Montre

Hello everyone , I own a 2020 cayman gt4 manual and I am considering a gts or carrera s 992 7 speed manual. I was wondering if anyone has driven or owned both a gt4 manual and a 992 manual and how they compare in terms of clutch feel and shifting because I know my gt4 shifts buttery smooth and precise. So I’m wondering if the 992 manual would be disappointing in comparison. Also the 992 gt3 is out of my price range so that’s not an option for me

Denny Swift

Well, I only have 300 miles on my 992 GTS so not a true comparison, but compared to my Spyder, the throws on the GTS are noticeably longer, the "click" into each gear isn't as precise, the clutch take up isn't as intuitive, and the shifter on the GTS has a stronger urge to return-to-center. All these things may improve with more miles. The 7 speed is still a really nice transmission, but the 6 speed in my Spyder is perfection. Also, the throttle on the GTS doesn't feel as natural either so heel-toe isn't as natural. I haven't tried anything other than normal mode yet.

If the 6 speed didn't exist, the 7 speed would be one of the best manuals in existence, but unfortunately, I see a pretty big difference all in favor of the Spyder. Again, this is just my initial impression and the 7-speed is still a great transmission. I'll be away from the car for about 3 weeks so, I won't be able to update this for a while.

Fullyield

If you have any issue with your 7 speed, just install a Numeric. Best upgrade I have done.

Scott P

^^^^ This. I haven't even gotten my allocation on a C2S but this will be the very first thing I do to it nor have I driven either of the cars OP mentions but I have read enough to see the OEM 7 is a little weak in gratification.

Staffie Guy

I have an allocation for a C2S manual and anticipate it will feel better than my C7 corvette's manual, and I have no complaints about the vette's manual.

Interestingly, my DD is a Honda Civic SI and the stick in that car is a pure delight with short precise throws. I hope the C2S manual is better than my SI.

I digress, but if someone is looking for a daily runaround errand car, I highly recommend the SI as is a lot of fun to drive and gets around 32 mpg overall with plus 40 mpg on the highway with unrivaled reliability.

At 73, I could be one of the oldest SI drivers and could care less about image.

BlackBeauty

I had a numeric shifter on my 991.2 GTS then went to a Cayman GT4 and now am in a 992 GTS.

Numeric Shifter - lots of vibration from the cables, and no cushion when shifting gears, it’s a hard metal stop. Additionally the way the gear shift was articulated forward, created a minimal space that you could catch a finger on. Now was it epic from a shifting standpoint? Yes. I had the 1.5mm springs that loosened up over time,

GT4 - all the pros of numeric and none of the cons in terms of vibration or hard, metal on metal shift stop points.

GTS - great spring tension, perfect pedal set-up for heel-toe, IMHO the GT4 brake pedal was set-up higher for track use, on the street much harder to heel-toe. Shifting feel is a solid A, is GT4 an A+, probably.

In short, I would give yourself some time with the 7 speed, it’s really excellent.

aggie57

The 992 7-speed is a very good gearbox, vastly improved in the 992 over the early 991’s in terms of shift quality. Is it quite as good as a GT4 shift? Probably not, if you’re being super critical about it (I’ve only driven a GT4 once at PECLA, but spent 6 years driving manual 997’s so that’s my reference point).

In almost 2 years of driving a MT 992 I’ve never felt motivated enough to swap in a Numeric shifter. I’ve looked into it a couple of times but in the end for me so far the factory unit has been fine. It’s easy to use, the gates are well defined - even though very occasionally I do find myself having to think about which gear I’m going into more than say in the 997’s - and the clutch weight for me is good.

What you will find though is that while the 992 shares tall gearing with the GT4, the torque of the turbo 3-liter engine covers that well and you can drive it ‘lazy’ if you want. As in cruise around at 2,000-4,000 rpm happily keeping up with traffic, even miss 3rd and / or 5th completely.

The one place I do find it a little lacking though is on the track. I mean it’s perfectly usable, shifts fine and all that, but I find heel and toe is awkward because of the placement of the accelerator pedal. I’m 6’ 3”, maybe that contributes, but either way I just use the auto-blip there now. Whereas I can’t recall having the same experience in the GT4, certainly not in the 997 which was just a natural heel and toe setup. Mind you that was RHD so more room around the accelerator too.

Anyway, bottom line for me would be to suggest you get the 992 and drive it for a while as it comes. If you want a better gate setup swap in the Numeric shifter. Oh - remember the GTS has a shorter gear lever than the S, by about 10mm as I recall. Same gearbox otherwise but that will make a difference of course.

4carl

It’s amazing how Porsches improve shift leakage . I always remember my 87 career which is like moving a broomstick through molasses.
I had two GT4s and then a 992 manua,shift linkage in the manual 992 is not as nice as a GT four but it’s still very good. I now have a GT3touring manual and that feels different from the 992, very close to what the GT4 With a little shorter through. 992 manuals are very nice The GT four has a shorter through and a different feel not better or worse but different..carl

ipse dixit

Really not fair to compare a GT product with a non-GT product.

Richard_Wallace

I am on my second 992 variation of the 7 speed manual (2020 C4S coupe and now my 2022 Targa 4S), and have had 2 991 version of the manual (Targa and Coupe) as well as my Current 991.2 GT3 Touring.

Outside the 991.2 Touring, the 992 7 speed is the best iteration of the manual gear box of any MT car I have had outside pre 2010 F and L cars with the gated shifters. I will say the 992 balance of mechanical feel, clutch feel and shifting speed is excellent. It is difficult to get much better than what I think Porsche has done with the MT.

My only liking would be a little shorter throw in the 992 (I have not done the numeric shifter) but that may be the ticket for a bit shorter throw like the GT3 cars. I also wish the 7 speed would be a 6 speed, but hey - we still have a MT - so I will not be the one to throw stones, as I am happy to have a MT in the 911 .... For now.

spyderphile

Great feedback everyone. Like OP, I'm also debating whether to dump a 981 gen Spyder for the GTS Cab MT. Due to a screw up by the dealer, I was given a PTS allocation for a Spyder instead of a GTS Cab. The build got locked in 3 days without me knowing about the allocation at all. Yes, I was on both the lists with deposits paid and Demand Orders created. Anyway, that's a different story. Now, I'm debating whether to offload the 981 gen.

Here is a question regarding the neutral gate: In a Jalopnik review, the writer has the following comments:

...........Seven speeds is just too many speeds. The centerline of the shift pattern is between 3/4 an 5/6, so instead of letting the shifter fall to center and going straight up into third, like you would in a traditional 5 or 6 speed, you have to jog left and up to hit third or right and up to hit fifth, making for awkward searching in casual driving. If things are getting aggressive, it’s less difficult to find the next gear, but I still found it unnatural. In fairness, I have felt this way since the 7-speed launched ten years ago, but it still bothers me.
...........

So, to summarize above statements for emphasis, when the shifter is in neutral, can you not move up (directionally) straight into 3rd or down into 4th, in a straight line, as you would in a 5 or 6-speed?

Thanks.

aggie57

Not my experience. It's sprung laterally to the 3/4 plane, just not heavily. Think of it as a 6-speed box with an overdrive hung out to the right.

brianja

I couldn't disagree with that Jalopnik writer more.

Your is exactly my experience in my 991.1 7MT and 992 7MT. 7th is way out to the right... almost a mirror image of reverse.

A418t81

I like the sound of this. I have a very sportily optioned 7MT C4S coming to tide me over until the 992 RS arrives and I thought the 6MT in my old touring was about as perfect as it gets. I had a 718 GT4 as well and was thoroughly underwhelmed with the gearbox in comparison (as well as the motor) to the point I sold it after two months.

spyderphile

Thanks guys. So, just to confirm, you are able to shift straight into 3rd or 4th in a straight line from neutral, without jogging left or right? Odd that a Jalopnik reviewer would get this basic routine wrong! Thanks.