Which transmission?
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From: Vero Beach, Fl.
Which transmission?
Which transmission do you guys have? Manual or PDK? And would you change if you had to do it all over again?
Gettin the itch and not sure which way to go.
TIA
Dave
Gettin the itch and not sure which way to go.
TIA
Dave
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Joined: Jan 2021
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MT all the way for me. This forum will be completely divided. PDK is great and quicker, and the acceleration is seamless. Personally I like the fun of shifting, being in the exact gear I want and getting those toe heel downshifts just right.
Bonus of launch control for the PDK cars, and not having a clutch to replace. Manuals I think are a little lighter and a few mph faster top end. Also cheaper to replace a clutch than the trans and better resale.
Drive both and decide what you like.
Bonus of launch control for the PDK cars, and not having a clutch to replace. Manuals I think are a little lighter and a few mph faster top end. Also cheaper to replace a clutch than the trans and better resale.
Drive both and decide what you like.
RL Community Team
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From: Clemson, SC
Manual. I'm a 3-pedal sports car guy for the additional engagement in the driving experience it provides. I want the sights, sounds, smells, and both my hands and both my feet to be involved for a greater connection with the car. I'd become bored very quickly with a 911 that didn't have a clutch.
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Started with PDK. Moved to 6 speed. No regrets. Both excellent. But for the way I drive, which is on backroads, not trying to keep up with others, manual wins for me. If I was doing any track driving or daily driving, I’d likely choose PDK. I will note that PDK gets better for each generation. So 992 PDK feels different than 997.2. Also, PDK S in GT products is different from standard PDK.
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Joined: Mar 2017
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From: Central CT
Manual guy here. Enjoy shifting.
Our fleet is 75% manuals; the only cars that are autotragic are not available in manual.
Taking it further, almost half our cars have manual windows - as in "roll your own"
....damn, I'm old....
Our fleet is 75% manuals; the only cars that are autotragic are not available in manual.
Taking it further, almost half our cars have manual windows - as in "roll your own"
....damn, I'm old....
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Joined: Nov 2019
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From: Idaho
If you have no clear preference - one versus the other, then it will be much easier for you to find a nice car and at a comparatively lower price if it has a PDK transmission.
But there are distinct reasons for that - manual transmission cars are far fewer in supply, and the demand for them is high. If you were to comparison shop two 997.2's with similar build configurations and colors, but one had a PDK and the other a stick shift - the manual transmission car would most likely cost you $10k or so more. Supply vs demand. If the car is a limited production car such as a GTS - the price differential will be even more profound.
Every sports car / sports sedan that I ever owned (prior to my 997.2) was a manual shift car. When I read the various reviews of the 997.2 with the PDK transmission, I ended up making the decision to go that route and purchased one.
Two years later I sold that car - because it was just too boring for me, lacking the level of engagement that I wanted from a sports car.
Everyone is different and has their own reasons / rationale for their transmission preference. None of that really matters when it comes to your decision however.
But there are distinct reasons for that - manual transmission cars are far fewer in supply, and the demand for them is high. If you were to comparison shop two 997.2's with similar build configurations and colors, but one had a PDK and the other a stick shift - the manual transmission car would most likely cost you $10k or so more. Supply vs demand. If the car is a limited production car such as a GTS - the price differential will be even more profound.
Every sports car / sports sedan that I ever owned (prior to my 997.2) was a manual shift car. When I read the various reviews of the 997.2 with the PDK transmission, I ended up making the decision to go that route and purchased one.
Two years later I sold that car - because it was just too boring for me, lacking the level of engagement that I wanted from a sports car.
Everyone is different and has their own reasons / rationale for their transmission preference. None of that really matters when it comes to your decision however.
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Michael S. Palmer
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From: Seattle, Washington
I could never understand how someone could drive an automatic transmission in a sports car?
Just doesn't seem logical. 1/2 the fun of driving Porsche is shifting and being one with the car.
I vote for Manual.
Just doesn't seem logical. 1/2 the fun of driving Porsche is shifting and being one with the car.
I vote for Manual.
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 2,019
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From: Southern California
Long time MT guy including three previous MT 911s. I reluctantly switched to PDK about four years ago due to increasingly bad knees and Southern California traffic. I've grown to love it and don't miss the third pedal at all, and would not go back even if my knees were fine. The PDK really is amazing.
I was a long-time "automatics don't belong is a sports car" guy myself, but that was based on the awfulness of slush box torque converter transmissions. That is all gone with the PDK, so it really just boils down to nostalgia for pumping the clutch, which isn't much of a selling point for me. The PDK does a better job than me, with no loss of torque between gears and lightning fast changes far faster than I could ever do. In auto mode it seems to almost always anticipate my shift points, and there's always manual mode if I want more control. Plus I spill less coffee on myself with the PDK.
I was a long-time "automatics don't belong is a sports car" guy myself, but that was based on the awfulness of slush box torque converter transmissions. That is all gone with the PDK, so it really just boils down to nostalgia for pumping the clutch, which isn't much of a selling point for me. The PDK does a better job than me, with no loss of torque between gears and lightning fast changes far faster than I could ever do. In auto mode it seems to almost always anticipate my shift points, and there's always manual mode if I want more control. Plus I spill less coffee on myself with the PDK.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 365
Likes: 312
From: Salt Lake City, UT
Manual for me. Like everyone else said I enjoy the engagement. Except for traffic which I don't typically deal with. Recently drove a 997TTS and while the power is addictive, the PDK made it too easy. Mash the gas and go as fast as you want (directly to jail, do not pass go). And while the shifts are ligtning fast and very crisp an sound spectacular, I'll take a well executed manual downshift every time.
But I'd take a Targa 4 GTS with a PDK and all seasons and drive it every damn day with a huge smile - as long as I had the manual 997 in the garage for the weekend
But I'd take a Targa 4 GTS with a PDK and all seasons and drive it every damn day with a huge smile - as long as I had the manual 997 in the garage for the weekend
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 1,341
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From: los angeles
I like what @Ironman88 had to say, pretty much spot on for me....especially the last part for everyone having their own reasons which is what ultimately matters. I've had both vintage and new 911s (manual, tip, and pdk). I can't say enough for it boiling down to how the owner intends on using the car (daily vs weekender), and what his/her physical capabilities/limitations might be. If I had to commute in Los Angeles traffic, in the heavier commute hours, I just couldn't do it in a 6-speed, daily. It took us 2 hours to drive 40 miles this past weekend, and at one point, my leg actually became tired with all of the shifting in the stop and go traffic. If I had knee/left leg issues, again, the pdk would be much more friendly and welcomed. Having said all of that, I don't commute, my 997.2 is my daily driver, and I pursued one because I wanted the increased engagement the manual transmission brings, and I also wanted the downside protection in market value that the six speed 911 brings.
Ask me the same question in years from now and I might respond entirely differently.
Best with your decision making,
Ask me the same question in years from now and I might respond entirely differently.
Best with your decision making,