dark knight

As I slowly go insane waiting for the temperature to rise high enough to cquartz my car, I wonder about "flappy paddles" is it even an issue any more? and if they are for "grandmas" is it ok if your grandma laps the ring faster than you?
I'd like to think back to the heritage of the company, the company where it seemed engineering came first, we know the names Mezger, Bott, Barth, Singer, do I dare even say the name Fuhrmann, can you imagine them coming to Ferry Porsche, with news the PDK-S was fastest for the GT3, what would Ferry do? (WWFD) I can only imagine him green lighting the PDK-S and standing there proudly on the stand in Frankfurt as the car is introduced

Zulu Alpha

Short answer is, you have to experience it to decide. Not all flappy paddles are the same, just as not all H-gates are the same. Some are fun some are dreadful boring. The GT3 "Grand-ma Paddles" are a lot of fun JMO.

H82BL8

I currently have M3 with DCT paddle trans. I feel it has become boring and disconnected feel to the car. I am hoping gt3 will not be the same "feel"

Mike in CA

I think your "hope" will be fulfilled; boring and disconnected are among the last words I would ever associate with the GT3....

Road Racin

My f10 m5 has flappy paddles and I feel totally bored and disconnected. I DO love the look of the car but that's it... My gt3 is unreal. Total visceral experience. It is undescriable. But boring or disconnected it certainly is not...

dark knight

I've never driven a DCT BMW, my last BMW was an E39 M5, I loved it and still miss it, I love manual transmission cars and I love my PDK-S, it connects u to the car, to me its not selling out to love it or like it, and since its faster than the manual would've been, its the best choice….by the way when has anyone last seen a fully manual F-1 car?

w00tw00t

Just curious - and a genuine question - not trying to start a flame war or anything --> why would a M3/M5's DCT paddles be boring and a GT3s paddles be visceral and amazing? They both go "click" .. and the tranny shifts.. rather quickly.. whats the difference?

prestonr2010

I have both the GT3 and M3, which is a 2008, the first year of the DCT option. I think the most significant difference is the immediacy of the shifting in the GT3. There is a bit of a lag in the M3 version. It's possible this has been refined in recent years. There is also a non-linear throttle response in that car that takes some getting used to. The GT3 does not have either of these, being rather immediate and even harsh in it's responses (meant in a good way).

wanna911

To me the better off in auto will always be a deal breaker. The car shifts at speed better than you will. The flap paddles are like *****. Fun to play with but not really necessary.

Strimdog

Not even in the same realm. The GT3 is even more firm and shorter travel than the carrera or Turbo. Give it 500 miles or so and you'll begin to appreciate. I was hesitant but now am a PDK-S fan. It's the only way to go in this car.

Strimdog

What he said.

Road Racin

First, you can engage neutral with the Gt3 paddles and not with the M paddles... (Clutch kicks for Jeremy Clarkson style driving)

Second, I thought the DCT was brilliant. And it
Is but the PDK-a is just a little better, faster and more sure feeling. But it's a slim win to the PDK-S

Lastly, the biggest difference is the car not the trans. The M has detuned the driving experience. It's not the DCT making u feel removed, it's the BMW. My M is so docile I'm told they pump electronic exhaust sounds through the stereo to simulate a sportier feel. It's too plush, quite and blah... It's fast. Handles ok. I DO love 550+Hp of turbo but the driving experience is TOO refined. As car enthusiasts, Porsche speaks to that luxurious raw emotion. This is my first Pcar and I noticed it almost immediately in the 6mo loaner 911 they gave me. The GT3 responds like a mistress, not a wife...

Money2536

More importantly, why do car guys feel the need to talk like a Brit? "flappy paddles, petrol, nannies, boot?" I'm not sure why it bothers me.

Clocked

Just to add some what I view real comparison to the GT3 paddles and Ferrari Paddles. They are very close and keep you engaged at all times. These are not boring to drive. What is boring is to drive both these cars in automatic/PDK.

FORENN

What M3 iteration do you have? e92 or f80? Curious as to why you didn't go 6MT.

6-7 years newer and 2-3 times the cost, I would certainly hope the GT3's PDK-S would feel and perform better than the M3's first year DCT.

A lot of this has to do with the fact that BMW's iconic M cars (3 and 5) are now turbocharged with smaller engines. If you had an e60 with a V10 and MT, I imagine you'd feel differently.