I am looking for a little bit of insight from those of you the track your GT3 a lot. I have a 991.1. I am not familiar with tracking this car versus my previous cars. First time. Taking it to summit point this weekend. So here’s my question, do most of you find the PDK sport mode is the best thing to be in and then just manually downshift ( ie. Coming out of a turn and you’re just not at a high enough RPM that you want to be at) with the paddles if need while keeping in in auto ? I don’t know the track well ( Summit) so I don’t wanna be having to pay attention to my shifting 100% because it’s a little bit of a tricky track and technical to a certain degree. So my thought is PDK sport, trust in it, except for when it’s just not putting me up at Max torgue when I need it coming out of a turn ( after exit) at certain spots I might have to downshift one, only because I’ve have seen and felt at that PDK what does not downshift As aggressively as I would like sometimes but I understand the rationale why so you don’t spit your rear out and lose control, hence my reason for paddling down in gear if I feel like I need to be a little higher in the RPM range. Any thoughts experiences comments and suggestions coaching, greatly appreciate it.

 

I never felt the need to shift manually with the PDK-S in the GT3. The programming is VERY smart.

 

Good question!
I am relatively new to PDK after many years of tracking a manual, no nannies car.

PDK sport. Yes.
Auto? Not quite IMO.
I admit that the PDK is almost telepathic. Key word being "almost", especially when going full tilt I found, where on a (very) few occasions it would unexpectedly upshift midway through a long sweeping corner adding noise and drama to an already exhilarating turn. I cannot deal with a transmission doing it's own thing especially on technical circuits.

My suggestion is to leave in manual unless learning a which way a brand new track turns, and build up your own shifting reference and "rhythm". Knowing what gear is best going in and out of a turn is part of knowing what you're doing at the track.

I also found that shifting the car yourself really helps in "staying ahead of the car" rather than letting it get away from you.

Can't wait to hear others comments!

 

I don't think many of us can beat the pdk in auto but I also track / drive in manual... Much more fun and I'm there for the fun.

 

The one thing that keeps me in auto mode on track is the upshifts. It's tough to take the car to redline consistently manually shifting it. Bouncing off the rev limiter occasionally messes with the "Flow" for me.

 

Manual mode all day long. Do not necessarily require or want the car to shift at redline every time.

 

PDK Sport for me and I short shift occasionally if it's being obnoxious.

 

Thank you for your replies and opinions comments etc. Very helpful. I’ll probably use PDK sport auto, and go up or down in gear if I feel the need with the paddles while leaving it in sport auto. But I agree with one of your comments strongly, that if I’m concentrating too much on my shifting, that will mess up my flow of following my Apex lines etc. and not losing the turn and calling Hagerty insurance to submit my claim. LOL

 

You can still manually shift the car in full auto but there is a delay built in until the car goes back to the auto program. I short shift into 4th going by the sound booth at Laguna and have to remember to downshift under braking into T6 back to 3rd or the car will lug tracking out of the T6 apex in 4th. I've considered running full manual on sound restricted days because (as DHI mentioned above) that sorta takes one out of attack mode.

 

Very informative. Thanks so much. Any other pointers on Summit? I have cub sport twos on the car the standard tires to come on the car, and it’s going to be about 50° partly cloudy. Not sure if you remember what speed you’re going into turns at etc. Any details you can share will give me a jumpstart

 

Good approach. The sport+ mode works really well in the GT3. Especially as you learn it, let the transmission do the work and just grab a different gear if you find yourself facing a shift mid-turn or something like that. I only have a half dozen days in a new to me 2016 GT3 (tracked a 2015 S before that). In the S I was in full manual mode, in the GT3 I haven’t seen the need yet and still have lots of other things to learn and focus my mental bandwidth on.

 

if you JUST want to shift, then manual
if you want to go FAST, auto. you WILL NOT OUT SMART IT
they only time PDK misses up is user error

EX: you go into corner way too hot. then you brake, it downshifts for you. then you realized you scared yourself and slowed too much, then floor it.... NOW PDK is a bit confused BY you.
if you just hold the throttle it will be in right gear, you may hit the wall b/c you got in too fast. but PDK is in the right gear.

if heavy racing traffic, when u are 6" off the guys rear, he brakes, he jam on binders. PDK gets lost.
but you are not racing

other than these weird situations, leave in auto.

but I konw how satisfying it is to pull the paddle. so if you are not chasing the time, go ahead and have fun with the paddles.

 

Great points. I do think at the far end of the bell curve, really talented drivers benefit from paddles. Their talents are more than the PDK. But that is like 1%, the rest of us are mere mortals.

By way of example, the PO of my 2016 GT3 has done a 1:24 at our local track, faster than most RSs and Clubsports (street car record was a 2RS driven by a professional driver at 1:21). He uses paddles. He also does things in the car I’d never be able to do (I run a 1:30 at the same track).

 

at the outlier, then it depends on situation.
two factory drivers..... PDK is faster, but they used paddles... its more fun...

 

The guys @ Porsche Track Experience @ Barber told my advanced driving class that none of us were good enough to be smarter than the auto sport mode computer. When you brake, the car downshifts. Fast forward three years and + 6k track miles later, my coach told me I wasn’t going to get to 21 on COTA without using PDK. My suggestion is start with auto sport, and when ready to alter the downshift timing or need to shift early, like before turn 10 @ COTA, then leverage the flexibility of PDK. I do have a tendency to over rev with PDK, usually when I’m trying to impress the folks in the garages, which makes me feel like an idiot. Fortunately, the car just goes into neutral until you shift out, unlike the manuals, who’s owners seem hell bent on buying new engines.