race7117

I currently own an M3 with DCT and couldn't wait to drive it. My previous car was a 997.1 carrera with 6MT and I loved the DCT when I first bought it. On the track and on the street tons of fun. After 6 months I was simple bored and ached for my 997. Test driving a 997.2 only intensified my feeling but I decided to wait for the new 991. As all the first models were PDK, I took a test drive and yes the PDK is substantially better than the BMW DCT. Smoother and far better performance and of course, much faster. I still pined for that Manual gearbox, I feel a sportscar is just that, for sport. As such I want to have as much fun as I can and for me that means rowing in myself. Guys and gals with PDK certainly have a great gearbox a certainly better performance than I can muster, but I'm not winning Le Mans anytime soon so I'll just sit and have as much fun as I can. Only 5 more weeks and I'll be at the factory picking up a 7MT for myself. I'll kindly request they still manufacture the Manual for us old timers!

rodsky

Well said. I completely agree.

In my 32 years of driving, this is only my second non manual. So nobody needs to lecture me on a manual transmission. The 32 years does not include the years before I got my DL and those were also spent driving MT's. Suffice to say, I've been there and done that. Will I get another 6 or 7 MT, maybe?

But for someone to come on here and tell me what is and isn't fun, that's laughable. I have a lot of fun in my PDK. You decide what's fun for you, I'll decide for myself. Some people have fun, washing their cars. I cant stand doing that. Just another example of how we view things differently. I will never tell anyone what to pick and what may be fun to you may be different to me.

I say, pick what floats your boat. If anyone feels the need to denigrate others choices, perhaps they have issues

neanicu

IMO I think the best way Porsche can still satisfy all preferences is to introduce a Sequential Manual transmission(used in racing) if they plan to drop the H pattern manual tranny.
Here's a quote :

' A sequential manual transmission (or sequential manual gearbox) is a type of manual transmission used on motorcycles and high-performance cars for auto racing, where gears are selected in order, and direct access to specific gears is not possible.

With traditional manual transmissions, the driver can move from gear to gear, by moving the shifter to the appropriate position. This type of transmission is often referred to as a H-pattern because of the path that the shift lever takes as it selects the various gears. A clutch must be disengaged before the new gear is selected, to disengage the running engine from the transmission, thus stopping all torque transfer. In auto racing, this process is slow and prone to human error; hence the development of the sequential transmission. A true sequential transmission will very often use dog clutch engagement rather than the more usual synchromesh as fitted to a normal H-pattern road car gearbox. Engagement using dogs only requires a very brief interruption of engine torque to complete a shift into any adjacent gear. This allows shifting between gears without the use of the clutch. The clutch would normally be used only for standing starts.
Sequential manual transmissions are true manual transmissions, and should not be confused with automatic transmissions that provide some degree of user shifting input. One commercial example of this type of automatic transmission is the Tiptronic transmission. User shifting through buttons or lever does not necessarily mean that the transmission is a manual transmission. '

Da Hapa

Amen.

sapman

Have you ever driven one?

neanicu

If you mean a sequential transmission....No.

Rushman71

Good luck trying to unload your manuals in a few years. You may as well order it without A/C and without a starter motor too! LOL

Steve (so tired of these threads)

AGO

Manual is more fun to me. Drove an m6 smg for 3 yr, only fun on the occasional track drive, That's how I decided to go analog with .2gt3. Pdk is great, not as fun to me as the manual... But I'd understand if you prefer the flappy paddles

sapman

I can only surmise that you are trolling.

Mike in CA

I don't get why you are bringing up the issue of automatic transmissions and selecting gears sequentially. It gives the impression that you are unclear as to how PDK actually works. It's nothing like a conventional hydrualic automatic with fluid coupling or torque converter (Tiptronic). It is effectively a direct coupled manual transmission that has dual clutches and automatic shift capability. Like the sequential manual you mention, there is no interuption of torque when shifting, due to preselection of gears on each of the two ouput shafts, and gears are selected in order just like a sequential manual. For all intents and purposes, PDK works like a sequential manual and for a road car, offers other advantages that a racing type sequential box couldn't provide.

jmm

More taste? Less filling!

jcf7

I’ve only had 2 p cars, 997’s, two leases, total of 176k miles driven with a manual transmission.

I picked up my 3rd lease last week, a 991S w/PDK. After 500 miles, I can tell you that I’m in love with the speed and smoothness of the PDK. There’s no thinking and dancing about shifting. You rocket into space with a flick of the thumb.

I don’t know, maybe I’m not seasoned enough as a [real] sports car driver for my opinion to have any weight, but the sheer thrill I get blasting away so effortlessly makes me a believer of the PDK.

pedsurg

its the "so effortlessly" part that concerns me

jcf7

Good point. I understand. It is like cheating.

mlambert890

This thread was sort of careening downhill and hit rock bottom with the suggestion that Porsche should go backwards, drop the dual clutch, and return to sequential even as their competitors, Aston Martin, BMW and Ferrari, are just now emerging from the pain of sequentials (SMG and F1 anyone? No? Anyone?) and are now enjoying success (and satisfied customers) with their dual clutch options

Why is it that the "pry the stick from my cold dead hands!" crowd seem to have so much ego, anger and bitterness wrapped up in it? It's like a religious or political debate this tired topic, and that makes no sense.

There is no one on a hard core enthusiast sports car forum that hasn't owned and enjoyed a manual trans car in the past! If you want a manual, keep buying one. Is it some fear that if too many folks go dual clutch there won't be any around? If so, sorry, not my problem. I, like most consumers, don't adjust what I want to spend my money on based on how I think it might impact the market for what someone else wants to spend their money on.

There have been millions of manuals made. The old ones will be around forever even if manufacturers do ultimately cease production of new ones.