Jerry991

You can get an automatic battery watch or an automatic that has a mechanical movement - the battery watch is cheaper and works just as well but it just isn't as cool.

chuck911

Have you considered.... http://jobs.gm.com/key/corvette-desi...eers-jobs.html

rglbegl

Page 11 . .. ... nice

MJBird993

Well, I never left MT, I had a 911 (997) when I had the Panamera. And I doubt that my dissatisfaction with the PDK is as rare as you think it is.

The Panamera, as a whole, is a wonderful car. It really does many things well. One thing it is not, which is part of where I went wrong, is a luxury car. It's not a BMW 7 series, or an S-class: it's a very large Porsche. It was quiet, powerful, handled great, but it was down a notch in the comfort scale and quality of interior materials. F&F was excellent, I had few mechanical or electronic issues with it, except for the PDK, the stupid hill holder brake and it drank oil like a ... like someone who drinks a lot of oil.

Noah Fect

Perhaps, but if that's the case, it seems truly unthinkable that we wouldn't hear about it constantly on here. There is always an argument in progress about the merits and future of the manual transmission, but it's seldom informed by people who have tried both and gone back. For everyone who has gone from PDK back to stick, there are a half dozen who have gone the other way, willingly or otherwise.

008

Yes, but car purchases are usually seldom for most people. With DCTs becoming truly popular only relatively recently, I wonder if those folks that bought later gen 997s or 991s will want to make the same choice in 3-5 years when they look to get a new car only to find that choice not available. I know the M division was concerned about not including a manual in the new M3/4. It may be more than we hear about on enthusiast forums or it my be statistically irrelevant, time will tell. I can say I am genuinely interested in sampling the new PDK-S in the GT3.

rglbegl

So does anyone think they will actually get rid of the manual gearbox? (The one with a clutch pedal)

Art Caputo

Two years ago I would have thought absolutely not. Not sure now. When a company starts to believe they know what the customer needs more than the customer does, anything is possible.

chuckbdc

Actually, its the market (that aggregate customer) that is speaking clearly by selecting PDK over MT. I would guess that if Porsche was not part of a larger corporate entity, it would have to abandon MT faster. Being Porsche, it will probably offer MT as an "Exclusive" Trans-to-Sample" before giving up on it altogether.

Art Caputo

If this thread is any indication of the market I would be suspect of your assumption.

rglbegl

PDK, or whatever the other companies are calling it, is a real buzzword right now.
How can a salesman sell you a $200,000 car without a few buzzwords?

"You will be cooler than your friends and associates."
"This is the future, so owning one makes you smarter."
Little easier to justify a higher price when your car has something that most others don't. But what happens when all cars have it? Then what?

I do agree the automatic in most cars will become a more complex shift-able auto than they are now.
But I also think that any car company that wants to sell cars will listen to the buyers and build what the buyers want

chuck911

Its no buzzword. Its for real. And yes the manual will be gone.

It will surprise no one for me to say I really cannot understand anyone not only not wanting PDK but celebrating it. It would be one thing if PDK had been implemented in a way that sacrificed any of the advantages or flexibility of a manual. But instead it sacrifices none! Burnouts? Check. Manual shifting? Check. Coasting in neutral? Check. Shift lever? Check. Every- excuse my French- dam thing the MT guys claim to covet- CHECK! The [I]only thing missing[I] is the clutch pedal- oh and the ability to burn out said clutch, botch gear shifts and blow the motor. That's all. For this a small clique stands ready to fight on till they pry the shifter from their cold dead hands? Yes some day a few years from now the last MT 911 will be sold. But something tells me years later still we'll be reading posts reminding us of nothing more than the Japanese soldiers found in caves fighting on for the Emperor years after everyone else had moved on from a war long lost.

Edgy01

In the future the MT cars will be harder to steal--thieves are dumbing down to the point that they can't drive a stick shift and will abandon trying for one with an automatic. That's a great plus--along with starting it on a hill when the battery is weak!

rglbegl

Still say it is a buzzword.
Ya'll got sold.

It is sad that a large group of true driving enthusiasts will never again buy a brand new Porsche. The new breed of buyers will still be there, but many will leave for greener pastures. If Porsche can't see that, they will lose out on a lot of money.

And for anyone who wants to throw in the "Well Porsche is the most profitable car company out there", I will agree. All you need to do is have a few cool buzzwords then a fool and his money will soon be parted. I am sure Porsche would like to thank every new car buyer for overpaying so they can be profitable.

neanicu

PDK fan boys are wasting their breath with this thread...it is a known fact PDK is better than Manual in every aspect,so why bother... The Kool-Aid is flowing,there's plenty to be had...
This thread is for us luddites...and we sure as Hell enjoy every drive and every shift! Porsche is not the company that it used to be back in the days,it is just a subsidiary of mother " garbage " VW...so in the end...who cares what they'll do with the transmission...