ZF makes the PDK for Porsche.

 

991.1 manual is mediocre (feel is bad) and the clutch is heavy. 991.2 is better. Lighter clutch and the shifter is more precise but can’t rush it and the throws are long. PDK sucks the joy out of driving. GT3 manual is nice.

 

I have not heard many people say the clutch is heavy, and I certainly do not think so, and it is far from mediocre to me. That is why one has to drive it and decide for themselves since many of us have different interpretations of the manual. On the otherhand, most say the PDK is great, especially if all you want to do is use your right foot.

 

It was a 981 Cayman loaner at the same time I had 981 CS manual. Regardless I have also had quite a bit of seat time in the 991.2 with PDK, Panamera, Macan, etc. They all feel like automatic transmissions after 10 minutes.

It is really a side bar but ZF has done a very very good job of designing their BMW 8 speed to have a giant range of capabilities on their M cars. It has a better feel in auto mode than most PDK’s I have driven. When shifted manually in sports plus the shifts are crisp and fast and the converter clutches are locked solid. It will hold a gear, not automatically downshift, etc. As fast as PDK? No. Does it need to be? Not really for me.

End of the day, I am a diehard manual fan. If I cared about track times I may feel differently I guess.

 

Seriously, the reason to have a PDK is because it shifts faster? That's absurd. Sure, it certainly does, but at what cost? It's at the cost of a visceral, old-school, feel-the-road, feel-the-transmission, one-with-the-car and road feeling. Unless racing cars is your profession, there's no reason other than being "practical" to have a PDK, in my opinion. And if you need to be practical, then you should probably look into a minivan, which, by the way, always come in automatic, just like PDK, only somewhat slower.

 

Our '18 Scat Charger has the ZF 8 spd tranny. It really is a great automatic. One of the best out there imo.

 

No regrets although there are times I miss shifting.

 

Really?
After 13 Porsche 911 variants all with MT I chose to own one of the new TT cars. Guess what only comes in PDK. And I can tell you it's no mini van.
Does it shift faster, by a mile. Does it shift more efficiently, without a doubt. When I run it in manual mode in sport plus do I feel engaged and in tune with the car believe it or not I do.
Took me a while to make the switch but after owning 4 previous TT generations all MT I wanted a 991 version. After driving it now for several years I love the car and the tranny.
Just because some of us took the leap does not mean we don't have the same intensity for our cars. Does not mean I lost my love of MT cars I just now appreciate both.
I'm sure the transition from horses to cars drew the same types of responses.

 

I suddenly lost the ability to drive a MT 5 and 1/2 years ago. Had a 991.1 MT c4 and had to move to an Audi RS5 (I couldn’t manage getting in/out the 991 anymore). I appreciated the RS5. It was a fun car, but not a 911, not even close.

After 5 years of exercise, I went to the local dealership to buy a Macan for my wife, I tried getting in the showroom 991 and viola, I could do it. I immediately started looking and bought my tt (CPO ‘17) last spring - my first PDK 911.

Before the 991.1 c4, I had an 07 tt with a short throw MT. Under full acceleration, I had less than 1.5 seconds to shift out of 1st before I hit redline. A bit of a scramble. My current tt is much more fun to drive. In sport or sport + mode, I find the up shifts and down shifts to be almost mind reading. I wouldn’t go back to a MT if I could.

That said, I think a MT 993 or 964 is vastly better than the tiptronic (I’ve never tried a sportomatic), but it’s my only option once I get another garage space. (BTW, the vette has a 2 speed powerglide - the way it was built. Given the stock 283, most modern minivans are faster, but I love driving that manual brake and steering car).

 

I like the .1 clutch feel but felt the throw was a tiny bit long so added the gt4 shifter and now it is perfect. That being said i am a long distance cyclist and my last car had an RS single mass flywheel setup (which was work).

 

I would never buy a car with a PDK. My mother has a 997 c4s with one, and its boring as hell. Sure it slams the shifts in sport plus, but clicking a button/paddle in no way replicates the experience of shifting yourself via a mechanical linkage. If I was an unskilled manual driver or trying to maximize every 10th on the track, then sure, give me the PDK for a track car. For anything on the street, give me a stick.

To make my point, I'd rather drive my 2000 BMW 328 with a 5 speed manual than any 911 with a PDK, GT3 included

 

1st - PDK = Automated Manual. (Not a true automatic). I hate it being called an "Auto" like it's got a torque convertor or something. lol. No where near that type of tranny.

Threads like these just prove yet again that we are not all pre-programmed robots that all have the same programming.

Like or hate a PDK vs. Manual....Who cares but YOU?? it's YOUR car!!!

There are days I absolutely LOVE driving my VW GTI 6MT at 220 hp vs. taking my 600 hp Turbo S with PDK. Other days it's the opposite.

So, OP.... Drive both and BUY what YOU want..... Close thread!

 

If every thread that had disagreements in them were closed we would have very little to read here!

 

lol. I guess I should have put an "LOL" at the end...Meaning, I was just making a point, and not really wanting him to close thread.

I agree. Sometimes the arguing / fighting is more fun. lol

I stand by my first post in this thread... Own both and it cures the issue.

 

Love the PDK, does everything great, and still have control over the engine when i want it and can relax in stop and go traffic when i don't. one thing that will be keeping me away from the 992 however is the lack of a shifter away from the paddles in the cockpit. that's a huge design error. i put the pdk in manual within the first second of turning the car on, and constantly use the stalk to shift the car. shocked that they did away with that option. it legitimately will keep me in a 991.1 until it's fixed