For those who feel the PDK is boring, did the cars you drove have paddle shifters or just the steering wheel buttons. I actually find the paddles to be quite fun. I actually became less than enamored with the manual transmission on my 996 TT as first gear was so short it was useless. That combined with the long throw and slave issues ( both of which required an expense to correct), I am now a fan of the PDK with paddles.

 

I totally agree spikep. I got a chance to drive the 991S with the Sport Design wheel and while I was originally skeptical, I ended up really enjoying it. The shifts are so fast that in normal driving they are not perceivable. Even in hard acceleration it so fast that you stay planted in your seat until you let off. I was originally thinking of the manual but the 991 PDK has won me over. I've been driving manual for years until I got my CTT but the PDK is much more fun then the tiptronic.

 

As i too would also applaud a pdk driver for remaining interested with the car beyond the first 6 to 12 months. And if they are, i question what conditions they are actually driving it in. Bumper to bumper traffic is certainly not the right place for a P car. For me that's a complete waste of mileage. Better in a prius for that. Horses for courses...

Exactly. There is nothing wrong with technology continually improving the car (pasm spasm, ebs abs etc etc but when it comes down to the key basics of what actually makes a sports car feel like a sports car swapping cogs is certainly one function that I'm more than happy to remain in control over. Once you've dialled that out what else is left? And buttons or paddles? The gearbox in auto mode does it all "better" for you in the majority of cases anyway, so the finger action is basically just an overly simple novelty function to help keep the driver interested and feeling part of the equation he's been essentially removed from anyway.

The only remaining "improvements" removing the driver from having to steer the wheel and push the two peddles altogether and manufacturers are working on this now. When it comes to the open road driving situations i have found there is no substitute for a manual in a sports car. It's basically one of the last remaining challenges for the driver....well at least for some anyway....and, 50% of the american 911 buyers it would seem.

I wouldn't say the pdk starts out boring, no, it's just that it becomes very boring imho. Todays Porsches are getting very techy mostly in the right areas (handling and braking etc) without having to remove what many thankfully consider an essential element of a true sports cars character....

No manual in 2020....i think i'll believe that one when i see it. Not saying it couldn't happen but then again maybe in 2020 cars will be so environmentally unpopular it will be a sin to own one unless it's driving you lying down.

 

The PDK is a fantastic piece of engineering, and is faster than a manual. But for me, I get bored with that type transmission. The novelty is fun for several months, then I just leave it in auto after that and drive around. If it was all about being the fastest, I would probably drive something other than a 911. I am 60, and some day may not want to row my own gears. At that time, a PDK might be in my future, but not now.

Porsche loves the PDK because it is a high profit item for them. Once you factor in the cost of Sport Chrono, which most will want with PDK, you are looking at $6500. That is a pretty expensive transmission option, and a money maker for Porsche.

 

Thank god, the age old pdk vs manual debate will finally be over in 2020.

 

Meh, Different Strokes, for Different Folks. See what I did there. Okay, sorry. But seriously. There is no right or wrong answer to this debate. Much like any option on your Porsche people all have different views. Personally for me I drove a manual 997.2 and a PDK back to back. For me the PDK's earth-shattering, lightning fast shifts that snap you back every time was worth the concessions. The car while driven hard provides a completely different experience then under normal cruising. To those who say that the manual provides a different tactile experience I would say that times are changing and the drive for efficiency has sent many tactile experiences the way of the Dodo. Not that anyone is wrong or if the manual will ever be gone. All speculation. I personally don't see the manual disappearing until the market dictates it, and the demand for it is diminished. BMW tried to do it with the M5 but the American market's backlash quickly changed that. The market dictates the supply, and demand dictates the market. Guess it all depends on how many manual enthusiasts are around in 2020.

 

Not so sure what you mean by the weight penalty being almost gone. PDK weighs close to 60 lbs more than the stick, iircc. That's a fair amount of heft in a < 3100 lb sports car.

 

I own a 2000 996 C2 with a manual 6 speed and it is my daily driver as well as occassional track car in Porsche Club DEs. I recently drove a 2011 Boxster S with PDK but without paddles and with the buttons on the steering wheel. I hated it. I will wait to try the PDK in a 991 with paddles before passing judgment on the latest PDK from Porsche.

There is precedent for Porsche to eliminate 6/7speed manuals with a 3 pedal layout. Ferrari did it without penalty in sales volume. Lamborghini is doing it now (the Aventador cannot be had in 3 pedal layout but its predecessor could). I was fortunate enough to own and drive two different Ferrari F430s, both with F1 paddleshifts and absolutely loved them and would not dream of getting another Ferrari without F1 transmission.

So my opinion is that if the PDK set up is better than the manual in providing both an entertaining and involving driving experience (with a proper paddle shift), more and more drivers will be converted like in the case of Ferrari and Lamborghini.

If on the other hand Porsche's manual 3 pedal layout remains more involving and entertaining to drive than their PDK of the same generation, then we will continue to have this argument. Of course there are some who will never be converted but they likely will constitute such a minority that Porsche will likely overlook their needs.

I think I will always keep my 2000 996 so I can remember what a 3 pedal layout was once like in the future!

 

The new 991S PDK shifting is so interesting that it's video game-esque. It's not Audi Tip-tronic on your wife's A6 wagon.

Pop a 991 into SPORT PLUS and grab the paddles. It's almost F1 car fast. And that's not boring or uneventful by any stretch.

Ive owned probably 20 cars in my life that were manual tranny. I get it. But the new PDK is very fun.

 

I'm sure as time progresses and the novelty wears off you will find yourself in auto mode the majority of the time though...

 

And unfortunately the novelty of the 6-speed wore off quick in my 997.2 and I was wishing I had PDK.

 

Well, if it is good enough the novelty will never wear off! I did not drive my F430 F1 in auto mode once! Not once in the two years I owned it.

 

I'd love to experience that drive. One day

 

It's only early days.

How many Kms did the car do in 2 years tho? Most F cars are weekend toys out here. Dare any mileage acrue or there goes resale and up goes service costs....

 

The old Tiptronic 5-speed weighed over 100 pounds more. That's half as much. That's what I mean.