than everyone on RennList and has way more talent behind the wheel too

96redLT4

It would be interesting for the really good drivers on this board to see if you could do a lap faster in manual than in full auto. Kind of like playing chess against Big Blue

J

24Chromium

I don't know of anyone in the Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy series leaving it in auto.

rost12

In one of Walter Röhrl interviews regarding the GT3.2 and 991.2 Turbo S, he commented that he leaves it in Auto on track, as its "optimal".

Somehow the idea that it's better to leave it in Auto really irks, it's not what Driving is about for me.

Footsoldier

You are never going to upshift better than optimally programmed PDk software.
You may prefer to use the paddles, and I understand that, but won't make it faster.

CAlexio

in my experience, the pdk-s is the most intuitive and useful auto mode of any car i've tried between porsche, ferrari, mclaren. Ferrari hunts a bit and misjudges sometimes, holding gear too long or downshifting inappropriately on track. Mclaren is good, but still sometimes the algorithm second guesses you if you're not super smooth and decisive on throttle.. for example if you make throttle adjustments mid-corner. porsche pdk-s on the other hand is wired into your intentions.. nothing works better. on track, auto is ideal in my opinion if you're in a porsche. Ferrari i shift manually, which i hate with the fixed column paddles. mclaren it depends.. i think most drivers leave transmission in auto in general on track though..

Lapis

I’m a less experienced track driver, and at AMP this spring for Smokies GT, I left it in Sport Auto mode. PDK was great on track this way. It was hard enough getting the throttle, braking, and steering inputs right at my skill level, especially as I was learning the track, so I was relieved not to have to worry about shifting too.

When Tyler Hanzelman, a Porsche driver, took me on a few hot laps there in my car with him at the wheel, he shifted manually with the paddles and otherwise scared the living bejesus out of me, even though he insisted he wasn’t driving at the limits. I didn’t ask him whether he used the paddles for fun or because he believes himself faster using them than in PDK-S auto. Either way, a hell of a ride.