Valkuri

Yes. This was a simple, direct market assessment by Porsche. Nothing wrong with that, but let nobody get all wound up about this being 'not an automatic'. Many people who can afford $100,000 automobiles have little or no interest in driving a manual transmission: Probably in part because they are clustered in metropolitan areas, where manuals are more an annoyance than advantage; partly as well because a diminishing proportion of the US population, at least, know HOW to drive one.
It's an automatic. A really, really nice and efficient automatic. If I bought a 991 now in addition to my 996, I'd get PDK. Why? So my wife could drive it, and remove the 'NAY' vote in the house. Period.
Is it .03 seconds per shift faster than a manual? Probably---and, I don't care. I don't race. I will never, EVER see the listed top speed of my C4S (174, I believe?), and as such would never see the top end of a 991.
Two pedals. Not manual. It's an excellent system, and broadened Porsche's market appeal. For some, one or both of these things are very good.

Archimedes

Then almost every race car in every top level race series around the world, and almost every high end exotic sports car sold, is an automatic. Whatever you want to call it, it's a very high performance gearbox that can be shifted manually, faster everywhere than a manual and, at least to some, more fun. To each his own, call it what you want it if it makes it easier to sleep at night.

Archimedes

Anyone who can't tell the difference between a slush box automatic and a high end DCT gearbox isn't really relevant to this discussion, as the current generation of DCT gearboxes are light years removed from even the crappy Steptronics of Porsche days past. If you can't tell the difference, that might be why you're so stuck in the past.

mathfuzzy

After over 30 years of almost exclusively driving manual transmission cars, I bought a DCT GTI a few years ago and used it as my daily driver for 15k miles. The first night I had it, I went to bed thinking I'd made a massive mistake and should take it back the next day, pay whatever necessary, and get a manual version of the same car. But I didn't and stuck with the DCT, but exclusively used it in manual mode. And after a week of doing this, I found it basically the same as driving a manual transmission car, only less fatiguing in stop/go traffic in the Bay Area. My wife never uses it in manual mode and loves driving it. Basically, we're both happy to drive the car and it behaves very differently as a fully automatic or manual with an automated clutch. Kind of great, really.

With a year of experience driving the GTI with DCT, I was ordering my BMW 435, which is available either with the 6 speed manual or the apparently superb ZF 8 speed automatic with torque converter. And, as much sense as it made to order it with the 8 speed automatic, I wasn't excited about the car until I decided to get the MT, and then I was completely pumped about the car. The gap that I couldn't jump was the idea that I was going to drive a torque converter car. Where on the GTI I was okay because it was a dual robotic clutch, I could never get used to the idea of a torque converter based transmission. In my mind's eye there is a big conceptual and actual difference between a robotic clutch-based transmission and a torque converter based transmission.

For reasons I can't explain, when I was ordering my GTS, the transmission choice seemed obvious to me. And in keeping with the intent of the thread, I don't think that what made it obvious to me would make it obvious to every other true enthusiast given the same choice. I honestly thought I'd get s PDK when it came time to get a 991, but when the decision was in front of me I chose the 7mt.

fast1

Actually this discussion will be moot in another five to ten years when 100% of the cars will have automatics, and the only input from the driver will be to either type or speak a destination. There's no doubt in my mind however, that Porsche will have the sportiest driving programs.

reuben991

I really wonder if this boils down to your personal history and "sticking to what you know and love" i.e. it's irrelevant that the PDK is faster and more convenient (offers both automatic and manual shifting) since at the end of the day it doesn't have a clutch pedal and regular shifter.

Penn4S

Figured it wouldn't take long to degrade into this level of discussion. I thought this was about choice and why someone chooses one over the other not about whose choice is better or whose thinking is archaic.

Here are my thoughts. If you can drive the car without shifting at all if you choose, it's an automatic, not bad just an automatic. If you can't drive it without manually steeping down on a clutch and engaging the gear, it's a manual. Call it what you want even with all the great technology and being a former PDK owner it is great.

I choose MT. Just my choice not because I think PDK is terrible or for rookies just because I prefer to make the gear changes myself.

DNorby

the only car that I have ever owned that had an automatic transmission was a Panamera. Most of my trucks have had automatic transmissions. A Beetle, two MG Midgets, '71 Firebird Formula 400 (sold it for $300), a couple of Toyotas and a 350Z roadster-all were manual. When looking for a used 911S, I had to get the manual. If I were getting a sport sedan, truck or SUV, the choice would be an automatic. Would you want a motorcycle with an automatic?

Winegums

Didn't take long for the MT fanatics to bring the level of maturity down in this thread.

DNorby

Sorry, I guess I did not understand the point of the thread.

Green_Hornet

I believe the thread was to determine if PDK drivers are socialists and the Manual drivers are fascists.

Porsche_nuts

funny

maxpowers

I can tell the difference, but most people I've talked to that have driven the PDK automatic haven't stepped out of the car saying "what a revolutionary piece of technology that truly offers the control and fun of a manual with the convenience of an automatic". They've just said it's a fast and in sport plus an abrupt shifting automatic.

I've also never heard of anyone saying they enjoying pushing the paddles as much as shifting a manual car.

That being said, I believe the whole point of this thread was that we can all peacefully coexist (until wanting the other 2 pedals and steering wheel make people accuse you of being stuck in the past). I didn't realize that wanting to drive a car using the same inputs as in 2007 makes you stuck in the past.

Noah Fect

Remember that a transmission is something that shouldn't exist in the first place. A transmission -- any transmission -- is an ugly workaround for a bug in the way internal combustion engines work.

The best transmission, almost by definition, would be one you don't even know you have.

mathfuzzy

That was basically my point - that it's not a right vs. wrong / good vs. evil / true enthusiast vs. poseur choice.

I really love the act of shifting with a clutch. That's my thing. I'm glad I was able to buy a new Porsche with 3 pedals. Hopefully this will continue to be an option for several more years. Place your bets.