atallguy

I’m new to Porsche having recently determined that the childhood 911 I fell in love with and dreamed of is the one for me and have decided that it’s in my future. I have since focused on the 997 and am further determining what options and colors would be most appealing to me.

I entered into this thinking a manual was the route I wanted to go since the days of loving taking out and driving around my dads 280ZX without his knowledge.

I’ve since been reading about the PDK and seeing the rave reviews around it and how it’s the future of Porsche and wondering if a manual is the right route?

I’m curious about others opinions and in particularly those that have driven or owned both and your thoughts on the platform?

I don’t want to start a war here but interested in a conversation around experiences, pros and cons etc. Thanks!

J.Tan

I'm not sure if you have seen this video. I will let it do the talking.

hatchetf15

Heel-toe kinda driver or fast is everything? Commuter vehicle or canyon ripper? All depends on what you want to do with the car.

saabin

Good luck w/ that.

Entirely up to you, but in my experiences with the 997 generation, for the N/A models I'd say the stick. for the turbos, I'd go PDK.

Doug H

No, not at all. I prefer pdk/dcts in more high performance cars. I really have no desire for a manual of any type right now. I purposely picked pdk in every 911 I have purchased since 2010 and all of my Italians/exotics for the street have dcts since then as well. My sole manual in 11 years was a 2017 M3 Competition package. That car was such an all around POS it probably turned me against manuals for the rest of my life.

Ironman88

I've driven manual transmission sports sedans, coupes, and sports cars for almost 50 years.

This time around however, when I purchased my current Porsche (997.2), I went with a PDK.

It can be driven as a fully automatic of course, but it can also be driven as one would drive a manual trans car - primary difference is the absence of the requirement for using your left leg and foot.

I've never for one moment regretted getting the PDK. In fully automatic mode or manual mode - it is absolutely fantastic.

If you do opt to seek out a PDK car, it would be best to get one with the Sport Chrono Package / Sport Plus. It would also be good to get (or upgrade) to a Sports Steering wheel (with paddle shifters.)

atallguy

Great video and things to think about for sure. Thanks!

atallguy

Occasional daily with the annual/semi-annual road trip to explore the back roads and remote parts of the PNW and Northern California.

atallguy

I debated internally for a day deciding if I should post it or not. When it comes down to it and I’m spending 2x what I typically spend for cars I want to make sure I’m making the right choice. Thanks for the insight—turbo is off the table, too much $$$ and I don’t have a desire (at least at this point) to track.

atallguy

Ouch...one of my slightly unrealistic concerns is that the PDK, if it has a problem, is totally uncharted territory for self repair and a 15-20k replacement. I know it’s rare but at least with a manual there’s a chance I can do the work myself. Probably unrealistic but it is my thought process.

I was considering a E90 or F80 M3 before this and your experience makes me glad I didn’t.

atallguy

Thanks for the insights! Had not thought beyond the manual/PDK decision and how that filters down to other decisions. Appreciate your experience.

Bxstr

Both are great. Bought a PDK C2S initially, for my driving which was an occasional weekend car, backroads, around town, not taken on track, it just wasn't right for me. Felt too easy for me. It made me want to drive the car too hard. If I was using it on track, or in group drives, I would definitely only want PDK.

Sold it, bought a 997 GT3, offered in manual only, much better for my purposes. No right or wrong answer, both are great. If you like a manual, I'd buy a manual. Otherwise, PDK may be best for you depending on your driving.

sandwedge

I've owned both and was a bit skeptical when moving from my manual -06 C4S to the -09 C4S with PDK. The sales guy explained all the things the PDK can do. The different modes, auto, manual, sport, sport plus etc. With that after driving it it was an easy choice for me in favor of PDK. As Ironman88 said, you can drive the PDK pretty much like a manual. Main difference is that you don't use your left leg. That's how I drive mine. In manual/sport plus mode once the oil is up to operating temp.

I'm probably in the minority but I use the gear lever rather than the paddles or buttons depending on the steering wheel. My right hand shifting with the gear lever takes it closer to a manual but with all the advantages of the PDK over a manual. If you decide on a PDK, make sure the car has the sport chrono package. PDK without it is a miserable experience imo. That said, Sport Chrono can be added for about $1,200 installed if you find the perfect PDK car that doesn't have it.

To sum it up, the manual is 100 year + old technology and a dying breed as I see it. Neither Ferrari nor Lamborghini build manual cars anymore. Period. And for Porsche the PDK/manual 911's built based on statistics available is around 80% PDK vs. 20% manuals. Draw your own conclusions.

No doubt there will always be "must be a manual" guys around so I don't see the manual market disappearing altogether. It'll be a small market (already is) so finding good examples of manual cars will become a chore since they've been built in smaller and smaller numbers over the past decade or not built at all.

JHuggans

You should really drive both. Specifically, drive the 997 PDK though. The 991.1 is slightly different and probably a little more refined. My last 911 was a 996 manual and I don't miss it one bit. Currently I have a 997 GTS with a PDK.

The PDK will do everything you want a manual to do but more efficiently. Better MPG, faster shifts, smoother shifts, consistent launches...

When speaking about resale value the manual does trend slightly, sometimes much, higher. Probably not from a desirability standpoint but for rarity.

TommyV44

Thanks you....loved it!! Says it all!

Tom