Fanny's point was a lament about the fact that stickshift Porsche,s (the truly driver engaging machines) are getting scarcer and scarcer especially in the newer models, not that they are less capable. Some high-priest Porsche torch bearers missed that point.

 

They are catering to the largest market who have over 100k to throw down to show off their status. I am not saying anyone here is a part of that market specially when they have been buying earlier Porsche manuals for years but there was a large market that Porsche was not catering too. They are not concerned about anything I mentioned as they only keep the car for 3 or 4 years and on a whim move on to something newer and better and to them status and new car smell means its better. I am sure Porsche is stealing lots of Mercedes and BMW sales. Now people don't have to explain or be ashamed to as why they bought a poser car with an auto tranny, its faster then one with dinosaur gearbox. PDK is the ultimate sales pitch and break through.

 

I think you're absolutely right jumper!! I also can't blame Porsche who are a company following the objectives of VAG and I'm not their target audience as I will only ever be a 2nd or 3rd owner of one of their cars ( I can't afford a Louis Vuitton purse either!!). Problem is I won't purchase what the new car buyers are now spec'ing in the retail market, with the exception of maybe a manual Cayman GTS or GT4!!

 

what i like about PDK is you cant make a miss shift

but you wont take away from me a good manual transmission hehe

 

BTW Martin I really like your new house in the Avatar!!!!

 

... and you didn't see what ocean view I have got as well!

 

My present Porsche is my first automatic. It makes a mediocre driver like me better, a good driver, great. Would I ever go back to MT, never. If it's good enough for Formula 0ne, it's good enough for me.

PS Status to trade every five years or so, absolutely not, just the need for a better machine.

 

Automatic = People that want to be seen in sports cars
Manual = People that what to drive sports cars
Just saying ..........

 

I don't completely disagree with you as I stated at the start if I lived in Vancouver or Toronto I'd get a PDK as well. That said I don't agree with your analogy as what's good for F1 is irrelevant to driving around southern Ont in a Cab .

What makes a mediocre driver better should be learning to drive not nanny aids, I see it all the time with high performance sport bikes. Young guys buy the new R1 (or BMW SRR or Duc Panigale) with ABS, wheelie control, stability adjusted traction control and a quick shifter, etc etc, and they can go faster but they're not a better rider in any way shape or form - when they eventually screw up (and they do) they don't have real skills to cope with the situation and they end making a mess on the road. Maybe a bit off topic here

 

The post above your makes a good point tho... pretty much every form of serious motor sport does NOT use an H-gate manual shifter transmission. Unless you are saying Nascar is the pinnacle of motorsport? lol

 

Serious motor sport is being paid for by people who want to win by all means. It's a business for them and they eliminate driver error, blown transmissions and it evens out driving skills required. All these things help win races or stay in the race. Drivers don't care about driving for pleasure they are driving to get paid and winning gets them a bigger pay check.
I also found the dinosaur race days more fun to watch, unexpected things happened, those guys were legends but now a days it's pretty boring and anybody with seat time and a strong stomach can do what they do. I still enjoy watching ALMS mixed class racing because it throws some traffic into the mix which keep things from just being a fuel and tire strategic race but F1 is dead to me as is watching golf.

 

I for one welcome our VW Overlords!!

 

I hate to break the bad news to you. Being a good driver and owning a Porsche with PDK are not mutually exclusive. I have nothing against driver education (been there done that probably before you were born) but the assumption that bad drivers get PDK and good drivers drive MT is ignorant....and actually borderline insulting. However, I can enjoy mine and you can enjoy yours so we are all happy again.

 

PDK vs MT again with all the same valid points.

Paddles are in every top class of race car so how about this formula:

MT= enjoyment on the road/PDK = winning!

 

Wow - that's not what I said at all - if this is what you find borderline insulting you need to thicken that translucent skin a wee bit!!

BTW your own post when you got your 50th describes it as like a GT car, so I don't know why your taking exception to this thread??

"I finally had a chance to go for a spin. Drives like a GT. Not as sporty as the 997.2 S but just a beautiful drive. And the Burmester is just spectacular."