mdrums

My understanding is the public does not know what will be offered yet and that things could be changed by the time the GT3 and Turbo come out and that PDK will be offered.
I've heard it both ways from people that claim to be in the know about behind the scenes things at Porsche.

MFC996

I was waitin' for somebody to finally pick up on that Sly sarcasm seems a dying art.

russo

The PDK is a definite home run for Porsche. I drove one and I was thoroughly impressed. Would I purchase one? No. I love the control and independence that a manual clutch provides. Learning to master the car with the manual set up is a continual process of self discovery in one's driving skills. Heel/toe, matching revs and the like is something that I have had to learn to improve my driving skills, witch translate to faster lap times.
I venture to guess that the GT3 at some point with have a PDK. Let's face it, this type of transmission does improve track speed since shift times are quicker. Racing at the higher levels incorporate this technology. Indeed, Porsche developed this years ago in their racing programs. PDK just like Ferrari's F1 are here to stay. Let's face it, there are a great deal of buyers whom will purchase automatics. Hence, this technology offers a more involved driving experience for those people that do not have the time or inclination to participate in regular track events. Thus, a driver of moderate skills will, IMHO, use a higher percentage of the car's capability. Imagine what an experienced race car driver is able to attain with this set up.

gota911

In recent years, about 50% of European Porsches have been Tip cars, while North American cars with Tip has been approximately 30%. Porsche's estimation (goal?) is to get the North American cars up to 50% with the PDK.

This info comes from an article in Excellence Magazine. I'll see if I can find the issue.

joey c

sports cars are meant to be shifted...thats the real fun of driving the car for me..not concerned about lap times or faster 0-60 due to better shifting..for me..its about driving in the country and downshifting into the corner..fun

Soulteacher

What do people think PDK does... drive in first gear all the time?

Soulteacher

They may very well achieve that. Even our two little informal 2007 and 2008 nonprobability Rennlist samples showed about 40 percent PDK preference, as of today (DSG Poll and One More PDK Poll).

Quadcammer

I like to use a golf analogy here.

The PDK system is like a golf club that would allow every shot you make to be perfect. Every time, the ball would go perfectly where you want it to. While thats fun for a while, ultimately, where is the enjoyment. There is no talent or thought required.

The traditional manual (and even more so the gated shifter) is like a standard golf club in the hands of non-tiger woods. You hit some good shots and some bad shots. But when you hit that perfect drive, sand shot, chip, whatever (relate to a perfect heel and toe downshift), it makes you forget about everything else.

It takes talent, energy, thought and practice.

A automated manual will shift faster, match revs perfectly, and never miss a shift, but it takes a hell of a lot out of the experience.

Edgy01

That's not a surprising number out of Europe, the land of ever increasing congestion. I can't blame them. But for America (particularly the west) with its wide-open spaces, the clutchless approach isn't so much a necessity.

We've seen market differences in other areas of Porsche over the years as well. Porsche used to sell significantly more Targas over in Europe than in the USA,--because of the generally inferior weather there.

Soulteacher

The moment you use that analogy in the context of surgery, you'll see a flaw. So again it comes down to what exactly each different driver is using their car for most often. And I'm glad we are all different.

Quadcammer

sure, but then again, there aren't too many robot surgeons are there

Sometimes its more gratifying to get it right yourself.

performance driving is serious stuff, but I wouldn't compare it to surgery.

Marco8

That's news to me.

And while I'm a stick guy and plan to stay that way, I have about 1000+ miles of PDK seat time, including track time, and it is amazing transmission.

Fly by wire, replaced conventional hydralic systems in fighter planes because it was advantageous. PDK, PSM, etc definetly delivers a performance advantage, like it or not it is here to stay and will continue to evolve.....

saltydawg

That analogy implies that the only aspect of performance driving is using the manual clutch optimally. If that flawed logic were true, then Micheal Schumacher would not be a consistent winner in Formula 1 racing. There would be equally distributed winning outcomes amongst all of the drivers.

These type of PDK transmissions are generally new to consumers with the exception of expensive Ferrari's. There will be a natural resistance to change. If cars were just invented in 2009 and we were all naive to driving, do you think a PDK type transmission or a manual clutch transmission would be preferred if both were available?

1Carnut

I'm glad to see Porsche offer a choice, and the new tranny will likely bring new customers to the brand. I drove a PDK car and I was very impressed with the it, though I think it needs up and down paddles. I do prefer a gearshift in a 911, but I also (in the minority) prefer gearshift in a 430.

Quadcammer

It may be a bit exaggerated, but I believe it to be relevant. Obviously there are other important aspects, but perfecting heel and toe techniques is amazingly rewarding (albeit hitting an apex perfectly would also qualify).

Anybody can slap a paddle, but few are really good at driving a manual transmission well. Its simply more involving to use.

Your scenario is an interesting one. However, I think if both were available, some would want the the manual, and others would prefer the pdk.

Im not arguing that a PDK is not a better transmission. It shifters faster, never gets lazy, never misses a shift or slips off the clutch pedal. If your main goal in owning a sports car is absolute performance, then feel free.

But then again, you guys all bought porsches when a ZR1 corvette would easily hand a 997 its *** in every performance category for the price of a fully loaded Carrera S. I think that this shows that preference is important and that absolute performance is not the only thing that matters.