When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
No need to put a geezer in a manual car for that race. The PDK has faster accelleration than a manual car even with a pro driving the stick shift. Sometimes technology trumps skill.
Interesting that OP mentions he wanted a Manual Transmission car but "settled" for PDK
I Posted a thread several months ago regarding Manual vs PDK preference and also market value and I wonder how many PDK owners have "settled" for PDK because Manual Transmission cars are harder to locate?
In any case I hope OP's PDK issue is relatively simple and an quick easy fix. Hate hearing these stories.
Hey groovzilla, always enjoy your posts. For nearly 30 years of driving MT 911's I felt exactly the same way you did, and never would have even considered an AT. Then, unfortunately, I got old. I settled for the PDK because my knees are shot and I deal with LA westside traffic. I was skeptical at first but have become a believer (always in Sport mode), the car is a joy to drive and the transmission is nothing like the old slushboxes that I expected. The adaptive intelligence seems like it's reading my mind regarding shift points if I'm not shifting manually.
Yeah, failure cost is high, but the failure rate is very low so if you look at it across the fleet the average cost per owner is lower than MT (due to no clutch jobs). That's little comfort if you happen to be the unlucky guy who has a complete failure and needs a remanufactured $14k transmission though. There's one electrical part in particular inside the PDK (distance sensor) that Porsche refuses to make available and insists the transmission be replaced if it fails. We've been digging into it and the electrical component that can crap out is a $3 part so were trying to get more info to give folks a DIY option. The good news is that these failures are rare, and when a PDK malfunctions it's very likely to be something outside the transmission which is hopefully the case for David here.
Hey groovzilla, always enjoy your posts. For nearly 30 years of driving MT 911's I felt exactly the same way you did, and never would have even considered an AT. Then, unfortunately, I got old. I settled for the PDK because my knees are shot and I deal with LA westside traffic. I was skeptical at first but have become a believer (always in Sport mode), the car is a joy to drive and the transmission is nothing like the old slushboxes that I expected. The adaptive intelligence seems like it's reading my mind regarding shift points if I'm not shifting manually.
Yeah, failure cost is high, but the failure rate is very low so if you look at it across the fleet the average cost per owner is lower than MT (due to no clutch jobs). That's little comfort if you happen to be the unlucky guy who has a complete failure and needs a remanufactured $14k transmission though. There's one electrical part in particular inside the PDK (distance sensor) that Porsche refuses to make available and insists the transmission be replaced if it fails. We've been digging into it and the electrical component that can crap out is a $3 part so were trying to get more info to give folks a DIY option. The good news is that these failures are rare, and when a PDK malfunctions it's very likely to be something outside the transmission which is hopefully the case for David here.
I totally get it - At 61 yrs old it's not like the old days of me jumping in the 356 or 911 and driving off.
There is an entirely new routine of driving when u hit 60. I have an impossible time getting in car seat unless I put my right hand on center console while holding edge of rain drip rail with left hand and contorting my legs so they can be swung in. Or I use the knee method with hand on center console to get down into seat. Getting in and out several times a day is a PITA.
If I was young I would be saying what are you freakin kidding me?? You aren;t serious are you?? I felt the same way at 25-40. No pain/knees & hips totally fine.
But we all face it at some point - Those of us that played sports/baseball/football/competition skiing one day face the pain. I'm there now and I won't get into taking meds for it. F_ck it.
I can understand wanting PDK in traffic. I got stuck In traffic last week and it sucks. If I used my car to commute I'd be in a PDK instantly.
You guys have to understand I use my car on a very limited basis. Out to dinner once and a while and some long trips but very infrequent these days.
I love driving my Land Rover and sitting up high. Running over sidewalks and who cares about potholes.
When you have done 30 round trips from Seattle to SF or LA in 356/early 911/911sc/964/993/996 & 997 things change and priorities change. I only put 3k miles on my car in a year.
Hell I love just looking at it in my garage
Last edited by groovzilla; 09-19-2020 at 10:26 AM.
I’ll keep you all posted if the issue re-appears post PDK service.
re MT vs. PDK, I think it is an education thing. People (myself included) think of it as a boring automatic which it really isn’t. Combined with sport+ it is quite thrilling.
Well said and something I've pointed out more than once. A lot of people have driven PDK cars without sport chrone and walked away unimpressed. Completely understandable since that configuration really sucks. Others have driven PDK cars with sport chrono but weren't given good or enough coaching on how to get the most out of it and many were equally unimpressed for a different reason.
Well said and something I've pointed out more than once. A lot of people have driven PDK cars without sport chrone and walked away unimpressed. Completely understandable since that configuration really sucks. Others have driven PDK cars with sport chrono but weren't given good or enough coaching on how to get the most out of it and many were equally unimpressed for a different reason.
Mine stays in Sports Plus Manual 100% of the time. Very satisfying and sporty feeling shifting paddles on the steering wheel.
Om track, the pdk selects the perfect gear and makes the perfect shift better than eve someone like I that raced both 911s and open wheel cars with manuals for 25 years.
I am probably more a Ferrari/Lambo guy now and trust me, the Italians did not move away from manual to paddle shifting because guys that purchase Italian cars are old and lame. To the contrary, most of the Ferrari and Lamborghini guys I know are younger and very active in real motorsports, racing, have off-shore boats and etc. My Italians are also track/motorsports variety (458 Challenge and Performante).
Paddle shifting from the steering wheel is more engaging, race car like feel and completely well suited to high strung, low sitting exotics. Manuals to me, feel clunking, dated and just out of place in high end, high performance sports cars now. I think the level of performance of Base or S 997s are still perhaps in that level of performance were a manual works and I think manuals are great for the old air cooled 911s, Miatas, S2000s, and low power, small momentum type sports cars.
May be worth investigating: The following part was replaced on my car back in 2012 due to a problem engaging Park. There has never been an issue since.
There are various mechanical and electrical elements that could fail in this part and it is relatively cheap and used in many Porsche models.
Again, not sure if it is related to your issue, but prefer to share than not.
Mine stays in Sports Plus Manual 100% of the time. Very satisfying and sporty feeling shifting paddles on the steering wheel.
I am probably more a Ferrari/Lambo guy now and trust me, the Italians did not move away from manual to paddle shifting because guys that purchase Italian cars are old and lame. To the contrary, most of the Ferrari and Lamborghini guys I know are younger and very active in real motorsports, racing, have off-shore boats and etc. My Italians are also track/motorsports variety (458 Challenge and Performante).
Paddle shifting from the steering wheel is more engaging, race car like feel and completely well suited to high strung, low sitting exotics. Manuals to me, feel clunking, dated and just out of place in high end, high performance sports cars now. I think the level of performance of Base or S 997s are still perhaps in that level of performance were a manual works and I think manuals are great for the old air cooled 911s, Miatas, S2000s, and low power, small momentum type sports cars.
Same here except I leave mine in auto/sport mode until the oil is warmed up. After that though, sport plus manual all the way. Based on a lot of posts here, quiet a few PDK owners never use the sport plus mode. All I can think is that they're always in auto mode where sport + is obviously not a good setting for street use. Not the way to get the most out of the PDK though imo. But maybe they just want an automatic and don't care about performance.
As for the notion of some that only old geezers buy dual clutch paddle shift cars, I've posted this before so you may have seen it but in case you haven't here it is again. Lambo's reason to stop production of manuals altogether:
Why Lamborghini Trashed the Manual Transmission
Badgered about the lack of a manual by journalists during a tech session on the new Huracán at the automaker’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese last week, chief engineer Maurizio Reggiani brought up the fact that just five percent of Gallardo orders were for a manual. Mid-sentence, he was interrupted by company CEO Stephan Winkelmann who commented that the 5 percent statistic was ancient.
“Close to zero percent Gallardos were ordered in manual,” he said.
In fact, orders for a manual transmission were so few and far between admits Winkelman that every time one came in they had to go back and re-check the order form, confirming with the dealership that a mistake hadn’t been made.
Kind of doubt that close to 100% of Lamborghini buyers are old geezers unable or unwilling to shift the old fashioned way. Same goes for Ferrari so highly unlikely a matter of going against market demand. Things evolve and I think this is simply a reflection of that.
Same here except I leave mine in auto/sport mode until the oil is warmed up. After that though, sport plus manual all the way. Based on a lot of posts here, quiet a few PDK owners never use the sport plus mode. All I can think is that they're always in auto mode where sport + is obviously not a good setting for street use. Not the way to get the most out of the PDK though imo. But maybe they just want an automatic and don't care about performance.
As for the notion of some that only old geezers buy dual clutch paddle shift cars, I've posted this before so you may have seen it but in case you haven't here it is again. Lambo's reason to stop production of manuals altogether:
Kind of doubt that close to 100% of Lamborghini buyers are old geezers unable or unwilling to shift the old fashioned way. Same goes for Ferrari so highly unlikely a matter of going against market demand. Things evolve and I think this is simply a reflection of that.
The idea of a supercar with a stick shift seems silly to me. Sure I’d like a Dino with a gated shifter. But when you get into the 3 sec club It’s a whole new ball game
The idea of a supercar with a stick shift seems silly to me. Sure I’d like a Dino with a gated shifter. But when you get into the 3 sec club It’s a whole new ball game
This 100%. A manual or gated shifter in anything exotic in the last 10 to 15 to 20 years is almost retarded.
I had manuals in 3 996tts and in my 997tt, but even those were quick enough to make first gear useless and make a manual feel old and obsolete. I also hated the tiprtonic at all. I purchased my first non-manual 911 in 2011 (997.2tt) and have never once purchased a 911 manual since,
Kind of doubt that close to 100% of Lamborghini buyers are old geezers unable or unwilling to shift the old fashioned way. Same goes for Ferrari so highly unlikely a matter of going against market demand. Things evolve and I think this is simply a reflection of that.
Completely agree, times are changing. I was a die-hard MT guy who never considered an AT but finally had to go that way due to bad knees (not quite a geezer but getting up there). Now that I've had the PDK for about ten months I absolutely love it and wouldn't go back to an MT even if my knees were fine. Performance wise it's superior to an MT in every possible way, even if you are an expert shifter. Plus no more concerns about money shifts, being stuck in five miles of deadlocked traffic, or the occasional embarrassing stall at a traffic light. Maybe 10% of the time I wish I still had the MT just for the feel, but those times are getting further and further apart.
I think lots of folks are like I was and still envision the AT as the old slush-o-matic from 30 years ago. It wasn't until I spent some serious time with the PDK that I really started to get it and grew to appreciate it.
Last edited by PV997; 09-20-2020 at 09:27 AM.
Reason: typo
All tranny's are going the way of the dodo eventually. (possibly on the short bus Doug)
These are the "point of the spear" Koennigsegg Regera, Tesla, Taycan.
Not sure of your point as you do not write very clearly, but jump in an drive a 458, 488, Huracan, 991 Turbo Ss, a Veyron or something with real high performance levels and judge for yourself whether paddle shifting on the steering wheel is not more fitting of the performance level and overall feel.
Tesla and Taycans are not even sports cars and have very poor handling characteristics so no clue why you even mention those. Those are family truckster sedans. I am talking about low slung, highly strung high end performance sports cars with real performance levels.
I did have a 2017 M3 Competition Package with a manual for 3 years as I am at heart a manual guys. What a dreadful car, but that car, IMO, was even at the performance level of being better suited for the SMG over the manual and most apparently agree as there is NO RSELL market for new M3s with manual transmissions. I could not give that thing away, but the SMG M3s were somewhat liquid.
09-17-2020 | 12:00 PM
