NoGaBiker

In my case and several others, it's not that we are defending PDK. We are defending Porsche service advisors. Since I don't know you, and I don't know the SA, I wanted to point out what he no doubt goes through every week with poser wannabe fanboys coming in and wasting his time talking about their awesome manual transmission game. Even though I'm sure that wasn't who you are, it's highly likely that's who you looked like to him.

And of course I don't mean physically; I mean that you could very well have fit the pattern of people who waste his time but don't actually buy Porsches. You said yourself you're not going to order one. And we all know that the SA doesn't have any say in what the floor mix looks like. So think about it: his only chance of selling you a 911 is the slim chance he has of talking you into taking one that doesn't have to be ordered, which means PDK.

As Archimedes pointed out in post number two or so, seems like he did about the only thing he could if he wanted to try for a sale. And of course, he quickly cut to the heart of the matter and didn't waste any more of his time on somebody who could not possibly buy a car from him since you only want a manual that's on the lot and they don't have one.

johnmhudson111

Being a former car salesman (not a Porsche dealer), you always offer a deal on what you have on hand, if the customer doesn't like what you have then you offer to locate a car that matches what they want at another dealer, finally you offer to order a car for them only as a last resort. You never imply that the customers wants (which equal needs) are wrong, your job is to satisfy their needs and sell them a car. Having a conversation about how a PDK is faster around the track is no big deal but if the customer wants a manual box then find them a manual box.

I personally prefer the PDK in a 991, I have driven manual Porsches all my life and if I were to buy and older Porsche model that did not offer the PDK as an option I would buy the manual.

Noah Fect

Why not just stomp on the dead pedal with your left foot before you pull the paddle?

I got the nice aluminum one, much more involving and engaging than the standard equipment.

JW911

I have to say, I am a former diehard manual transmission driver. But I love my PDK. And I drive in auto mode 99% of the time, in sport mode. With PSE on. The shifting is that good. And I find shifting manually without a clutch and a shifter to row just boring and awkward. It is easy to forget which gear you are in. And it just feels disconnected when you are not doing the real work yourself. In my mind I chose an amazing automatic transmission that loses no power to the slippage of a torque converter or slowness of a shift. The shifts are instantaneous yet smooth with instantaneous transfer of torque. No doubt the best automatic transmission in the business. At times I do miss my clutch and shifter. But paddle shifting or nudging the console shifter just does nothing for me. To each his own. I'm just sharing an alternate experience.

NoGaBiker

JW, for me at least, it's not the "shifting" that causes me to shift manually. It's the fact that I know exactly what gear I want to be in and the computer doesn't. Not under continuous wide open throttle track conditions; it's better than me in that situation, which is why I use automatic for track or spirited mountain driving. But I'm better then the computer in road driving because I know exactly what gear I want to be in and it doesn't. It wants to be the most efficient, and I usually want to be the loudest and rortiest. I want to maximize burbles and crackles on decel. I want to be in third gear, not fifth gear, when I am anticipating jumping into that slot that's developing in front of the garbage truck in the left lane.

But the act of shifting itself? Meh.

Dan Nagy

Actually, I am surprised how many manuals my dealer orders for the lot. The PDK is such a wonderful transmission, I can understand why people love it.

I have had MT's since I've had my driver's license. Even after all these years I am not that great at shifting gears, but I do enjoy it.

bkrantz

Resistance is not futile!

But, here's what we MT true believers are up against:

1. More and more buyers, including those who consider themselves sports car people, don't even know how to drive a MT.

2. More and more buyers, by choice or necessity, live and drive in places with constant choked-up traffic. When I commuted in Houston, I still drove a MT Boxster, but that's me.

3. Porsche engineers, in relentless pursuit of increased performance, finally produced an auto transmission that is faster than a MT in most situations.

4. The sales people (as in the story from the OP) can't help but reinforce these trends, whether they believe in MT or not.

c_Gio

Long live the MT

visitador

...Before you guys forget, the manual is actually a child born from the PDK. So, all you manual guys are saying is that you enjoy the dynamics of pumping your left foot. Good.

...and before anyone accuses me of not knowing the wonderfulness of manual...let me ask how many of you guys learned to drive with a 3 speed on the column manual Ford Fairlane?

Curt Wohlgemuth

I read the exchange in the original post a half a dozen times in reading these responses. Nothing there tells me that the SA is a DB, or anything other than someone who seems to know what he's talking about, and giving his opinion.

Not denigrating anybody's else opinion.

Selo

Covfefe.

Porsche_nuts

lol

bizwiz

I actually learned on to drive in 4 on the floor VW Type 2 Microbus, and a Ford Torino with 3 on the tree. I drive a 991.2 CS4 Cab with MT today

NoGaBiker

WHY are you getting so defensive about your precious PDK???

Keadog

'69 GTO 4 speed Hurst 400ci in hilly SW PA. My best friend at the time spent the summer of '69 converting his hand me down '63 Galaxie with 3 on the tree to 4 on the floor with a kit he had won. Got it to work too.
I drove the GTO from '69 to '73, when I traded it on a '70 E type roadster 4 speed. Drove both cars year round. Sold the Jaguar to help pay for grad school and drove a '70 Corolla 4 speed MT in grad school. Taught my GF (still wife 41 years later) how to drive a MT on that car. That experience almost kept our kids from being born, but she can still drive a MT if need be.