swftiii

Listers,

I will be using the car for 70% daily driving & 30% track driving.

If presented with the following 2 cars at the same price, from a risk of major maintenance issues, which would have a lower risk of a major repair bill?

Option 1: 997.1, manual transmission, 25k miles on the clock
Option 2: 997.2, PDK transmission, 60k miles on the clock

Obviously a good PPI and history of maintenance are critical, but if similar how would you rate the risks of Option 1 vs Option 2.

Thanks,
-Skip

BIG smoke

I'm not a PDK guy. But from what I've read...
You repair a Manual Transmission,
and replace a PDK. If you do any PDK repair, you are at the mercy of those few that can repair it.
I'm not a track rat any more, I always enjoyed the shifting and joy of getting it correct.

riteoff

In my opinion , the less accessories and tech the easier on the wallet a car tends to be. Id say option 1.

Louis de Funes

for me also Option 1

I like the MT

Mike Murphy

Option 1

911-997

According to your requirement, I would absolutely go for Option 2

At least 997.2 does not have IMS issue or most problems 997.1s have

extanker

option 3

captainbaker

Option 1 if its a later car where the IMS issue is teeny. Plus I like 3 pedals in a fun car.

Iceter

You're paying a premium for the low miles on the 997.1 but you're going to turn around and drive it a lot, including on the track. That math doesn't make sense.

I say go for the 997.2 or save some money and buy a higher mileage 997.1.

adnan76

neither- 997.2 w/ 6-spd!

Petza914

For a street car this is good advice but for a track car, the opposite is true. You want to find an early '05 997.1 and immediately replace the IMS bearing with The IMS Solution. The few failures of the larger IMS bearing that have occurred have happened on track or on cars that were tracked frequently. At sustained high RPMs the surface speed of the bearing exceeds it's design parameters. On the street it's not at these high RPMs for very long so it doesn't fail. For track use, the older, smaller IMS bearing is better, but I wouldn't risk that, which is why I say find one that's replaceable and replace it with The Solution.

I'm not a PDK guy either so I say 997.1 but the PDK will be faster around the track if your primary concern is lap times.

Fined

you're getting folks personal preference here in the answers, not a risk assessment.



...because in order to make a qualified risk assessment you'd need to have information like production numbers vs major repair events for each option. however that information is not available. all there is is anecdotal evidence.

1 vs 2, pick one (or don't!)

Dennis C

Every Posche that I've ever owned had has something that could go wrong and destroy the engine or result in a major repair expense. It's just part of Porsche ownership. In my 996, it was the IMS bearing. In my Cayenne, it was the plastic coolant pipes. In my 997 turbo, it was the coolant lines. In my 991 turbo s, I suppose it must be PDK. There's always something. I don't worry about it. I just buy the car that I want. I advise you to do the same.

Falcondrivr

The safest bet would be to find a .2 with a manual. Of the 2 choices above I'd go with the .1

f911

Exact