Dealers rarely have manuals in inventory,because most buyers want automatic,cooled/heated seats,cappuccino machine and deviated stitching. People are not true enthusiasts anymore,they are poseurs who buy the name,not the car.
Also,when they do have a manual in inventory,they generally sell it quickly. I guess because they are rare.

 

You certainly have a point about the changing demographics of the 911 buyer, and that in part is driving the PDK sales. I have been driving 911's since the mid 1980's with about 6 BMW M3's thrown in the mix. They have all been manuals and I swore I would never buy a sports car with anything but a manual.

However, I decided to try a PDK in my new 991 GTS. I will have to admit that I really like it and it is a fantastic piece of engineering. The PDK is so good, that I do think it has converted a lot of previous manual owners, not just a change in the buyer demographics. I do not think I will ever go back to a manual, and likely in the near future I won't even have that chance on a new car. I still understand the desire some have for a manual transmission, and happy Porsche still gives us that option, at least for a while.

 

I understand.

After this year's purchase,I won't be interested in much of anything coming out,unless it's something special. And unfortunately " special " means limited and very expensive. Not in my price range for sure!
I think the future for me and the like is represented by custom companies like Singer. Of course,not in the price range they're selling at the moment. But I'm sure as they grow,they will target a wider market.

 

Lol. I'm similarly conflicted by the rev-match function in the GT4/ Sypder. At first I couldn't get used to it, but I've been using it at the autocross to downshift into first. So fast... People were sure I had PDK.

The critical difference with rev-match, however, is that you can switch it off. It is less pure, but the choice in many ways gives you the best of both worlds (for me). I owned a PDK and went back to manuals- I found it lost too much interaction on the street. Switchable rev match I'm liking. Perhaps that's my guilty pleasure, ie PDK.

 

I agree. When seconds count, I would use the auto blip function, otherwise I blip myself. A good compromise between PDK and manual - even if it is weighted towards the manual.

 

Dealers rarely have manuals in inventory,because most buyers want automatic,cooled/heated seats,cappuccino machine and deviated stitching. People are not true enthusiasts anymore,they are poseurs who buy the name,not the car.

To be fair there are a number of reasons for choosing PDK. For example some people use their Porsches as DDs, and if they encounter stop and go traffic on a regular basis, an automatic makes sense. Others may want to use PDK to get their best lap times at their local tracks.
I have nothing against PDK except for one factor: cars with autos are boring to drive. Automatics have been around for over 70 years. They were boring to drive when they were introduced and they are boring today.

 

My 991S Cab with manual trans sat on the dealer lot for 10 months, they couldn't move it. That was great for me, because I got a heck of a discount on it. It will probably take me forever to sell it though....roflmao:

 

My post was obviously a generalization of PDK buyers out of frustration with the direction the market is taking. But one needs to recognize,as GSRIM3 very well pointed out,that the pool of 911 buyers has changed a lot. And not in the direction that somebody like myself thinks is where the sports car market should be heading.

 

You got the proper gearbox and a discount! WIN WIN in my mind!

 

most used 7MT 991s sit at the half dozen local Porsche dealers for what seems like months and months vs their used PDK sibs ...in an area with 5-6000 local PCA members smack in the middle of perhaps the world's most iconic sports car driving roads !

and you would think by the discussions here that prime 7MT 991buyers would be the non poser used buyer car guy type looking for bargains off 2-3 yr " poser leases " to trade up from their MT older 911 ....there are thousands of the latter around here

perhaps they are worried that 7MT first owners drive their cars harder than PDK " posers " so prefer cream puff PDI ones ..or messed up synchros from poor technique or clutch is about to go after lived its life slipping away on steep SF hills ...you name it

 

There are a glut of manual GTSs coupes and cabs around the Maryland/VA dealers at the moment. Good deals available for self appointed purists.

 

Absolutely. I purchased my first 911 in 1970. It was a very, very spartan car, but being a pure sports car, Porsche buyers expected a no frills car. A 991 on the other hand has far more in common with a Lexus than it does with early 911s.

 

I think in the used market, where price points drop considerably, the 7MT cars might be more desirable assuming good color combination. If the 997 Turbo used market is any indicator, 6MT cars are always priced higher than their TipTronic Counterparts. But I guess PDK is much nicer than Tiptronic.

Anyways, there are MANY "enthusiasts" or Manual Purists that cannot afford the 120k+ for a new 991C2S.

 

Manual trans 991s are less than 10% of the sales of the 991's, that means 9 out of 10 buyers will take a pass on one on a dealers lot because they want a PDK. Can't argue with the numbers...

Best part for me though is the comps. The PDK is what...a $ 4,200 option? In five years or so the manual trans car will be worth the same used as a PDK car....and quite possibly more if they stop making them.

 

What are you observing?