Looking at leasing a manual 991 S Cab. I've driven the PDK a handful oftimes but something about rowing through the gears just puts a stupid smile onmy face. I know the PDK is faster and with launch control it will be muchquicker off the line compared to a manual tranny. I feel the manual tranny is much morerewarding when you get the shifts points right and know when to downshift. Unfortunately I haven’t had a chance to drivethe new re-matching tranny.

Seeing how every other manufacturer is going the way of PDK/F1/E-gear etc. Ifigured I would retire my manual BMW and replace it with another manual. Unfortunately 20% of my driving involves stopand go traffic out of/into the tunnels/bridges leading to the city and some ofmy friends would complain of fatigue from constantly depressing the clutch ontheir GT3s and 997s in stop and go. I never had that problem with my BMW(especially after removal of the clutch stop). Out of curiosity do any manualowners have PDK regret or any PDK owners have stick envy?

 

Nothing against you, but this statement from your friends is nonsense.

With driving, we use our right foot way more than the left. Why don't they complain that their right foot is tired and take a taxi instead.

 

I stayed with a manual and love it.

The only issue I have is that my wife can't drive it easily and experience the same level of sublime perfection I feel. There is a bit of sadness there...

But this manual is utter perfection.

(She can drive a manual, but it is not second nature to her...she really needs to concentrate on it. A PDK would have been a great compromise...but she wouldn't let me even offer to compromise. Now I just need to find a new car for her daily driver...the 5 series is looking nice or the new E class...).

 

I had to go with PDK this time. My wife broke both wrists several years ago (about 5 or 6) and they never healed properly. She drives all my cars and when we got the Turbo 996 in 2008 it had to be a Tiptronic so she could drive it also. Therefore 991S also with PDK. I've driven PDK in Germany on 3 rental Porsches and absolutely love it. On one of the trips I had a 997.2 C4S with manual for a couple of days followed by one with PDK. The PDK car was more fun.

John in Vancouver

 

Have no regrets w/PDK performance. Owned a 2013 M3 DCT prior & this
transmission is smoother & quicker (and the BMW was very good) and
unlike the BMW it's not jerky/jumpy at low speeds in either auto or manual.

Only thing negative for me is that on the Multi Function Steering Wheel, it is not intuitive for me (again coming from the BMW) with the Porsche's "push down/pull in"dual levers" vs having the traditional shift paddle on the left downshift & the right upshift. Porsche does make an equivalent steering wheel, I just don't have it. I am getting used the new way though.

As far as experience w/traditional manual transmissions go, owned many in the past including those in the NSX(s) & I will be sticking with dual clutch "manumatics" from here on out.

 

I have paddle shifting on my 996 TT Tip and my BMW 650 Cab. When I had the rental Porsches with PDK and the buttons I messed up many shifts and in one case tried to downshift (rather than up) when near the redline. Fortunately the PDK is smarter than me and it didn't go. I ordered my 991S with the steering wheel with paddle shifting. If you search there is a kit to convert the button shifting wheels to paddle also.

John in Vancouver

 

Certified_Prime, I am in the same boat. My wife can drive a manual but would not drive my old 997. So, I was going to get a PDK on the new 991 so she could occasionaly enjoy driving it. But after numerous test drives -- I just couldn't do it. So, I have a MT on order... Oh well, maybe she will reconsider when she sees how much fun it is.

 

Are you currently in a MT car? If so and you love it then go for the MT 991. Everyone has their own preferences, but despite some people snickering at it, the amount of time in stop and go traffic did influence my decisions. I had MT cars since age 16........after moving to DFW no one could pay me enough to drive a manual. Dallas traffic sucks THAT bad.

 

i seem to be alone on this, but i stick my PDK in manual 99% of the time and shift with the stick. it is perfect height and reach from the steering wheel. i have to be just a cognisant of shifting & which gear i am in as with my manual GTS.one isn't moving the shifter back and forth in quite the same fashion, but frankly you are reaching and shifting - brain is not distinguishing much difference on that side.

left foot doesn't clutch, but it does get quite a bit of use using left foot braking. again, not exactly the same actions, but very close and at the end of the day, using both feet.

i do miss the downshifts you get on your own with the manual, but with this automatic blip they are sticking in these 991's just takes away my best joy with the manual.

if i want to go back to a manual 911, it will not be a 991 version

 

I struggled with MT vs PDK. End of the day I knew the pdk would get boring for me personally after a few months and I would regret it. I would love the PDK at the track but my car will spend 90% of its time on my daily commute.

I really enjoy shifting gears, plus my wife can't drive MT....bonus!! LOL.

 

Well your friends aren't wrong... I find the clutch pedal travel in the 911 has always been very long... much longer than the multitude of MT's I've driven.
Many only depress the clutch halfway between shifts but when you're in start stop traffic... not so much.
Anyway here's a copy past of a reply to someone else with a similar question... but in the end it is such a highly subjective thing that there really is no "better" just different.

Cheers!




PDK VS. MT... (flame suit on!)

First off, the PDK (combined with the unique handling characteristics of the 991) can NOT be compared to any other double clutch system currently on the market, you just can't.

I've been a hardcore MT guy for as long as I've been driving cars and had a really, really hard time deciding which way to go this time around.
But I'm originally (22 years+) from Amsterdam as such I can tell you that in Europe a MT is VERY common place... and not to be dismissive but everyones Grandmother drives one.
It is therefore not necessarily considered that "real men drive MT's" LOL.

It's just not associated with sports cars (like it's here in North America), it simply is how most of the cars used to come (btw, quiet a few cars still don't come standard with power windows and conditioning nor auto gearbox...).

Most high performance cars are now only available in double clutch type paddle shift or a sequential configuration.
It simply is much faster and it allows the manufactures to deal with less warranty issues (particularly with high rev and/or high torque cars) and I would in no way call these "automatics"!

I still love rowing through the gears but not so much in the 991 if you give it a bit of "the heavy foot" (and we didn't buy 911 to always drive in comfort mode).
The power-band is very particular... I find that the it really kicks in at about 4000/4500 rpm and when it does... man it literally jumps to 6500 rpm in the blink of an eye wowww!
The problem is that over 6500 the torque starts to drop of quite a bit so the window to shift becomes very small and you have to be fast because with the same throttle input you'll be in the wrong spot to shift in another blink of an eye... now increase the throttle input... and that shift window will exponentially get smaller and smaller.
So if you're like me you'll end up driving the entire time to catch that "magic spot" which last a fraction of a second... it gets tiring after a while but I just can't help myself (oh and since you're an "exhaust junky" like me, the exhaust sounds much much better in sport+ so you'll find yourself in that setting most of the time).

Rowing through the gears in comfort mode (without a heavy foot") on the other hand is... well... awesome... and almost therapeutically but in sport+... you're just not fast enough, all the driver ends up doing is holding the car back and you can feel it.
Now add the power kit to this and having a MT becomes a total contradiction...
I'd go as far as to say that an C2/4 S with a PDK in sport+ will be as fast (if not faster) than a MT C2/4S with a power kit.
I know, I know them are fighting words however that's what I believe (but I've been know to be wrong on more than a few occasion! ).

This is a new generation of technology and as such it's highly digitized... the old analogue foot and hand motion just doesn't mesh with it.
It's like using books and a typewriter VS a keyboard and the internet.
One is slower but gives you a direct feel and involvement in every element, from the smell of the books, the feel of the pages, the pressure of the finger tips to the angel at which the paper was inserted...there's an invested interest in not making too many mistakes and as you go faster there's a speed at which you as a mere human will top out at...

The other being a keyboard, is involving in a more cerebral way where speed is natural and can always be faster... if mistakes are made they are easily corrected and that ease allows you to explore much, much further than with an analog system because it's connected to a never ending digital world... all at your full control.
Is it less fun...hell no it's just a different kind of fun.

Like photography with film vs. digital... or pen & paper vs. an ipad, board games vs. X-box, letters vs. email or... MT vs. PDK... it's the future and it just work better, more efficient, involving, direct and fun.
Does this mean that there is no place for all the analogue derived pleasures... absolutely not!
But it will be for the pleasures derived from it's necessary (inter)actions and not so much if we are talking about performance.

Does it feel less involving... give it a chance and you'll find that the PDK in manual is actually a ton of fun to play with... you'll find yourself blipping through gears just to hear those awesome sounds coming from the engine.
You'll feel like a teenager faced with a full, perky, natural set of breast crowed by nipples which seem to react to your very breath... you'll be mesmerized and won't be able to stop playing with them.... just make sure to keep your eyes on the road tiger!

Sid.

 

I too ordered a MT and LOVE it. I think that PDK is an amazing, precise, quick transmission that destroys the competion, but for me, after numerous test drives, I just enjoyed driving so much more with the MT. There is something to be said for having both feet and both hands constantly involved, even if it isn't as quick. Another reason I didn't go PDK is I don't track my car. If I did, I would have given the PDK greater consideration.

There is no right or wrong answer here. It boils down to personal preference. If your not sure, I'd do some more test drives. Nothing wrong with waiting, as much as it hurts, to make the right decision. Best of luck with your decision.

 

I tried both PDK and MT and ultimately decided on MT. I disliked the PDK (Not the PDK specifically but just an automatic tranny) but really enjoy the MT. I am coming from a 335 MT. I don't plan to track the car. It's purely personal preference.

My wife can drive a manual but not second nature as others have noted. She will drive the car 3 times per year but we both decided it's not worth getting PDF for that.

 

I own a MT, but I wouldn't hate a PDK. You should get what makes you happy.

And don't judge by the numbers. As you can see from the enclosed link, a good driver with a MT can still get some decent numbers. Launch control is not the end all when it comes to chasing a number. If you learn how to launch a manual, watch out.

We had a few guys run high tens with their bone stock ZO6 Corvettes once they got the launch down; a good 60 foot time is very important for getting the low ET.

Check out the 911 Carrera times here:

http://www.zeroto60times.com/Porsche...mph-Times.html

 

Just ordered a manual C4S cab. The last PDK 911 I had was a 2009 C4S cab. My wife hated it. Laughed at me for buying an automatic Porsche.
Since then, I got a 2010 C2S coupe, and GT3RS 4.0, and a Carrera GTS cab. All manuals. I just enjoy controlling the timing of the engagement and disengagement of the clutch and rowing the gears myself. Bought a 458, but now I am looking for a 430 spider 6-speed.