SteveG

I'm a newby autox, maybe do some DE haven't raced since go-karts as a teenager on a dirt track; did one day at Lime Rock last Fall and I'm hooked; I'm retired, but this would probably only happen 3 -4 weekends a season as I'm in the NE. I'm thinking about buying an 09 Cayman S with PDK, PASM, Sport Chron, it hasn't been tracked. I'm thinking that learning to "Heel and toe" at this stage is not time well spent (near geezer status here) and hence my thinking as to going for PDK; this particular car doesn't have paddles (I see Vivid Racing has a $2K paddle wheel with enhancements, which might be feasible). If I went with a manual I would probably add Auto-Blip or some mod, but probably not much in the way of expensive mods. I would use the car off track for pleasure, but the chief reason is to get mid-engine performance in the summer.

Thoughts appreciated on usefulness of PDK care and feeding under the above conditions. I see a great thread in the 997 forum about indep shop/DIY repair of PDK; I know there are other Caymans out there with sophisticated mods that are not out of my price range, but I'm wondering if that might be too much equipment for a novice. Is there a more appropriate forum for this question?

Marv

Buy the car that makes you happy.

In the real world of autocross, at least for our club, I shift from 1st to second gear and it stays in that gear for the duration of the run. I try to get into 2nd as soon as I can and things like auto blip or other shifting nannies are unimportant.

It sounds like your autocross goals have more to do with having fun and learning new skills. If that's the case, you do not need to be concerned with niggling details about PDK or modifications to your car. If fact, I wouldn't even think about anything in the hardware department except tires and a helmet. A stock Cayman S would be an excellent choice for autocross. Keep it simple.

Earlydays

+1

Robert Nixon

agree with the above, the PDK can shift faster than I can, on track or autocross, and it's a blast. Driver skill is the most important thing to invest in, getting a coach at a HPDE, or have some ride with you (or ride with a faster driver) in AutoX.

edfishjr

Top drivers have said that PDK & Sport Chrono are necessary for AS national competitiveness, so you are choosing the correct car by that standard. Instead of worrying about heel and toe, which has very rare usefulness in auto-x, think about learning to left foot brake. I'm 65 and I just started doing it after 11 years of auto-x!

SteveG

UPDATE, I bought a Cayman S Black Edition with PDK and paddle shifters, so true to above statement, I won't be concerned with heel/toe. BTW, Been using left foot since I drove a cab in NYC 30 years ago.

Z3papa

Just my feeling but there is no way you can be faster in a manual over a pdk in autocross. Prior to my current car, I always drove manual cars, and competed on a Nat'l level for the past 10 years. A good friend asked if my car was a manual incredulously knowing I bought a pdk, and I responded, "you, I and Senna can't shift like this pdk when pressed". The car is launch control is rather hilarious as it searches for grip on even the grippiest 200TW tires.

OldRallyist

The real advantage of the PDK over the manual at autocross is the shorter second gear ratio. Think about it the top speed at autocross is supposed to be about 70 mph which is approximately the same speed available in the PDK's second gear while a manual has a second gear the reaches a bit over 80 mph. Now which will be quicker exiting that 35 to 40 mph corner?

sjfehr

I think you'll really enjoy PDK, especially for the track. Among the technical stuff already noted, not having to spend time and hand-eye coordination downshifting lets you concentrate more on corner entry, and makes learning the critical skill of trail-braking a whole lot easier.

Kitc2246

A plus with the 09-12 987.2 PDKs is Sport and Sport+ can be dealer added for non-Sport Chrono cars. Sport and Sport+ also dumb down the nannies and change the throttle map and shift points. Depending on the number of track events I would have the PDK fluid and rear diff changed sooner.