I will add my 2 cents. I have driven manual transmissions most of my life and always enjoyed it. My daily driver is a Mini Cooper with a manual transmission. I bought my 09 C2S with PDK because I thought it was time to move into the 21st century. Most of the time I shift just like it was a manual, even to easing off on the gas between shifts.... it just seems more natural that way. But, when my wife is in the car I put it in automatic mode.... which gets much better gas mileage, too. If I had to choose, I'd keep the PDK.

 

oops

 

Do you track your car? Then you need PDK. I don't know why else you would want a 997 with an automatic transmission.

 

 

For those that prefer the PDK do you worry about the replacement cost in the long run or do you think that because of the proliferation of PDK units there will be a strong supply of spares at reasonable prices ?

 

The point of an occasionally driven pleasure car is to be enjoyed. If you aren't feeling it, don't keep it. There's no reason to fire sale, but for your benefit and the car's benefit, let it go. Someone out there is looking for your PDK and will give it the love it deserves. List it for trade. Lots of owners with a manual that may need/ want the pdk for daily driving or some other reason.

My 2c. Cheers/

 

PDK will never be cheap to replace. If anything, as the PDK evolves and the gen 1 versions of it go bad or needs repair, I think the remaining good ones go up in price. It's what at 14K right now for a remanufactured one? I don't see that dropping in price much long as Porsche and ZF (who makes it) does not let anyone but them repair it.

 

It's a point that is often missed around here. If you buy a 997 with a manual transmission... you may replace the clutch 2-3 times over the life of the car (some owners clutch may last 80k miles or more, some only last 20k).. at $4-6k (total cost) each time you replace the clutch... you are still at $8k minimum on clutch changes... but possibly as much as $18k. The cost for clutch changes are documented well on here. Anyone can look it up. In the end the difference in what you pay to own a 997 for 100k+ miles is not necessarily going to be any different. With a PDK you may end up having to pay that all at once. Thats the only real difference in potential costs even if you factor in pdk service.

 

the pdk is a porsche transmission production. The tip was zf.

as for cost they are probably less than a mt over the life of a car. You can swap low mileage used ones in that have warranty from 6 to 10 grand. You're much more likely to go throught that in clutches in a mt car than you are to replace your pdk

mike

 

 

You wouldn't be the first to sell their PDK and replace it with essentially the same car, but with a MT. I'm a MT guy through and through and wouldn't even consider anything else for my fun P-cars. Jusr sell it and get what you want with a MT.

There have also been too many PDK failures for my comfort level - its one of the things that is keeping me from buying a Macan Turbo. My comfort level is low though, because with a MT car you might need a new clutch or you might have an internal issue with the transmission, but both of thise are serviceable so you're talking a few thousand dollars at a time. With the PDK being essentially non-serviceable and it being a unit replacement, you're looking at $10-$14k in one shot or you have an expensive lump in your garage that can't be driven. I'd also do the clutch replacement myself and even have a new spare in the parts cabinet that would work in either mine or my wife's 997, since they're the same year and model. I bought it cheap from a guy who sold his 997 before installing it, so if planned for, and mechanically capable, a clutch replacement can be under $1,000.

Also, clutches last a long time if driven right. I didn't change the one in my Saab turbo until 180,000 miles. The one in my wife's 997 has more than 70,000 miles on it, changed by the previous owner 10,000 before we bought it. To me, unless you're tracking and being paid to save tenths or seconds per lap, or you drive in hellatious traffic frequently (LA, Atlanta, Chicago, etc) the MT is still the right transmission choice for these cars.

 

Why are these clutch job prices all over the map ? I've heard as low as $1800 and as high as $8000. Do they differ because of drivetrains, engines and or need to replace flywheel. Normally a clutch job assumes clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing. Anything else unique to Porsche ?

 

you can find used pdk for 6 grand right now with 10k miles on it. Id gladly do the install for a grand but either way it shouldn't be half the 15k job that some think they would need to spend through porsche.

 

 

I love the 09C4S with PDK and my wife and I will be making a 3,000 mile journey in it later this month with two destinations being large cities with large city traffic. But I also love MT Pcars so when I need a MT fix, I take out the 987S and drive it like the popo was after me. Fun, fun fun, especially the difference in a PDK 911 versus a mid-engine, MT 987S.
Priced right, your C4S will sell in a heartbeat