Thinking about selling my 997.2 C4S coupe...am I crazy?
05-07-2018 | 08:16 AM
#31
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 552
Likes: 147
From: ---
Being European and brought up with manuals more or less my whole life (including taking driving classes and driving test in a manual) I went from a MT6 996 C4S to a PDK 997.2 C4S and would never for the life of me go back to anything manual.
I personally do not get the excitement around the whole manual thing when you have a choice between a manual and a PDK, but taste and preference is individual so if the MT makes you tickle all the right places it's a no brainer I'd say.
I personally do not get the excitement around the whole manual thing when you have a choice between a manual and a PDK, but taste and preference is individual so if the MT makes you tickle all the right places it's a no brainer I'd say.
05-07-2018 | 02:33 PM
#32
Rennlist Member
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 269
Likes: 1
From: Indianapolis Indiana
Great points. I just had the PDK service done along with a couple of other items about 2 months or so ago. It definitely smoothed out the shifts. I will say that the gearbox itself is a bit rough. Clunky shifting down low, especially when the car is cold. Smooth as silk once it's warm and at shift points above 3,000 RPM.
I've done a bunch of research into this and it's apparently the character of the 09 PDK. My understanding is that because it was the first year they introduced the PDK transmission, they didn't have it quite as refined as they do in later model years.
Thanks for your perspective and for the well wishing. I usually move on to a new car without this much consideration but even with my PDK misgivings, I know I would miss it.
I'm so hard core a manual guy my vanity license plate reads "Heel Toe"...and I was still "this close" to getting a PDK.
05-07-2018 | 07:09 PM
#33
Rennlist Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 8,821
Likes: 3,253
Yes, I will not own one out of warranty. That fear is mostly due to having our Boxster engine have issues with the IMS bearing and needing a new engine. I currently have a year and a half left of CPO on my car (bought it in January) and will most likely put a 3 year Fidelity warranty on it when I am done with CPO. After owning it for 5 years, I have a feeling I will go and try something else. If I was buying something to keep forever, it would be a manual due to reliability only. I prefer PDK.
05-07-2018 | 07:12 PM
#34
Rennlist Member
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 8,821
Likes: 3,253
My opinion is if you want a manual, go and find a manual. You wont be able to stop thinking about it until you get what you want. I spent 6-8 months specifically trying to find a PDK car in the spec I wanted. I ended up finding that car, but I couldn't have compromised on transmission choice, it is too big of a part of the car to compromise on. Like I mentioned, I will most likely end up buying a manual car in the future if I decide to keep something long term but for this car, I specifically wanted a manual. I had tried both before I bought and vastly preferred the PDK.
05-15-2018 | 11:12 PM
#35
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 121
Likes: 35
I really appreciate everyone's insight, so I thought I owed to it anyone who contributed to let you know where I landed with my decision. Oddly enough, this topic has gotten a fair amount of traction, so I thought I would close the loop.
I went ahead and launched an ad with the intent of selling the car. After going back and forth and actually speaking to a couple of potential buyers, I've decided to hang onto it, at least for now. It is simply too special. Even with the PDK, the car has the right mods, I know the history and it ticks all of the boxes for me with the exception of the transmission.
When I really started to imagine the car being gone - along with everything that would go into finding and buying something as nice to replace it - I decided that what I really need to do is hang onto it and simply find something else to join it in the garage.
So...I've been spending time looking at early 986 Boxsters (with IMS bearing upgraded or room in the price to cover it) as well as e36 M3's...in manual, of course. We'll see where that takes me, but in the meantime, I'm simply going to enjoy my 997.2 for what it is and drive the hell out of it.
I went ahead and launched an ad with the intent of selling the car. After going back and forth and actually speaking to a couple of potential buyers, I've decided to hang onto it, at least for now. It is simply too special. Even with the PDK, the car has the right mods, I know the history and it ticks all of the boxes for me with the exception of the transmission.
When I really started to imagine the car being gone - along with everything that would go into finding and buying something as nice to replace it - I decided that what I really need to do is hang onto it and simply find something else to join it in the garage.
So...I've been spending time looking at early 986 Boxsters (with IMS bearing upgraded or room in the price to cover it) as well as e36 M3's...in manual, of course. We'll see where that takes me, but in the meantime, I'm simply going to enjoy my 997.2 for what it is and drive the hell out of it.