992 manual vs. PDK
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Joined: Nov 2019
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992 manual vs. PDK
About to order my new 992, Zuffenhausen pickup in May 2020. Waiting on the potential auto tariff deadline later this month, but doubtful that will kick in. Question for you experts out there - 4S with PDK or S with manual (or I guess vice versa but thinking these are the 2 real options for me)? Leaning towards the manual with rear wheel drive...any thoughts appreciated. Driving fun/re-sale down the road....Live in the Rockies but this will be a summer car, not a daily or snow driver although you never know about weather at 8000 feet. P
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Joined: Apr 2014
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From: Orlando burbs
About to order my new 992, Zuffenhausen pickup in May 2020. Waiting on the potential auto tariff deadline later this month, but doubtful that will kick in. Question for you experts out there - 4S with PDK or S with manual (or I guess vice versa but thinking these are the 2 real options for me)? Leaning towards the manual with rear wheel drive...any thoughts appreciated. Driving fun/re-sale down the road....Live in the Rockies but this will be a summer car, not a daily or snow driver although you never know about weather at 8000 feet. P
I loved every 6 speed manual Porsche I've owned, but absolutely hated the 7 speed on my 991.1 C2S, my 9th Porsche since 1970.
Iam now driving my first PDK Porsche sports car, my 10tg Porsche, in manual in either Sport or Sport+ mode. I have learned to let my fingers do the shifting. It's way faster, and not clunky! Love it!
If the manual were the close ratio 6 speed of the GT3, I'd be all over that!
But clunky 7 speed manual? No way!
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Joined: Jul 2001
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From: Marineland FL
I would take a manual with 20 speeds over a PDK. Do a search on the 991 Forum and see what those with the 7MT say, like me. There are always exceptions but if you are even debating which one to get you will be bored with the PDK so get the manual, and if it bothers you do not use 6 & 7 and you will love it.
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Joined: Feb 2009
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From: Newport Beach, CA and Melbourne, Australia
About to order my new 992, Zuffenhausen pickup in May 2020. Waiting on the potential auto tariff deadline later this month, but doubtful that will kick in. Question for you experts out there - 4S with PDK or S with manual (or I guess vice versa but thinking these are the 2 real options for me)? Leaning towards the manual with rear wheel drive...any thoughts appreciated. Driving fun/re-sale down the road....Live in the Rockies but this will be a summer car, not a daily or snow driver although you never know about weather at 8000 feet. P
Really in the end it comes down to what you and not others prefer.
Drifting
Joined: Aug 2015
Posts: 2,316
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From: Playa Del Rey, CA
The nubbin is a non-starter, so if I were configuring my dream build, the first box I would tick would be the manual option. And that is coming from someone who lauds the PDK and daily drives a 991 with PDK.
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From: Southern New Jersey
Both will be great cars. The PDK is going to be faster and arguably the better transmission. However this is something to be said about shifting your own gears. I own both a PDK and a manual and while the PDK is amazing, I still personally prefer a manual transmission in a 911.
Also, if you plan to keep the car for a long time, do a quick search on the cost to replace the PDK gearbox.
Also, if you plan to keep the car for a long time, do a quick search on the cost to replace the PDK gearbox.
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From: Eastern Pa.
Prior to moving to my current location I lived in Evergreen, CO at 8000 ft. I had four Porches during that time, two GT3’s (manual and PDK) a C4S PDK and a Boxster S PDK. In addition to snow every year in May and sometimes June, those summer hail storms and the amount of sand and gravel on the roads make a 4S a very practical option in my opinion. A wide ratio manual in a turbocharged car, even one without a lot of lag that makes good power at lower revs at altitude is another consideration. If I still lived in Evergreen I would have ordered a 4S with PDK and of course SPASM and RAS. After my move to Asheville (2500 ft.) I sold the GT3 PDK and bought a GT4 manual to take better advantage of the type of driving in these mountains, but after driving and owning a C2S 992 with its eight speed PDK I wouldn’t go back to a manual and find the car to be every bit as much fun and much quicker through the twisties.
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About to order my new 992, Zuffenhausen pickup in May 2020. Waiting on the potential auto tariff deadline later this month, but doubtful that will kick in. Question for you experts out there - 4S with PDK or S with manual (or I guess vice versa but thinking these are the 2 real options for me)? Leaning towards the manual with rear wheel drive...any thoughts appreciated. Driving fun/re-sale down the road....Live in the Rockies but this will be a summer car, not a daily or snow driver although you never know about weather at 8000 feet. P
PDK will have theoretically better resale. Does it really matter? We're not talking about alot of money. I've never regretted getting the exact car I want vs the car that the next buyer wants. You are already wasting money on a toy - go all out and get what you want.
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 1,560
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From: SF Bay Area
I would love both in a perfect world, but with this being my primary car, and with living in the SF bay area with our traffic, a manual would drive me bonkers.. you need to get what makes sense to you,
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Joined: Sep 2004
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I've never owned a 911 without a manual transmission, but I've driven PDK equipped 911s, Caymans, Macans and Cayennes and Panameras. I can't say that a manual is better than a PDK or vice versa. They're both great transmissions, and I'm glad we have the choice. The manual vs PDK debate will never be settled. Different drivers have different needs, and they should choose what's best for them.
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From: Doylestown, PA
The bigger question here is RWD versus AWD for Colorado. I am inclined to go 4S as you're invariably going to run into less than ideal conditions when you go adventuring.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2016
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On my 8th Porsche overall (9th was just completed at factory on October 25th & we are going to do ED in December). Have had 3 with the modern 7 spds - for what Im looking for out of my driving experience, three pedals will always be > two (and I spent most of my life in NYC so...not a stranger to traffic). No question that the PDK is faster but I think its not unlike the engine sound debate of the 991.1 vs. 991.2 where the latter is better in every quantifiable metric but some prefer the feel & sound of the former (heck, I may even buy another base 991.1 @ some point - they are REMARKABLY easy to work on for a modern car). Take away my third pedal and I feel like I might as well be playing Forza on Xbox One...😜