Just got back from dropping my Turbo off for it's 1st service at my OPC.

Sitting on the forecourt was a fully optioned black PDK Turbo demo car (with flappy paddle shifters), so I asked for a quick test drive.

First off the sales guy warned me this gen Turbo was MUCH more tail happy than the gen 1 version. He wasn't wrong! PSM wasn't even flashing and we were getting the back out around little roundabouts. So THIS is why the motoring press like the car a lot more!

Change up between gears is VERY impressive, you just feel a momentary blip and then you are off again. You can get up to very high speed very quickly because of this. For me, a manual gear change acts as separators between speed bands. Hard acceleration in 4th for example and you know you are doing very illegal speeds. With PDK in auto mode there isn't this mental barrier distinction to keep your license in tact. I would be very worried about court appearances in this car!

Compared to my modified gen 1 Turbo, the new car is still noticeably slower, quieter, and feels less tight. I think I need more time at Silverstone though next week to form a complete opinion of the new suspension. Plus I am yet to play on the launch control which I am very sure will be mightily impressive. So for me, this is wouldn't be a 'trade up'. I think for stock gen 1 Turbo owners (especially those that have Tiptronic and old PCM) then yes it's a 10% better car all round and worthy of consideration.

More to come when I do my free track experience day at Silverstone in a PDK Turbo next week....

 

thanks for the write-up Alex. Your impressions were about what I had expected. The only change in the '10 that intrigues me is the altered computer algorithm for the AWD differential. That is something I am hoping may be flashed onto the pre '10's.

 

You have just got to love it. "I don't want this car. It's too fast. I'll get into trouble for that extra 0.2 seconds to 60."

That's just hilarous coming from a turbo owner.

Sour grapes anyone?

 

I don't think Alex was worried that it is too fast since his car is much faster. His comment was just about being conscious about absolute rate of speed in relation to holding a gear in the H pattern. I guess it would be possible to manually hold the PDK in gear and have more speed awareness, but you still would need to watch the gear indicator.

 

Yes, once again boolala has a 'unique' interpretation/grasp of English sentences.

It's definitely slower than my car, but (just like in my RS6) having a seamless auto gearbox makes it much harder to keep track of your velocity (not acceleration). It's like having one long gear, you look down and suddenly see big numbers on the dashboard! With a manual you know approx what speed you are doing by what gear you are in. With PDK especially, you lose track of which gear is engaged almost immediately in auto mode.

The Porsche sales guys agreed fully with this observation and told me that they lent a 997.2 Carrera with PDK to someone last week and he has already been caught by the police (for his 1st ever speeding offence) and has to go to court for sentencing shortly. Remember the Tiptronic 997 Turbo driver that got a hefty jail sentence for doing 172mph here in the UK? ...something I have done legally on German Autobahns many times...

 

EVO seemed rather genuinely impressed with the new Turbo...asserting (latest ECOTY edition) that the 997.2 version convincingly eclipsed its predecessor.

To wit, stock vs stock, taking 10 seconds out of the Ring time.

 

Yes. I guess that I don't really understand what you mean by the words "get up to speed very quickly" unless you mean the car is too fast for your tastes.

 

Boolala
What country/public roads do you drive on ?

If it is speed limited heavily policed like it is in the UK then surely you can understand what Alex is saying ?
When enjoying acceleration the manual gears are a built in reminder to slow down. I know full well and am 100% aware that when I gun the GT2 in 2nd I am at 82mph by 7000rpm and in 3rd that I am doing 114mph at the limiter and it is time to slow down or be in trouble - this is a daily reality for those of us who drive and enjoy our cars on public roads.

The PDK does not offer that physical and mental barrier that having to enact a gear change does, almost like the intent of the electrical brain impulses which lead to physical reactions from legs and arms makes one more cuplable for the velocities reached.....

Do you get it now

 

In practice that probably isn't correct.

I've not driven the new PDK Turbo, but I've driven several N/A PDK type systems, and you don't get continuous, seemless, power. Each gear has its own ratio and, as it reaches peak performance, you manually actuate the clutch and upchange. Of course, in auto mode it changes up at the rev limiter.

Yes, it might be tempting to keep the foot buried, but from experience, PDK changes (esp with a good paddle-shift) become more intuitive with familiarisation.

 

I just set the audible alarm in my 997 that tells me when I have exceeded my preset speed limit. You can set two of them if you want.

 

I discovered that little feature when I took the car to Germany, it came factory set at 300kph - scared the crap out of me when it flashed up

 

funny....

Overdraft

 

I have mine set at 85. Unfortunately, by the time I react to it during the "Sturm und Drang" of a full boost launch, I am a little beyond that.

I went from a manual 993 to a 997 TT Tip. I understand what Alex is expressing about the lacking mental barrier of a TT PDK in auto mode.

 

I'm new to this forum and waiting on the delivery of a 2010 Turbo PDK. I understand your point about not having the same synaptic feel with the PDK in auto mode as to when a shift change may be necessary. But I'm sure in manual mode where you have the intuitive luxury, to either change gears with the paddle shifters or via the gear selector, you should be able to make a conscious decision, depending on RPM reached, when a gear change is necessary. No it isn't the same visceral feel with the manual as has been noted, but for those of us who are hoping to experience the new techn. of the PDK it's the next best thing. And again I'm not trying to stir the pot, just trying to learn more about a great new car that I can't wait to arrive.

Jay

 

I'm a manual guy at heart (just purchased a manual 997.1TT) and at this point in my life I still feel like manual is the only way I would ever go. But if some of the reviews of the new PDK I have read are accurate, then the auto transmission is a pretty compelling proposition. Maybe they are just waxing eloquent, but I've read reviews suggesting that the new PDK is incredibly quick at shifting (much faster than a human could do) and seems to almost realize when a shift (up or down) should occur, even before your brain can make the decision in a manual. I can see where this could be very compelling, especially in racing mode, if your brain power can focus more resources on choosing the perfect line and not being diverted to the decision of when to shift.

This probably doesn't make much sense, but it seemed to make sense to me when I read the review about PDK.