CChung

I just test drove a 2016 GTS wirh PDK and have a few questions for owners:
1-I feel about a half second delay in upshifts even in sport plus mode between the time you pull the paddle to when you feel it shifts. Is that what you find too? Downshifts are instantaneous.
2-The center lock wheels are beautiful but concerned about their practicality. Do you need to go to a Porsche dealer to replace the tires or are there many independent tire shops that can handle center lock wheels? And how long do you find your tires last, especially the rears which I'm sure wear faster than the fronts.
3-Are center lock wheels more prone to get stolen? Have you heard of any cases of theft? Thanks for any replies.

fastdiablo

shifts vary depending on how aggressively you're driving and what RPM you are at. shifts are slower like you describe at low RPMs and slow driving, but shifts above around 2500-3000 are instantaneous, especially if you're on the gas. i find the faster and harder i'm driving, the faster the shifts.

Centerlocks are not practical, but they make the GTS a GTS and not just a powerkitted Carrera S. IMHO. you can toss a torque wrench/breaker in the frunk for road trips. dealer for tire changes, which you're probably want to do with those expensive rims anyway.

Most folks get around 12-15K miles on the rears, but that can be much higher or much lower depending on the driver.

PatrickC23

Oh the center locks, I fought with this one also. I went back and forth, in the end, chose to get them because they make the GTS special. For me, there was just something missing without them especially since they were a no cost option.

I dread the day I get a flat, but then again it's not like you can dump a spare tire in the 911 like I did my M5, so chances are i would have to tow it anyhow.

As for theft, I would think they are less likely to be stolen due to the same reason we contemplate getting them, they just aren't quick and easy to remove. Much smaller audience selling them also.

GSIRM3

Another vote for the CL wheels. I had a 997 GTS for 3.5 years with CL's and my current 991 GTS with CL's. Never had an issue with them, and they do look great. I go to my dealer for tires since he will match Tirerack prices, and I trust them with my wheels more than a tire shop.

rxtrom

I do not have a tire shop around me that I would trust with the GTS anyway so I will be bringing it to the dealer, maybe drop ship tires from tirerack to them when the time comes. They are a cool dealer but not everyone has that experience. The CLs are a look, they do not serve any specific performance function. They are also probably a theft deterrent unless the thief prepared with the right tools and you were targeted. At that point they may even take the car.

The shifting thing there are too many variables. I am surprised the salesman let you put the car in Sport Plus on a new PDK. That is basically redline for each gear. Take the car out again and upshift under acceleration. However the PDK is faster at shifting than the paddles. I tend to use the paddles to downshift if I am going slow into a corner and want to accel through it the PDK will not always downshift unless I am in sport plus.

Good luck.

GT325

While the CLs are certainly one of the special things about the GTS. The widebody and alcantara interior are other things that are also special and make the GTS somewhat "more" than just a powerkit S.

Anyways I went with the 5 lugs on my GTS makes for MUCH easier track day and winter wheel changes. That being said the CLs look great if I didn't need to change wheels often I would have gotten CLs.

c_Gio

All are awesome. CL's are a little awesomer. But I live in SoCal. If I had to put on snow tires every year.....eeesh. Not sure.

No issues 5k miles in.

Local tire shop has breaker bar--and they were pretty legit. Even had a nice old dog chewing on a tiny tire as a dog toy.

Dealer = plan B.

NoGaBiker

WRT the shifting question: if you are in Normal, Sport, or Sport+ and just farting along, the shifts are "intelligent" enough to know you're not in a hurry and they are correspondingly gentle. But if you get over about 3/4 throttle, when you pull the upshift paddle it is brutal and as close to instantaneous as the mind of man can devise at this time. But you shouldn't be experiencing that yet, either on the demo or on your own GTS, till you've got a thousand miles under your belt. (not meaning to open that can of worms! )

Point is, trust us -- you won't be lacking for instant manual shift response once you're serious about using your right foot.

CL tools cost about $500 iirc. You'll want to order a set and throw in the trunk when you're travelling away from home and may not have a dealer close by.

NoGaBiker

You did realize the PDK can be shifted manually in Sport+ at any rpm, right?

rxtrom

Yes that is why I made the statement. Why was the car in SportPlus unless they were redlining the PDK. If he was just shifting manually the car in sport, PSE on, is just as good.

NoGaBiker

Actually, I don't believe that's accurate -- there are other parameters changed by SPORT+ that can make a person want to use it even when not running to redline. Which is why I drive in Sport+ about 85% of the time. Most noticeable difference is the nature of rev-matching and burblefarts on manual downshifts. Loosening up PSM's traction control interference is fun for those times (no more than once a day, I promise!) when you want to break the rears loose a little bit on a 180 degree u-turn, which I have to do to leave my office and head east (direction of my home.) There's a median so I have to go up to the light, then u-turn and head back east. Goosing the throttle just right allows for some righteous tail wiggling!

Dan Darst

When I was pondering center lock wheels on my build, I asked myself, of all the cars on the market, how many offer this option. So I gotm.

If you already have a half inch torque wrench that goes to, say 150 pound feet, you can, for about two hundred dollars, get a Neiko Pro 03715B torque multiplier. It's planetary gear set multiplies input torque by 3.3, but with a 10% mechanical loss, they generally market it as a 3:1 multiplier.

Dan Darst

Center lock torque spec I believe is 443 pound feet.

shellbmb

What is the weight difference, if any, between the CL and 5 lug? I've searched for it before, but could not find any exact numbers. I would assume it's negligible, but just curious. That CL mechanism is quite robust although they do have it on the GT3 cars so that makes me think it's a non-issue.

Gleek48

It's a non-issue unless you or your installer doesn't lock down the center nut enough and engage the lock. I think they look cool, but are a pain in the butt.