Porche designed PDK for its race cars in the 1980s and won everything in sight with them. Today's automated manuals for race cars are generally single clutch sequential, being lighter and simpler than PDK.

 

The 956 or 962, correct. But the transmission wasn't the reason they won everything. In fact, I thought it was experimental?

 

So here are some videos:
991S PDK (camera car) vs 991S Manual. Again, PDK car has full tank of gas, full frunk and two 220lb passengers. Don't know info on manual transmission 991S.


991S vs Mclaren. Impressive how the 991 can keep up with the Mclaren, mostly due to launch control.


991S vs Aston Martin (don't know exact model, possibly Vantage). I jumped the start, my bad.


991S vs Lamborghini Gallardo. I let my cousin drive a few runs and he essentially messed up each start, even though launch control is fool-proof. So we got overly excited that he finally got the launch right and you can see the outcome when the car launches correctly. Race starts at around 2:40.

John

 

A little more than half of tank of gas, passenger is definitely in 200+ range and i'm 140lb wet (from waist down). I also had two baby seats in the back, one heavy and another one not that heavy.....so around 55-60lbs for both if i was to guess. One difference is that I have lighter wheels (stock non-optional 20s) and no sunroof (pdk car did I believe)... finally, PDK tranny is heavier than the manual. On the other hand, PDK has advantage in tighter gear ratios, especially in 2-3 shift (7mt is compromised in the name of fuel economy).

 

I have a very different view of what "keeping up" means.

 

+1 991S keeping up with McClaren

 

PSST........ I heard there was a guy over on the Rennlist forum that can shift a MT transmission faster than PDK using only his front tooth. Downshifting is a little more challenging. Let's all quickly head over there and start another thread.

 

You're conflating technology with mode of operation. Founder is correct: the PDK is very much a sequential automatic transmission...unless you can figure out a way to get it to go directly from 7th gear to, say, 3rd gear (or visa versa) without any stops in between. Its mode of operation is sequential, period. The difference in technology by which this is accomplished is irrelevant...

 

In general agree, but Kickdown will downshift to a non-sequential gear in Automatic mode.

 

Ah so...but none of the self-respecting race drivers here would ever be caught dead driving their PDKs in automatic mode, would they?

 

I believe kickdown occurs even in Manual mode, which sucks! At least that's what I recall from my 991 rental. When I take delivery one of my first mods will be to defeat the kickdown switch, hopefully by just disconnecting it, but if that doesn't work I'll mechanically defeat it with a U-clamp or similar.

 

Actually, it CAN go from 7th to 3rd without any stops in between :-)

 

If my 991 C4 was my daily driver, I most likely would have rethought the decision to go with the MT. As it is the car I mostly drive on weekends for good times and fun, the MT just enhances that experience for me...the feel, sounds, and control from rowing that thing.

 

As does the Mitsubishi EVO dual clutch... Some do, some don't, it is all in the programming. Some have neutral, some don't (holding both paddles).

The PDK is an amazing transmission, no two ways about it. Well, actually, I guess there is... lol!

 

This is like saying that PDKs are better because the Apollo moon rockets shifted (changed stages) automatically...they have about as much relevancy to the road cars that we're talking about as F1 "cars" do. Since you're leaning on F1 as an example, maybe we should all be using F1's 13" wheels on our cars as well. They use those 13s for two very good reasons:

1) Even on smooth racetracks, they perform better than larger/heavier wheels.

2) Because 12" wheels won't fit over the brakes.

In the "ideal" physics laboratory that is F1, it has been demonstrated that small, light wheels perform better than large heavy wheels do. So, it's rather puzzling as to why people who are perfectly willing to spend an extra $4200 on a PDK in order to go a split-second quicker on the race track aren't willing, for an equal-or-lesser amount of money, to replace their car's heavy, cosmetic 19" or 20" wagon wheels with better-performing (lighter) 18" wheels (assuming 17s won't fit over the brakes) in order to gain a similar amount of performance. Of course, the answer is that many people like the way those huge wheels look, and are consciously willing to sacrifice a bit of performance, rough road handling, and ride quality to have "that look". And that's fine...to each, his own, etc. But with this in mind, why are those who are consciously willing to forgo a PDK's split-second advantage on each shift in order to enjoy driving their cars more accused of being "old", "backward", Luddites, etc.? It would make just as much sense (none whatsoever) to accuse the pro-PDK crowd of being too lazy to learn how to drive a manual properly. People choose what they want based on their own preferences. Why can't we just leave it at that?



I can't believe you went there, even when talking about a rolling start with an automatic transmission, where all you do is put it in "D" and floor it...shame on you.



+2. That video tells me that McLarens are really quick, even off the line, which surprised me.