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I love the PDK transmission. It is truly amazing how seamless the shifts are and how you can shift mid-corner without affecting the balance of the car. Truly cool stuff.
For my DD, I love PDK and would hate having a proper manual. It’s a Macan. Have tracked (briefly) Macans and drive it “spiritedly” and would not like a proper manual in it.
For the track, if I was being timed against other people (or trying to win the HPDE “Championship”) a PDK would be phenomenal for that. I’ve tracked a .2 3RS and ridden as a passenger for quite a few laps on the Nordschleife in a .1 3RS and the PDK really shined there.
For my play car, I ordered my .2 GTS with a MT as I wanted to be completely immersed in the driving. I haven’t dropped in the HPDE Championship rankings and will still earn the same prize money at the end of each season. It’s worth noting that depending on the track, my car certainly isn’t slower than a PDK GT3, so “PDK is quicker for track use” isn’t universally true.
As others have said, get the one that you’ll like. Drive both, think about how you’ll use the car and go with what’s right for you. They are both amazing transmissions!
Love my PDK. Have been a long time BMW owner (M635 '85 x 2; M5 2002) with manual trans simply because old school manuals were always faster. But no longer.
Not only are the PDKs much faster, I believe they are safer as well. This car is so fast I want both hands on the wheel if I'm going to stand on it. It is also smart. Love the fact that in Sport mode the PDK downshifts and rev matches for you which is way cool in the twisties. My passengers are always asking me when we go the back roads "are you doing that?" when the car downshifts into corners. Can concentrate on braking points and turn down points much better in this car. All in all, makes for a safer and quicker back roads journey and is as much fun as I could want. Don't miss shifting manually at all and would never consider the experience as "uninvolved".
In stop and go Bay Area or LA Ca traffic, the PDK is much more pleasant. Rowing first and second gears in traffic gets old fast in a manual, not to mention potential clutch wear.
I beg to differ regarding safety. I have had two accidents at red lights and my wife had one. In all the accidents, a driver turned to get something from the rear seat and their foot slipped off the brake.. My vehicle was hit from the rear as their car lurched forward. Another time my master brake cylinder failed as I exited a highway. I was able use my manual transmission to engine brake. None of these cars were Porsches.
I beg to differ regarding safety. I have had two accidents at red lights and my wife had one. In all the accidents, a driver turned to get something from the rear seat and their foot slipped off the brake.. My vehicle was hit from the rear as their car lurched forward. Another time my master brake cylinder failed as I exited a highway. I was able use my manual transmission to engine brake. None of these cars were Porsches.
Not getting into the safety debate.... but you do realize you can engine brake using the PDK as well.
My first Porsche was a Cayman S manual. My second was a 911 pdk. I just purchased a 991.2 manual. Having tried both, i'm going with the lever. I feel more connected with the experience with the manual.
Bottom line is that the reason most people buy a sports car is to have fun. Unfortunately PDK destroys the fun factor for me, but I appreciate that it may enhance the fun factor for others.
The fact that a driver can do a lap faster with PDK vs MT is irrelevant to me. It certainly doesn't make the car more enjoyable to drive. As a matter of fact I derived more pleasure driving my first 911, a 1970 911S with its 200 HP engine and 5 speed MT, than modern 911s with all their computerized driving aids. That car would be ridiculously slow by today's standards, but it was a blast to drive.
Right. I don’t really think most modern manuals are all that visceral. Some are so easy that there’s no thinking to them. My GT4’s original gearbox was smoother than the recall gearbox, and the latter had a first to second grind that didn’t happen often but when it did was annoying. The only way to totally avoid the grind was to rev past the torque dip and keep the load going up before shifting. Not the kind of visceral you want. The worst gearbox I ever had was a Z4M Coupe, which was well known for a first to second grind. Totally ruined the pleasure of driving the car. Manuals are like wine. Sometimes the idea of it is better than reality.
Last edited by MidEngineRules; 10-27-2020 at 12:43 PM.
Sure PDK is faster, but from the track days I do, the transmissions aren't what's slowing people down... The driving is what's slowing people down. And IMO learning to drive a manual fast is more rewarding.
As much as I enjoyed my 991.1 S PDK, I knew I would feel more connected, and get even more enjoyment from a manual transmission. PDK is fantastic. In fact, spirited driving on back roads and other trails are perfect with a PDK. Allows you to enjoy the feel of the car more, I think. I felt like I was always missing something, and for me, it was having that manual transmission. I made the switch to a 991.2 GTS manual. Love the car. The exhaust note is ok, not great, but I’m waiting for spring time to change that. If you have any slightest doubt about a transmission, save yourself the headache and just get what you really want. That’s all it comes down to.
No regrets from me whatsoever. I have a 964 manual coupe which I love. In getting a 991 though, I actually wanted the PDK. My 991.1 C2S came with the multifunction steering wheel and I have to say that - for me - it robbed the PDK of any fun. When I changed it for the Sport Design steering wheel with paddle shift, it transformed the car. Rifling through those gears and feeling super fast shifts is actually a lot of fun. Maybe I’m biased because my 964 gives me the best of both worlds but I love the PDK.
I regret getting a PDK for two reasons... though, neither of them are the fault of the car.
After being a gymnast for about 30 years, I have done some serious damage to my lower back. When aggravated/inflamed, it is near impossible to use a clutch. Hell, I was lucky to even be able to get into the car at the height of things before my latest surgery.
I was married when I bought my 911. She insisted that if I got a Porsche it couldn't be a manual (so that she would be able to drive it), and eventually I acquiesced to the request. I'm not suggesting any kind of correlation in this connection, but a year later, we were divorced.
So, essentially, I hate that I got a PDK because:
I hate that I'm gettting old and forced to face my body's new limitations.
I hate that I caved on something that means so much to me for a reason that no longer exists.
All that being said, I actually do love my PDK. And, with the aforementioned medical issues it has been a true lifesaver.
I had manuals all my life, last one was at 2011 Nissan 370z. When I was buying it the guy asked is I wanted an auto, I was like you dont buy a car like this with auto. I went from that car to a 2014 Panamera with PDK and that totally changed my opinion of auto. Now I dont even consider a manual car and love my .2 PDK. Nothing against the purest, Im just lazy and have done enough shifting in my life time.
01-20-2020, 01:12 PM
