k_ddsl

Warning: Very long post

I received a few messages asking about initial driving impressions about the .2TT with PDK, so I thought it might be a good idea to share with everyone.

I have just over 1200 Kms (750 Miles) on the odo now.

Interior Fit and Finish
Well, not much has changed here since 2009 model. The interior is very well put together.
Pros:
Leather: The quality of the leather is one of the nicest I have seen. Stitching is first grade. Fitment is really "tight" and high quality.
Plastics: Short of Spyker-style all aluminum buttons, I think the plastic bits are high quality.
Cons:
Nothing at this time.
Quibles:
Alu-look trim pieces:
A lot of the alu-look parts on the interior trim are just that, painted bits to look like aluminum.
It's not that this is misleading, Porsche advertises it as such. But, it would be much nicer for a car of this price and caliber to have actual aluminum used. There are very few actual aluminum parts in the trim.
I am concerned that it is only a question of time, in our ambient temps here in Kuwait, that some of that alu paint will begin pealing or scratching easily.
Passenger window button:
While the driver side window button offers one touch automatic operation for lowering and raising, the passenger side only does one touch for lowering. You have to hold it past halfway raised point in order for you to be able to let go and let it continue on by itself to the fully raised position. Why?

PCM 3.0 & Audio
Anyone familiar with PCM 3 will know that it is a far leap ahead over the previous generation.
Navigation:
Graphics are improved and touch screen capability is a great convenience.
Phone:
Phone function if you insert a sim card is excellent. Calls are crisp and very clear on both ends. I have not paired it on bluetooth yet because I have an iPhone and pairing the iPhone requires the de-activiation of the sim access profile in PCM because the iPhone 3GS does not support this. i am hoping Apple added this support in the iPhone 4G as I will upgrade to it as soon as it is available here.
Other PCM functions:
I have the Electronic Logbook and Voice Control options installed. In addition to that, I have Sport Chrono which is meant to expand on some of the features available in PCM. I have not yet begun exploring these features. I will update this thread when I start digging deeper into it.
Audio:
Bose Audio is perfectly acceptable. Granted, it is not high audiophile grade stuff, but I see no reason whatsoever, at least to me, to even think of upgrading. I have 10,000 tracks on my iPod in MP3 format and that's what I use in the car. MP3 as a source material, in and of itself, renders the question of audiophile upgrades a moot point in my opinion.
I also have the 6-CD/DVD option. All 6 CDs/DVDs insert one after the other into the single slot of the PCM unit and no longer require a separate changer which is very convenient. I have not yet tried DVD audio sound quality in the car.

Exhaust note:
While it is not the sexiest sound I've heard, the stock exhaust note on the .2TT is far nicer than that of the stock .1TT.
Having said that, the stock exhaust DOES INDEED DRONE! in the 2000-3000 rpm range, drone is very much present and audible. Nothing too drastic, nothing that makes you cringe, but it is there. It makes me wonder about all the after-market exhaust "absolutely no drone" claims being made.
The exhaust does change note when you go into Sport or Sport + Mode. It gets a tad louder and lower in timber and a bit more "aggressive".

Engine and Power Delivery:
Engine is smooth as silk. Absolutely no "roughness" about it in any way.
Although it is a new engine being used for the first time in the TT (used previously as NA), It feels and sounds and delivers like a very grown up and mature engine, if you know what I mean. The engine revs smoothly all the way through the range.
Power delivery:
This is very very much dependent on the mode you are in, normal, sport or sport plus. I think that the way PDK translates the power to the wheels is something that needs a bit of familiarization with before you find your comfort zone with it. More on that later.
Power delivery of the engine itself is relentless and sustained. The torque band is so wide and hits so low in the RPM range that lag, if you're in not normal mode, is virtually non-existant. Just one continuous wave of acceleration through all the gears. The car simply surges forward and covers ground like nothing else.

The PDK Gearbox:
Except in normal mode, and regardless of the degree of throttle applied, third, half, full, etc..., you feel that there is a telepathic connection between you and the gearbox. The instant you apply any change in throttle, you find yourself in the right gear. The turbos spool up immediately as a result and response is immediate to the smallest changes in throttle position.
Normal Mode:
Contrary to some of the others who posted impressions on different forums, I found that normal mode is totally and utterly useless unless you are driving (cruising) on a fairly traffic free highway.
Why? Well, from a standing normal start (not WOT), the car is slightly hesitant and throttle response is "half-harted" at best. The gearbox is constantly trying to select the highest gear possible, perhaps for fuel economy. I found it in 7th gear traveling at 80 KMPH (50 MPH). If you apply more throttle, short of WOT kickdown, the gearbox takes a while to change down gears and it does not necessarily select the most responsive gear for the throttle change you are applying.
As such, in traffic, you are almost always in the wrong gear for quick overtakes, and you overcompensate by applying too much throttle and end up looking/seeming like a hooligan and acting unintentionally too aggressively.
Sport Mode:
The ideal mode for 90% of the time. The gearbox selects the ideal gear for the speed you are travelling and responds instantly with gear changes, wether accelerating (upshifts) or decelerating (downshifts). It will also change up around 4000 to 5000 rpm unless under aggressive acceleration. In this mode, you are always in the right gear. Since this mode also affects throttle response and timing and also gives you the over-boost function, I find I'm leaving it there almost always. The one proviso, you need to set PASM to normal setting as the ride becomes too rough.
Sport Plus Mode:
Only to be used when deliberate hooliganism is called for .
Rapid fire gear changes. Most aggressive throttle response. Will hold gears to the redline. Will also downshift brilliantly.

Ride and Handling:
Ride:
In the normal setting of PASM, the ride is a confidence inspiring hard without being uncomfortably so. It rides over surface imperfections fairly well, but communicates them to you clearly, without ever being bone jarring.
In the sport setting, the suspension becomes granite hard. Best you leave it alone unless on a track or you are doing high-speed cornering on very smooth tarmac.
Handling - Road Conditions, Not Track:
In a word, outstanding.
The dynamic engine mounts are sublime as the engine never fights against you to unsettle the car's tail during sudden high speed corners. The tail feels firmly planted and surefooted as a result.
Porsche Torque Vectoring works, and you feel it. When you turn into a corner, you feel initially that the car may have a slight understeering tendency. It doesn't actually understeer, it's just a feeling you get. And then PTV kicks in and the car just turns. Straight where you point it. Positively brilliant.
It takes a while for you to get to know the car's handling characteristics, but once you do, this car is so confidence inspiring on the road, that you feel like Ayrton Senna. Once you acclimatize yourself to the car, it feels very predictable and never has you guessing.
PLEASE NOTE: I have not and will not push the car to the edge on the streets. And, unfortunately, we do not have a track in Kuwait. I may take it to a track in Bahrain. We will see.
Steering feel and response are superb. Never numb and always communicative. Very sharp instantaneous response. Nothing new here for P cars.

I apologize for this lengthy post.
Please remember these are my impressions and are far from being an authoritative review.
I reserve the right to change my mind on any of the above as I spend more and more time with the car.

Riz

Great detail - I drove the new turbo for about 20 miles and I agree with almost everything you said. I have an 09 tt, 6 speed. I thought the 09 exhaust sounds better, and there is no droning. The new car definitely felt more agile. I have to keep mine for a while though. Good luck with yours.

k_ddsl

Thanks.
I found that the MT on both cars do not drone near as much as PDK/Tip.
Even then, the PDK/Tip stock exhaust drone is not irritating or loud. I was just pointing out that it's just there in my PDK car.

Overdraft

+ 1 ....my impressions as well - particularly about normal mode - you are bang on...

k_ddsl

Yep. Normal is really lame.

SchH III

Based on my very limited seat time in my 2011 "S," you are absolutely correct re the normal mode. Starting off there is almost a combination of hesitation and surging...very annoying and I miss the control of the 6 speed in my 2008 turbo. Sport mode is very nice although there seems to be a bit of lag when downshifting using the paddles. I also completely agree with your evaluation of the updated suspension...much improved over the 2008. Perhaps an iconoclast or a control freak, but at this time for me, the jury is out on PDK.

jfr0317

Before you guys who just got your cars get too down on your PDK in "Normal" mode, remember that the PDK has an "adaptive" shift pattern that can "learn" its shifting profile based on how you are driving it. My 09 C2S with PDK exhibited many of the symptoms you guys have described until I got past the mild driving style I was using while trying to break it in. It never has gotten to where it responds in "Normal" as it does in "Sport", but it also doesn't shift into 7th at 35 mph anymore either.

I plan on beginning with a considerably more aggressive initial driving style when my 2011 Turbo S Cab arrives next month!

k_ddsl

I really like the PDK overall. The Sport Mode is spot on for me and the Sport + Mode is explosive. I initially got slight lag like you described when downshifting using paddles in Sport, but that has adjusted.
Suspension on the new TT is superb. I do not think it needs any modification at all unless accompanied by serious power mods as well.

Having been advised by the P dealer's tech guys here not to baby the car while breaking in, I did start off with an aggressive break in style. I have around 1.5K Kms on it now. Still hate the normal mode in anything but empty-ish highway driving though.
Hopefully that will adjust.

I di say that I reserve the right to change my mind on my initial impressions as I get more seat time in the car.

Carrera GT

Thanks for taking the time to put together this post. I'm considering a Turbo S (coupe or cabriolet) to replace the current '09 PDK C4S (loaded) Cab. Your "initial impressions" help focus in on the things I might find disappointing (the behavior of PDK for example, or the value of PTV.) Thanks!

k_ddsl

No problem at all.

Two things to note:
PTV: This comes as standard on the Turbo "S". With PTV, you also automatically get P's mechanically locking rear diff. The car's handling for any street driving is, simply put, brilliant.
PDK: Although Normal Mode remains too relaxed and continues to select the highest possible gear after 2000 Kms in my car, some members suggested that it will adapt to my driving style with longer usage. That remains to be seen.
Despite that, I wouldn't trade it for a 6 speed for a reason: Sport Mode and Sport+ Mode. They are both simply breathtaking.

SchH III

The vehicle is a 2011 Turbo S with PDK with <100 miles; at the outset I confess I am biased and my observations result from a sample of one and amount to nothing more than opinion.. Nevertheless, I have owned and driven Porsches for more than a quarter of a century. Over the years the only automatic owned was a 2007 Turbo Tip…a car that fell far short of my expectations and a car that was remarketed a few weeks after delivery.

Certain characteristics of PDK are particularly irritating. When starting out (ambient or operating temperature seem non significant influences) the car exhibits a combination of hesitation and surging. On an intermittent basis when slowing to a stop and during the downshift to first there is a muffled “clunk” and a soft jerk. Paddle initiated downshifts occur with an annoying lag. Perhaps these complaints will diminish as miles driven increase.

In Kentucky, there are many challenging secondary roads. Of course, we have hills and it is not unusual to encounter a sharp gradient change following a very tight turn (maximum safe speed may be 30 mph). With my car when exiting the turn and heading up a hill PDK will eventually downshift but not until rpm’s sharply drop almost to the point of lugging the engine. Perhaps the delay is explainable by a combination of cornering force, steering angle and change in slope. Regardless, this behavior is very disappointing and is clearly contrary to that promoted in sales literature and to experiences of others with normally aspirated cars.

Tacet-Conundrum

From what I've seen here is that the latency when the PDK is manually shifter is a fraction of a second longer than in the non-turbo models. Where the shifts are lightning quick.

DJ23

Great write up. And I would agree with you totally on sport versus non sport mode driving.

Jay

Bob in NY

Thanks for the well written evaluation. I think the tone and droning you mention will be reduced after more driving and carbon is built up in your muffler system. This was my experience with an aftermarket system I had. I drove a PDK on the track for 2 days and it's a terrific system but takes some getting used too. I would like to see your evaluation after you have 5k miles on the car. All these cars take some seat time to better understand their characteristics. Great write, thanks for sharing.

Tacet-Conundrum

My build includes all the Aluminum look bits. My argument is why aren't they full on the real thing? Seriously re-thinking getting them for something else or going the extreme opposite route and having them just custom made by some hotrod shop in LA/OC!

Might do the bits in Nordic Metallic Gold instead since that color goes so well with the Cocoa leather.

On another I might be going to Kuwait to do some consulting. I for sure want to check out the scene there since there seems to be quite a few folks from there posting here and at six speed online dot com!