DrScoles

I drive an M3 with the smg transmission, really like the paddle shifting. Turn 40 this Oct, wife is expecting the 997 purchase :-) I went to the driving school at barber, I know the 997. I know that after having the paddle shifters, I don't want traditional manual, and I don't want an automatic. I was told that porsche is going to move to paddles?

How bad of an idea was it that they put push buttons instead of the paddles!!!!!

Bob Rouleau

I have a PDK 4S. It took me a week to get used to the buttons. Works fine now. Techart has announced a paddle shift kit. Ater the clunky and jerky SMG you will LOVE the PDK.

rijowysock

i drove a pdk today and really wished it had paddles... i know they say the buttons it has are better but when i drive buddies lambo w/ paddles... it just makes sense to me.

adjohnson

I agree with Bob. You get used it. You adapt. Just like BMW turn signals on their motorcycles. The benefit of the button is you can upshift or downshift with either hand. Paddles will require both hands or a reach around/through for an upshift or downshift depending on which hand is on the wheel. We are not always at the race track so the buttons make sense from a daily driver point of view.

normank

I just moved to a Carrera S with PDK and do not see going back. Champion Motorsport is coming out with a Paddle Shift conversion kit. The report is that the buttons will be replaced with solid inserts and true paddles will be installed, i.e. left = downshift and right = upshift. No idea about price or when they will be available. In the interim, Sport Plus will shift better, faster and more intuitively then most.

DrScoles

Thanks for the quick replies. I test drove the new M3 the other day, it shifts way better than the SMG, I'm assuming the PDK is even better.

I can see that being able to up/down shift on both sides would be advantageous, but I just love the paddles! There are times when I'm turning sharply in an intersection where I just use the gear shift to shift because I cant get to the up shift paddle.

Are there any known gremlins on the cars with PDK? Always leary of buying something first gen.

Mike

saltydawg

I also own a new S with PDK. The transmission is fantastic with superb seamless shifting. A great car to drive in manual mode. In standard automatic, the transmission is programmed for maximal fuel economy and keeps the rpm's as low as possible. No fun to drive that way but fine for routine commuting. The 7th gear is excellent for highway cruising.

For me, the buttons are a non issue. Quickly got accustomed to the setup and it works very well. I think the individuals most distressed by the buttons are people who drive multiple different types of manumatic cars. I personally do not have a stable full of Lambos and Ferraris to drive that would confuse my driving ability. My other cars have been automatics and manuals so the PDK buttons are all I know as far as a manumatic. Having owned many manual transmissions, I feel that the PDK type transmission is a tremendous improvement and a blast to drive. Though admittedly I have no real interest in mastering heel toe rev matching.

Rob in WA

Yes, Gemballa makes one:

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/04/03/a...for-porsche-9/

mdrums

Don't I know you.....???? ha ha Bring your friends Lambo over here I want to try out a paddle shift car! Seriously! I drove a Maserati for 1/2 a day with paddles and it was nice to shift with paddles.

However I have had my PDK since Sept 08 and I have done track days with it. I have found the push pull toggles to work just fine. This is especially due to being able to shift on both sides of the steering wheel. Also you can shift with the PDK stick too.

Still however I'd love to try out a Lambo or Ferrari paddle shift, but it's not like you can just roll into a dealer and drive one of those like you can a Porsche.

Sadiq

as an aside, the gemballa wheel is beautiful...

Le Chef

You won;t have to wait too much longer for the final admission by Porsche that they f*cked up on the steering wheel they offered with PDK. Coming this Fall through Porsche "Exclusive" a proper paddle shifter steering wheel. It's already available to order in Europe.

OCBen

It is often the case that whatever is superior intuitively or technically may not ultimately get adopted by the masses, simply because it is either late to the party and/or is outnumbered by cheaper, inferior competition which the masses have gotten accustomed to and are unwilling to change, or there are more users of the inferior technology thus driving the market and forcing competitors to follow suit. E.g., Dvorak vs QWERTY; Betamax vs VHS; Blu-ray vs HD DVD (although in this case the superior technology won out in spite of it being more expensive than the competing technology).

There are more drivers used to paddles and more manufacturers making paddles that PAG will ultimately be forced to fall in line with the rest of the manufacturers and offer paddles, simply because the masses are used to them and will thus demand them if they opt for PDK, regardless of any superiority the buttons may have over the paddles.

That's simply the essence of market driven demand. If PAG had been first to the party with the push buttons, they would have established the standard that everyone would have been forced to follow or improve upon.

But clearly paddles have become the de facto standard, and PAG will need to conform to this standard if they want to stay in the game with their PDK, even though they may be the only ones with the ignition switch on the opposite side - something that anyone can get used to as it only comes into play twice very briefly during a driving experience - at the start and at the end.

Chris from Cali

As noted above, the PDK buttons are REALLY easy to get used to. The other HUGE advantage over paddles is that if you need to shift with the wheel cranked over, push in is ALWAYS an upshift, pull back is ALWAYS a downshift. Try that with paddles attached to the wheel (the only way Porsche can retrofit).

It's really not a big deal. Ergonomically, the absence of paddles also makes it easier to get to the various stalks for wipers, signals, trip computer, etc.

Le Chef

1st of all should you be shifting whilst turning the wheel - I thought DE's taught us that was a no-no. 2nd, drive any car with proper paddles and your ability to reach the stalk controls is not inhibited. 3rd, Ben - you're right, but in this instance the simpler solution is the better solution, otherwise other manufacturers would have already developed successful alternatives.

mdrums

Some turns you have to upshift in....after turn 10 at Sebring going left around 11 and 12 you up shift.