ADias

Here is what you do:

1 - start the engine

2 - Move gearshift from P to D and left to M

3 - You are in manual mode... it's up to you to do the shifting.

Pretty straightforward isn't it?

Mike in CA

Engaging manual shift is easy, but I do agree that there should be options in PCM for setting different driving mode defaults. I wish I could default to having Sport mode and the PSE engaged every time I started up.

rijowysock

i meant like ferrari w/o a gear shift, i.e. on and its in manual mode... and then hold auto to put into auto mode. ;-)

i like the ferrari f1 trans setup with lever for reverse/drive... and paddles.. basically a manual and then it has an auto side step.

Bob Rouleau

Riley have you driven a Ferarri F1 in "auto"? It sucks. Totally. It also sucks compared to PDK which is robably why the new Ferraris have a double clutch gearbox like PDK

PogueMoHone

^
it even sucks in F1 (imo)..that's why I bought a 6 speed F-car..... and I bought a 997 PDK car. What does that tell you about how good PDK is?

In the above decisions I had the opportunity to try each on the track, the F1 failed and the PDK wowed me in spite of my 6 speed bias. Ferrari is now going to Dual clutch with the 458..but they are still calling it F1...when they wise up they will probably go to buttons as well... much more intuitive!

For those who say PDK is not engaging..they might be "brain dead". It (PDK) has more choices and decision parameters than the 6 speed; in fully manual mode you can use 2 digits (thumb or finger) instead of 2 limbs (leg and arm). I find manual and sport plus (with PSE on) to be a hoot!

I will go so far as to say the 997 variants with PDK are just damned near perfect as an all rounder, and will go down as one of the all time great iterations of the 911 (and I have owned too many to count or admit to). In future years the PDK will be the sought after used car.

As an interesting side note, I had a chance to borrow a Panamera for a few days and the PDK works fantastically in the "larger" car too.

DRJMK

love my PDK!!!

CtrUSA

One side note regarding the PDK and wish list it you could have it your way:
I think would prefer shifting up by pulling back (similar to going from 1st to 2nd on a standard) than having to pull.
I'm now at 752 miles (since buying new 7 days ago) and I still want to shift from 1st to 2nd by doing the natural "pull-back" rather than push forward.

Very small detail in the grand scheme of things!

Da Hapa

With respect... completely WRONG.

More driver involvement means employing both legs, both feet, your arm, etc. to execute a smooth upshift and/or a proper heel/toe downshift.

The PDK is measurably quicker at both, every time but the classic manual transmission offers more driver involvement.

CamsPorsche

ADias

You mean shfting up by pushing forward, as in 2nd to 3rd, or is it pulling back as in 3rd to 4th or forward as in 4th to 5th, or...

Manual H-patterns have no fixed pattern, therefore manual shifting veterans should have no problem to adapt quickly to whatever pattern...

savyboy

"Thumbs-Up!" (use your thumb for the upshift)

Remember that saying whenever you drive PDK and use the buttons. Works for me!

Eliminates corn-fusion of the shifting kind.

Oh- and 1. PDK is the world's best transmission. 2. It has proven to be durable and trouble-free with very, very few exceptions.

LlBr

No disrespect intended: I'm thinking when the car is going faster the brain has to take in and process and react to the heightened information stream more quickly; hence more involvement.

You could apply the same thought to a Mack truck driver: he's "more involved" if he's got a manual tranny, compared to the automatics they have, but where does it get him? He's not any safer or going any faster, he's just busier.

Again, not trying to give anybody a hard time here. With PDK you can shift almost anytime and extremely quickly: for instance, on the involvement scale, that means coming into a turn faster with PDK can be more exciting (with more "higher-order neural pathways" firing?!) than doing it with a manual.

We should ask a Formula One driver how (or if) the lack of a clutch pedal made the sport more challenging.

Of course I'm sure there're some Mack truck drivers who like to be "more connected" with their trucks. I'm sure there're some former military jet fighter pilots who are now private pilots into gliding or piston-driven aerobatics.

OTOH, If PDK can make the car go _faster_ with the same HP/Tq I'm thinking that would be enough to blow 100 year old manual clutch and gearbox into the history books once and for all.

PogueMoHone

Wrong? Not likely!

More driver involvement and interaction is a combination of physical and mental activities, and PDK adds to the weight of the complexity.... because of the increased speed.

A simple exercise:-

To see the impact of the mental process, try delaying braking for 3 seconds beyond your comfort factor at your favorite "safe" corner..and count out the the seconds 1001, 1002, 1003.

You won't be able to do it the first few times; what happens is 1001,2,3 (there is a difference from the above)..you hurry up the process (and the physical actions are lost in the mental activities). In hurrying up the process you become more involved in a bad way and defeat the purpose.

If that doesn't convince you, just think about the process of learning heel and toeing... and how impossible it seems at the beginning. But when executed under control it is like a hot knife through butter..now you have PDK (the hotter knife through butter) but at a higher speed, so the turn in and braking points are changing (and you need faster mental processes to react), as has throttle application on exit, because of higher speed and what's ahead.

I know, I spend too much time thinking about these issues!

And lastly,

The less sweat when you get out of the car the greater the involvement (and interaction), even though the physical activity may have been less!

The fast guys are always calm and relaxed!

RonnieTheC

The bottom line is listen to absolutely no one except yourself after test driving both. My 09 C2S Cab is a 6 speed manual and I would not have it any other way. My Ferrari 360 Spider was a 6 speed manual, my F430 Spider was an F1, and all of my Corvettes were 6 speed manuals. Each car is/was a daily driver...never tracked. For me, I get far more enjoyment using my left foot and my right hand. And I could not care less which is a second or two quicker.
All I care about is what is more pleasurable for me to drive.

Bob Rouleau

My 430 was an F1 too and if I had to do it over again it would be a manual. My 4S is PDK and I would not have it any other way