Akunob

karter34 (OP) is absolutely spot on with his observation! For the majority of MT .2 GT3 owners who don't track their cars and drive it mostly on the street, 95% of their satisfaction will come from the FEELING of being in a GT3 and rowing gears while only 5% of their satisfaction will come from actually wringing out the car's potential. On the street, in most driving situations, the GT3 MT is just 'meh' (who actually keeps their revs above 5K on the street for any length of time). How do I know, I took a ride in a buddy's MT .2 GT3 and he complained about the EXACT SAME THING (but he said he wouldn't post about it on Rennlist for fear of arousing the "Rennlist tribe" - his words -, who have placed the return of the MT in the GT3 on such a pedestal). The MT .2 GT3 needs to be opened up to be truly enjoyed and Porsche knew it. The release of the MT was just a $$$-grab for Porsche to generate buzz for the mid-cycle facelift 991 GT3, as the 25HP+/14TQ+, new aero and new tire wouldn't have been enough to get anyone interested. It was a calculated campaign to cash in on the buzz of the 911R (and along with the 10yr/120K warranty, quell the ghost of the early 991.1 GT3 engine issues). Doubt it? Look at the early lackluster feelings about the .2 GT3RS...'meh' with its 20HP+ bump and plasticky bits! 'Meh' would have been the same response the .2 GT3 would have received if the MT wasn't an option.

At the track, the MT is a joy and provides full engagement. On the street however, it is less than optimal and many are blurring the line between being happy at simply being in a MT GT3 for the sake of the MT and being happy at the driving experience it ACTUALLY provides. Frankly, the driving experience on the street is not that great, A Manual Transmission in a shorter geared and less higher revving Porsche would be 1,000x more engaging! I love all GT3s but we need to be honest about the driving experience, on the street in this car. We are not knocking the car, just being honest about one aspect of the driving experience. The overall car is a fantastic BEAST. However there is a reason Porsche isn't bringing the MT back in the RS nor likely in future GT3 models...

Psup4s

Bang!!!! Akunob, you have summarized and expressed exactly what others wouldn't want to admit. In my opinion, most .2 6speed cars will most likely spend more time on the streets rather than being a dedicated track car. I would still love to have a six speed GT3 though.

Bloose993TT

On a positive note, if the GT3 continues to not meet your expectations you won't be taking a bath if you decide to sell.

Archimedes

I wonder where people are driving their cars, where they can't wring their car's neck a bit on a fairly regular basis. I'm not saying racetrack levels of constant aggression, but geez I don't find it very hard to find times and places to drive my cars relatively hard on the street.

Airbag997

OP I think the issue is you bought a fake GT3. They stopped making real ones in 2011

erik_plus8

I don't understand. Why this M/T bashing now suddenly? Is the PDK experience better? I think the engine torque curve is the same, no matter the gearbox. Yes, I know the gearing is slightly lower in the PDK, due to 7 steps instead of 6. But you can still hit 9000 in 1st and 2nd at 80 and 130 km/h respectively. This is basically the same as for instance a Cayman GTS or a Cayman GT4, with the difference that those cars redline at 7800rpm... So the M/T GT3 is actually LOWER geared than some other Porsches.

Taffy66

Akunob has summed up perfectly why when it came down to the wire and i had to choose either manual or PDKS for my new GT3 i chose the latter.I have absolutely no regrets as the PDKS with its no overdrive seven close ratios makes it far more exciting to drive than the overdrive geared standard PDK..

FourT6and2

So the PDK does indeed let you wind out the gears a little better than the manual, because the PDK has shorter gears?

Is there an actual spec somewhere of the gear ratios between both transmissions?

GrantG

Gears are very similar between 1st and 4th gears for Manual and PDK. PDK really doesn't offer any significant advantage to staying in the power around town, except that there is less effort in choosing the correct gear (something I enjoy doing myself with Manual). The gearing starts to diverge significantly in 5th which is deep into triple digit speeds...

FourT6and2

I'd have to see hard numbers to make an accurate comparison seeing as how I can't drive both versions. I wonder if the dealership can provide actual specs? I'll have to call 'em.

GrantG

You'll have an easier time doing a Rennlist search - they've been posted. I just don't remember which thread (maybe 911R which uses same box, but lower redline). The difference in the first 4 gears between Manual and PDK is a matter of a couple/few percent at most. Not nearly enough difference to base a choice on that. I'm a gearing nerd and I'd tell you if PDK had a significant gearing advantage around town (it doesn't)

PDK has a more effective launch control and faster shift time and very slightly lower ratios in first 4 gears, but that doesn't do much for around town driving. Manual is lighter, has less internal friction, and is more engaging around town (if you like that sort of thing).

In 5th, 6th, and 7th, PDK puts engine at more effective revs for accelerating at very high speeds...

robmypro

It's just hard to fully explore this car on the street, PDK or MT. You get a glimpse here or there, but these are street legal track cars. And I am totally fine with that, even if I mainly drive mine on the street.

FourT6and2

Will do.

I think this whole thing is just about managing expectations. If you buy this car thinking it's a 500hp beast you can smoke people with at stop lights, you'll be disappointed. It's meant for taking turns fast, not drag racing. And as such, it will shine while going fast around a track. I'm not planning to track the car a lot. I will some. But for me, it's mostly about driving fun twisty backroads in the mountains and forests and such. I think it'll be fine as the experience I had in the GT3 RS was utterly amazing.

I remember years ago, a buddy of mine made me watch that Japanese anime, Initial D. I wasn't super into it, but I do remember a very specific moment from that show. The main character gets his car all tuned with a new engine and transmission and whatnot. But he didn't know the engine could rev to like 10K or something because the tachometer hadn't been changed. So he though hey this car is slow as hell. What's going on, there's no power. And then the guy who built the car tells him hey, it can rev to 10K. And all of a sudden the car is amazing and fast as hell once he gets it revved up higher.

Wild Weasel

I'm not sure that's true. Much of what he spent went to taxes.

fxz

try this

PDK-S car in first gear stopped
when ready apply 50% constant throttle
without increasing or decreasing throttle

pdk-s (you on mt?) become a funny machine gun 1st 2nd 3rd 4th in few
seconds without exceeding speed limits (not too much at least) so no need for 9krpms flat out on street