SMA334

Be gentle. This is my first post, and I really haven't done much searching on here, so forgive me if this question has already been asked/answered.

I am currently in the hunt for my first Porsche, and have settled on a 911 Turbo. I am trying to decide whether to go with a 2007/2008 manual or a 2010PDK.

Any insight will be greatly appreciated!

estrellajon

Mixed results and very subjective based on your interest

goofballdeluxe

One is manual shift. One does it for you.

Ask yourself....do I wanna shift? Or do I want the car to do it for me?

Answer that question yourself, as no one else can answer it but you, and you will know what transmission to buy.

SMA334

I totally agree with you both. I was more speaking from a reliability standpoint and/or looking for someone's input who has owned both.

Right now, my dilemma is, as the title says "To PDK or Manual". Coming from a background of racing motocross, a big part of me wants all of the driver involvement that comes with shifting a car. However, I also like the speed and accuracy of the dual clutch trans. I mean 9 times out of 10, the dual clutch setup is faster.

Does anyone have experiences either good or bad with either setup?

A418t81

My turbo is a 6MT and my GT3 is PDK. Both are awesome. I don't think you can go wrong with either depending whichever you end up preferring.

Dennis C

For a car that sees lots of track time, I would go with PDK. I would also go with PDK if the car is a daily driver and traffic is a concern for you. If the car is a weekend toy for street use like mine, then I would go with a 6MT.

SMA334

Thanks for your input Dennis! I don't anticipate going to the track a ton, but I will from time to time. As for traffic, that's not a huge concern either.

I guess I just need to think about it more.

So basically go 2007/2008 6MT or 10/11PDK?

Bikeracer1098

I also race motocross bikes and have also raced Superbikes.

I was in the same position just over a year ago, debating whether to be a late 2009 manual 997.1 turbo or a 2010 997.2 turbo.

Eventually decided to send the extra on the 997.2 turbo with PDK.
Love the car, however sometimes feels too easy to drive compared with the daily driver which is a manual M3.

SMA334

That's what I am afraid of too. But it sounds like you have the best of both worlds. I had a pretty serious accident 4 years ago, and no longer ride dirtbikes because of it, so I am just worried that ill miss that driver involvement.

Turbohead

What he said !

While dumping third in Turbo is an out of body experience .....The PDK is lightning fast and never makes a mistake. Very engaging in a GT3.

Elliot

996_soon

I think you should drive both a 6 M/T and a PDK to compare and hopefully help you decide which you prefer. I own a 07 manual, but I drove a 15 GT3 on the track and was blown away with the responsiveness. Of course a better comparison may have been a Turbo PDK. Good luck!

SMA334

I am glad to hear that you feel very engaged with the PDK in a GT3. I know a Turbo isn't exactly a GT3, but I know that I won't be disappointed.

Of course there is a big part of me that wants the challenge of really learning how to drive a manual fast around a track, but I only see myself making it to the track a couple times a year. Most of my driving will be done on the weekend or to and from work.

996_soon

Same here. If it was a daily, I'd go PDK. But, if I had the means, I'd have both M/T and PDK.

Zeus993

My 2 cents (CND) is go and drive each! First off, I have a PDK in my Macan GTS and you can always override it with the flappy paddles dirve it manual, and it delivers a faster shift etc.., BUT, and there is a BUT, I find it much less engaging. It simply is. That combined with the electric steering is a less than interested driving experience.

In comparison the manual is very engaging. And MT in the Turbo, regardless of the year, is very very good. The clutch is hydraulically assisted and the throws, especially with a short shifter kit (SSK) are excellent. These are very very easy cars to drive. My vote is for the MT.

Another thing to take into account in choosing a TT is the engine. The 997.1 has the legendary, GT1 race proven, Mezger (named after the Porsche engineer Has Mezger), flat-6 that delivers a great performance, rattles and all. It is very modifiable and able to produce massive HP with with tunes and different air flow mods, if that is your thing. The 997.2 comes with the newer Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) flat-6 and although has a great performance and reliability record etc... but is not super-modifiable and doesn't have the presitigeous racing heritage of the Mezger.

Then there's the cab vs. coupe choice. I vote for cab as these cars are a blast to drive year around.

I recently test drove a 997.2 and 997.1 back to back. My impression was that the .2 delivering the power in a more linear fashion and that the suspension seems tighter. This may have been due to the fact the .2 had brand new Michelin tires on it. Both were manual.

Good luck on your hunt! I vote for MT but go and test each.

SMA334

Thanks for the feedback Zeus! Yeah I really need to drive am MT for comparison sake.

I was always curious why people boast about the Mezger engine, and now I see that it has a lot to do with the racing heritage. And its not to say that the DFI engine is bad correct? Just that it don't have the history of the other engine?

As far as cab vs coupe, I am just not a cab guy. Although the 997 cab is really well done, I just cant picture myself driving it. And it doesn't make sense if I am going to go to the track a couple times a year.

Where/what year was the 997.2 manual that you drove?