I think it is great that Porsche has finally offered this transmission and departs from the tip. I'm sure it is nice piece of engineering.
I personally have more than a handful of other p-cars on the list to buy before a 997 with PDK.

Here are my thoughts on what I have seen in pictures and read (which is limited):
-Wish it had paddles
-Wish they would ditch the Volvo-ish PDK shifter/selector thing
-OK, I will say it, I wish it was more like the F-car with paddles and lack of stick in the center!
-Overall very exciting they are putting the PDK in the 997 and taking the performance to the next level.

 

I think it's great that they finally utilized a technology in their production cars that they have had for 20 years. The button arrangement sucks and needs paddles. Notwithstanding the lack of paddles they need to reverse the shift action on the tunnel shifter to the proper sequential arrangement. Of course we have to realize that we are enthusiasts and this system is largely being marketed to people who will never shift it like you and I after the novelty of it wears off. While I most likely would not get a shifter setup like that I think it's pretty cool.

 

Agreed. There are many sport sedans that come to mind which would have an easier transition to this style automatic. IMHO the sports car buying public isn't quite ready for the automated manuals just yet. Granted, there will be the day, just not in this decade.

When ordering a commuter car a few years ago, and with an eye on the automated manual gearbox technology, I ordered a MY06 VW Jetta TDI with their DSG gearbox. My .02 says the DSG is a winner! The driver can positively engage the engines torque curve in their driving style, easily modulating this with the accelerator pedal. There are plenty of superlatives to go around for the PDK/DSG gearboxes and a few weaknesses. However it’s this technologies relatively inexpensive cost and the 1-2 MPG increase in CAFE numbers that have manufactures’ going to the trouble of ditching the torque converter automatic. The manufactures ZF, Getrag, BorgWarner (DSG) and others all have “dual clutch gearbox” or automated manual offerings coming.

Would I order a 997.2 with a PDK gearbox - Not bloody likely! On second thought,, maybe with the 997.2 Turbo car…..

Disclaimer: the closest "automatic gearbox" vehicle my wife and I own is a John Deere 855 3cyl diesel estate tractor. Its a hydrostatic transmission. Other than the recent VW, I can't recall owning a car that wasn't a manual. Long live the 6sp...

 

I think PDK will be huge for Porsche and open some new markets. Like turbos where a fair per cent of the market are tips, I foresee strong penetration for all models.

Would like to drive one first, before commenting my preference, but from I read, think would like it a lot. Driving with on-going stop and go congestion is not much fun with a six speed, especially when someone is ~ 2" from your tail.

 

PDK = Automatic. 'Nuf said.

 

We'll,,, automatic in the sense the PDK is two manual gearboxes with automation control. BIG difference.

I've asked the local Porsche dealer for a heads up when they have a 997.2 w/PDK gearbox for a test drive. Cuz it ain't an automatic.....

Could be a hoot?

 

When I had my Italian fling three years ago, I was "sold" on the F1 transmission by the salesman as the greatest and bestest. After three months of ownership, I realized I had bought my first automatic sportscar. It was right there and then that I decided to sell it and buy another Porsche...manual of course.

 

Same here. Back in the early day's of the 993s rollout, a Porsche floor salesman had declaired the "tiptronic' was the greatest, next best transmission. Not Bloodly Likely was my thought IIRC.... A sports car with a driveline incorporating a torque converter and I'll pass!

That being said, these Dual Clutch Gearboxes are significantly different and vastly refined as compared to the sequential F1 and BMWs SMG of recent past. These DSG style/type gearboxes are lightning fast, super smooth and elegantly smart in their operation. Hey remember the 8-track, the Phillips cassette, the VTR and now,,, what were twenty years + into the digital age. Progress man..

 

At $4k, its kind of over priced. Personally I wouldn't get one, but for those that are physically unable to drive a car with a clutch, its a nice upgrade to the tip. And from what my salesman says, a lot of customers that can afford a new Porsche are older and can't drive a clutch for whatever reason.

 

There are some huge advantages to PDK
in normal mode the shifts take 0.5s, 0.4s in sport mode, reaction times are 0.04s and 0.02s respectively

try that by hand

 

why have to use "buttons" for the PDK shifts, same questions for BMWs. (except the M cars)

there most be something behind.?!

 

Mike: I agree with your comments and maybe I'm being too harsh. I've driven the Audi system which is very similar to PDK and it is very quick. So was the F1 I had. I did racing school in a formula car with a sequential box. Trust me, I get it.

The problem for guys like me is that I rather have an engaging car that requires me to work (manual shift) vs. the quickest shifting box. Systems like PDK are fun for a while but eventually guys like me will miss the clutch and manual shift and realize they've bought an automatic. That said, I think it will sell well in NA as most people on this side of the pond have bad traffic to contend with.

 

Oh God does the "backward" way of shifting suck. Radical is so intuitive to pull back to upshift. The smart, being the other way? Uh.......NO.

Whatever the PDK truly is, once you've driven a sequential anything else is stone age. Just don't take away my clutch pedal; still like to heel and toe!

 

The CEO of BorgWarner (BWA) was on CNBC just now; he was bullish on their stock ~ no surprise there, eh. The Dual Clutch Transmission was one of several products mentioned in support of his elevated profit forecast. Three cheers for the PDK, DSG, or DCT as these gearbox types are generically known.

I’ve been driving the 93 to my little girls’ school these past few days, yeah,,, Porsche baby seat and all, car line too! Anyway I’ve been giving some thought to our PDK gearbox thread ~ My thought is given the overwhelming GT flavor of the current 911, an emerging trend since the 996 car, that a PDK gearbox could be a nice fit to this series 911,,,, Where the gearbox technology and the 911s GT chassis character are in resonance, refinement for the lack of a better description. (For many, yesterday’s style “Tiptronic” automatic couldn’t pull this off. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, it’s a duck, err automatic.) The 993 series car in combination with a PDK gearbox would be difficult to imagine I would think ~ hypothetically speaking.

Hey Louis J ~ I read somewhere you are on the Porsche sideline, at least for a little while. Don’t stay away to long... start now by thinking of the 5th Porsche (993?). All the best.

 

Hmmm...faster 0-60 times, better fuel economy, technically a manual transmission that has the convenience of an automatic, and 60%+ faster shifting than the tiptronic. On paper hard to knock. I will be test driving PDK cars next week and will share my opinions.