ShakeNBake

I'd be interested to understand the demand overseas vs. US. The european track nuts I know have no desire for a manual in a track car, they want an auto. I wonder if this is a US phenomenon.

DeerHunter

European production sold out even faster than it did in North America. IMO, the only difference between us is that our right hand gets antsy when driving, while in Commonwealth countries, it's the left hand.

jphughan

Well Europe as an entire continent got far fewer allocations than the US, and it's not due to a huge difference in population. Granted cars are more expensive over there which means that the market is smaller, but probably not proportionate to the lower allocation numbers.

Agreed that 6MT love seems to be far more prevalent in the US than elsewhere though. Same with Alcantara, incidentally. I think part of it is that 6MT is simply rarer here and therefore people who can drive stick are seen as possessing some sort of Jedi powers, whereas in Europe all the econoboxes and even many tour buses are manual, so maybe it's seen as a budget option. Of course there are several people on both sides of the Atlantic who just like it for the involvement, myself included.

As for Alcantara, I'm not sure what the deal is there, but Europe overall seems to think of it as the cheap alternative to leather.

DeerHunter

You could counter that with the observation that manuals are far more ubiquitous in Europe (think of the PITA tourists get when they try to rent a car with an automatic). Regardless, Pete's observation is right on the nose, for enthusiasts on both sides of the pond.

twentyseven

Think it's because parts of Europe never get any sun, they don't know how much leather sucks when it's hot out!

Petevb

The hardcore manual followers are most concentrated in the English speaking world. Why is an interesting question- I suspect the biggest factor is the roads and how we use cars. Having lived in Germany I can see the attraction of an automatic for that use, but also the drawbacks given the way I use my cars here. Surprizingly few get both perspectives...

GTgears

Alcantara is a cheap alternative for leather. And it wears like it too.

Brideyo

UK allocation has to have been the smallest globally I think. I put my name and LOI in July 2014 and only got notification last month of a car. Story is here in the UK dealers had up to 35 LOI for the GT4.
Sounds like they have been given 1 or 2 extra cars switched from other parts of Europe but demand is just as strong as it was on the 991 GT3 release.

85Gold

+1

Peter

July1

Hi guys,

I've heard (but on this very forum you should have ear it too) that the PDK has been put away because the car fast simply too fast on the first test drives.. Keeping it in manual only ensured the supremacy of the 911 what Porsche seems to be very regarding on..

On my side I wait to see if a RS will be created or not. But if I can get one I'll definitely consider to swap the box for a PDK.. Precisly for performance issue..

GTgears

Might be cheaper to buy a PDK GTS and put a 3.8 in it. A PDK swap takes a whole lot more than just buying a gearbox at the dealer and installing it.

As for the too fast thing? I don't buy it.

Petevb

I'd suggest just getting a 991 GT3 if PDK your thing. At the end of the day when you total up either adding a PDK or 3.8 your cost of ownership, mods and depreciation included, will be significantly higher than a GT3, and the car will be significantly slower.

Lots of cheaper ways to add speed than the PDK... if speed is really the issue. Intake and exhaust might be the obvious one, or just get a Carrera S/ GTS (PDK or no) and bolt on sticky rubber...
There is something to the "too fast" thing, though in a roundabout way. With Porsche you pay for performance. A faster car is more expensive, not because it costs more to make (see the GT2 dropping a bunch of expensive turbo parts and yet charging more) but because most people still "value" performance. Ask them why they value performance and most will have trouble answering, and I think we're nearing the end of the era where a sports car's "goodness" is largely tied to how fast it is, but today that's still where the majority of buyers are.

With this in mind, if Porsche gave the car more performance they would need to charge more. Quite a lot more- an X51 PDK with a bespoke exhaust would be roughly GT3 quick, so by necessity you're talking GT3 money. But they already have a GT3 in that niche, no need for another one. They were missing a hardcore car in the ~85k niche, however, so that's what we got. Based on the response to the GT4 one can imagine they're busy trying to concoct something hardcore in between at 110-115k.

To differentiate these cars, however, they can't be soft. There is already a Carrera GTS at 115k, so you'd need to make whatever you put there different enough that it doesn't overlap. "Manual only" is one easy way to differentiate...

GreenLantern

I put money down on rumors. Been on the list for a GT4 RS for a year now.

FORENN

This. If you're looking for a PDK GT# car that is faster than the GT4, no need to dream, wish and wait for the possible GT4RS with PDK. The 1GT3 is in its third year of production and will take care of your needs just fine.

Dyim

It is funny how Porsche charges more for Alcantara as an upgrade from leather.