NJ991

You’re questioning yourself right now and I’m telling you,110% wait it out until you find the manual you want. When I purchased my first 911 a few years ago, I went with a PDK, because the car had everything I was looking for, minus the manual transmission. But I figured I’ll get used to it and it’ll be fine. It was amazing, and if I was tracking the car, I would stick with the PDK, it’s that good. But, for what I do, a manual transmission is necessary. I’m telling you now, if you buy a PDK in this current market, you’re going to be overpaying by about 20k, and after a year or so you’ll be looking for a manual and possibly by then the price of cars will be back down to what they were, and at that point your bathing in the loss are going to take. Keep looking. Might take a while, but it’ll come up.

Martin S.

From what I have gleaned, later model Porsche cars, post Tiptronic, with manual transmission, are in fact PDK DCT with a complex shifting mechanism allowing for manual gear changes. So like it or not, if you have a late model manual transmission car, you are getting PDK DCT. I have owned seven (7) Porsche cars in the past. The last three (3), a 2015 Cayman GTS, a 991.1 and a 911.2 GTS have been PDK automatics. Why did I drink the PDK automatic "Kool Aide? They are faster for one thing (See URL below), and it is impossible to do a 5th to 2nd "money shift". I have lots of fun with the paddles too. For those nay sayers that just have to have a manual, take a sporty drive in a late model 911 with PDK and Sport Chrono, preferably a 991.2 or later. Floor the accelerator and punch the PSRB Button on the Sport Chrono dial, up to 20 seconds of over-boost. Another biggie for some of us, driving in heavy traffic is a snap with a PDK auto...and your left lag won't get tired.

Take a look at the following from a reputable publication: https://www.total911.com/seven-reaso...r-than-manual/

As we know it all comes down to personal preference and emotion. Those that have to have a manual transmission, that's what they're getting and no argument will disuade them. Although a sporty drive in a 991.2, or 992 PDK automatic may cause some doubt as to the superiority of a manual PDK over an automatic. Me for one, I am never going back to rowing gears.

flsupraguy

Manual here, even in my cup car

NiteJav

I've had both, pdk and manual. PDK 991.1 and manual 991.2. Both are awesome for different reasons. If you enjoy a little analog in this world going all digital the manual is the right car for you. If you want the best lap times or 0-60 launch or drag strip run, PDK all day. If you plan to drive in constant stop and go crawling traffic, I would lean more toward PDK. If your commute is back roads and fun bits of twisties and you want some connection to the car, manual. If this is not a daily driver or a second car personally for you get manual. The only reason I went 991.2 is I wanted manual. I had the option at the time to get a 991.1 in manual but it was over 600 miles away so out of convenience I went 991.2. (this was like October of 2019)

AdamSanta85

I went through same as you when shopping for my car, always had manual, never a dual clutch, left transmission up to fate and ended up in a PDK, 2.5 years later and I am ready to be back in a manual.

desmotesta

Same story here.. found a car that had everything I wanted but a manual, told myself I will get used to it. Loved the first few months playing with lightening fast shifts, launch control and still enjoy it when driving pretty quick. But 2 yrs later I am ready to be back in a manual. My .1 GTS will soon have to find a new home

jets

Thank you! Found it in Oakville.

The fact a list is needed says all I need to know In the end whatever transmission makes you happiest driving the car is the right one.

MaddGTS

I thought so. I saw the same one as well. Nice to meet a local enthusiast!

BSO

My 2 cents worth.

I have a manual 911 and wouldn't want a PDK with one exception and that would be track use.

I've driven the 911 PDks and manuals at the Track Experience through four of their classes and the PDK is superior to a manual in all respects. So if I tracked a 911 it would be a PDK but I don't so a manual is a must.

Also there's no launch control with a manual so if that's a need you have to go PDK.

Ran into the same lack of manual inventory in 2019 when searching for a used 911 and ended up ordering instead.

Good luck.

Tpup

A lot of good feedback here. I have owned many (30+) Porsches, Ferraris, Lambos, Vipers, etc and all were manual until 2018. I then purchased a .1 GT3 and that was my first PDK experience. After my wife indicated that she wanted to drive it I traded my .1 manual C2S for a .2 PDK C4S which we both drive. Frankly, I like it. I shift at the shifter (not the paddles) and it's fun and I love the quick shifts. Still love manuals but I can drive my GT3 Touring, my old Lotus, or one of the race cars for that experience. If I had one car that was a DD and track car it would be PDK. A big part of that is I live in traffic hell and I'd rather not drive a manual in that and the PDK is amazing at the track or on fast roads. While I understand the comments about engagement the PDK allows you to focus on your line, braking, and accelerating without having to deal with shifting, rev matching, etc.

If I really wanted engagement I'd get a Lotus Elise. Any modern 911 is so fast I'm committing a felony to be entertained.

Watson

If you really want a manual and are OK with waiting to find the right car, I would suggest you wait until you find the right car. I waited for 4 years to find a 991.1 in the exact spec I wanted and I am glad I did.

I mostly drive on open roads and every gearshift is a pleasure so I don't really need the PDK to help me for track usage.
Yes, shifting in traffic is a chore, but doing this chore in the seat of a 911 makes it bearable, all the more if you add the soundtrack of the 991.1 NA engine - PSE is a must of course :-)

996scott

Thanks for all the feedback, really appreciated. This just confirms i need to just keep waiting for the right one to come along. It's not like i'm in any kind of hurry and the searching can be kind of fun. The manual makes the most sense for me; i don't commute so i'm not stuck in traffic, It won't be a daily driver, and i only get to the track for a DE once or twice a year at the most. Thanks again for the responses.

eonflux

Good decision.
Manual transmissions have been becoming rarer, and EVs are accelerating that trend.

Previously had a manual 987.1, so thought I'd give PDK a try given all the rave reviews when I got my prior 991.1.
Overall, PDK is really good for an automatic, but I ultimately found it to be boring, and often wished I had gotten a manual instead.

When it came time to get back into another 911, no way would I get PDK.
The manual in the GTS is a significant part of the experience for me.

jfischet

sorry, i've heard this argument before and its like saying that PDK and manual both use gears so they're the same. i engage and disengage my clutch with my foot and select the gears with my arm, that's the manual part, and the fun part.

cheers.

PatrickBateman

I have a PDK991.1 and I would rather have a manual if I could choose. I like my car so I’m not gonna go through the hassle of selling or trading it, but if you could ask me whether I’d want to make it manual tomorrow at the snap of a finger, I believe I would do so.

On the flipside, I think I would regret the manual for daily duties, but since that’s not the case for this car, I can’t say for sure