I am one month into a new '09 PDK C4S coupe having swapped out my '04 Manual C4S coupe (w/ X51 package) and I thought a few of you might appreciate some color....(yes I am cooking on the miles)


By way of background, I simply LOVED my ’04 C4S. The engine sound with the X51 was as good (well almost) as a GT3. It was very stiff and felt incredibly connected to road. I could feel every nuance in the road via the steering wheel. It felt (and was) fast in a way I just didn’t experience in other cars – you could feel going 40 as much as 80 or whatever. It was rock solid in rain and snow (with the right treads). It just did everything I asked of it and I looked forward to getting in the car everyday.

However, the problem with my ’04 was dealing with traffic on my daily commute in and out of Manhattan. It probably isn’t an issue for most people but the daily clutch action over the span of a few years actually started to aggravate some back issues I was having. Short story, the stick had to go.

After agonizing over and passing on buying a GT-R four (yes, four) times, I just put myself into the ’09 PDK C4S hoping it wouldn’t be too dramatic a change. So, after 1,250 miles, here is my report…

• The normal suspension setting is incredibly pleasant if you are looking to drive a sedan, I suppose. It took me a while to appreciate how disconnected from the road I felt driving in normal suspension mode. Yes, it made a few little stretches of road far smoother than my ’04 (my old car felt like it was going to shake apart on some of these sections) but it is too disconnected for a Porsche. I have the PASM sport suspension – that now stays on full time (actually you have to hit a switch every time you turn on the car). Even with the sport suspension, it isn’t as connected as the ’04. Far, far, far more refined. Smoother. Just not as connected. Still very enjoyable but missing something my ’04 had.

• PDK. Ok..so…I am not sure I have enough time in the car to fully comment on this but, so far, the steering wheel buttons are useless. I don’t know how everyone else drives but I can’t get comfortable holding the steering wheel at 9 and 3. I tried only holding my hand at 3 for shifting..then only at 9. I just couldn’t get comfortable (regardless of having to remember which way to shift). Also, shifting in a turn via paddles seemed hard. Also, it isn’t very satisfying. I loved downshifting in my ’04. I needed more action. Luckily, there is an answer. Use the stick. PDK shifts so fast, using the stick actually works well. It still isn’t anywhere near as fun as shifting a manual but thankfully there is Sport Plus mode (which is a must). Shifting PDK in anything other than Sport Plus just doesn’t work. You need to be able to get the revs up into the sweet spots and Sport Plus shifts so fast, you can actually do some things you couldn’t do in my ’04 well. Very quick acceleration, deceleration, acceleration moves running through multiple gears are actually very easy in this car.

• Speed. Because of Sport Plus and PDK (and a few extra ponies), the car is noticeable faster but it doesn’t feel faster, if you know what I mean. That is, I need to really punch this car to make it feel fast. As an example, I punched it a few times here or there after an aggressive run through traffic only to look down at a 115 or 120. That would have been 105 in the ’04 when I really noticed I was cooking. You just don’t feel the speed in the same way. This is exactly what kept me from the GT-R. I just know you can’t even come close to the limits on that car and I feel it will seem too bland (restricted) at anything other than 100+ mph.

• Fit / Finish / Extras – all better than the ’04. Great fit and finish. All the extras you could want. Feels much more sophisticated. However, my old car was something you could take to the track. I can’t really see this car at a track. Country club, yes. Track, no.

• Overall. Well, I suppose you can see where this is going. I really do enjoy this ’09. It is doing exactly what I am asking of it but it just isn’t doing it with that same level of connectivity and raw excitement of my ’04. I blame that mostly on the PDK (which was my choice and my back feels awesome now) but I also think they have done too much to isolate the car from the road. Yes my teeth would rattle in my ’04 but damn I felt every pebble. The true measure is that I would wake up every day excited to take out the ’04 (except for my back). Now, I have a fun time getting to the office but a little part of me wonders what I lost.

 

Nice report. Thanks for taking the time to share your observations. I expect that in time you will get accustomed to the more subtle feedback from your new car, and you'll feel more connected again.

 

good review but what's wrong with taking it to the track? I see Ferrari at the track and they are all paddles shifting and they were fast and having fun.

 

Tim, are you still trying to justify the idea of a GT3 with PDK as your future track toy?

 

I live in NYC as well and have an 09 Targa 4S with PDK. I too needed an auto b/c of the constant traffic. Howerver, I find that the ride can be rough on Mahattan's road (I should say lack of maintained roads) even for the 09 model..... I think Porsche should have an ultra soft settings for places like Manhattan.... It is a great car and I have over 6K miles... The PDK is a mixed feeling as I would have preferred a stick... I think PDK needs to be worked on further as it can easly be fooled during city driving. On the highway it has no rivals.....

 

I'm trying to improve my skills with my bone stock #13. My target is to get within 3 seconds of your Mission lap time and I'll be happy.

No GT3 for a few years until my skills get better.

 

Nice report , thanks for sharing. You seem to be a tuff driver who like the ride stiff and rough. For this propose a 993 would be even better than your 996, not to metion a 964 Turbo which is maybe one of the wildest Porsche I´ve run.
I loved my 996 Cab2, it felt very comunicative, but I belive the 997 to be a better product in almost every aspects. I always drove manual sport cars, and never tought could order a Porsche with PDK, but after my long first test drive with PDK I decided to take the risk and order it, think it brings a new way of driving which I´m very anccious to aproach.

Good luck and hope you can find your way in order to have more fun with this beautiful toy...and keep your reports coming

 

Interesting comments on the ride and the "connected" bit. After 1300km in my 09 C2S I'm thinking the same thing about it over my 08 C2. I don't have sport PASM but the standard ride is pretty soft compared with the old car.

Makes me all the more impressed with the job they do sorting non-PASM cars.

 

thanks for taking the time to write up such a well thought out report

 

Nice read . I will learn mine in time . Thus far on 10 -20 min test drives I did manage the paddles . In gridlock traffic would probably use normal . Sport Plus would make manual shifting a neccesity and the shifts are fast. The sport setting with an override combination somewhat provides some task sharing with the computer . I'll have to explore with time how much I may debate the computer . From what I understand thse 997s pdk cars were track tested where some drivers tried to avoid using manual shifting altogether and ripped out some great lap times .

I'm a newbie so at 1200 miles you are the verteran . Give me a week , maybe two. I need time to learn the PDK ropes.

 

Everything you don't like about the 09 C4S is precisely why I love it as a daily driver. It rides really well even after I lowered it. It has great electronics for phone and music. Its PDK combines a great automatic for daily driving with the option to go to sportier driving with the push of a button.

For excitement, the old school cars are better. My 430 is better. I also had a GTR and that was WAY faster and more exciting. However, I use this as a daily driver, and for that, it beats both of them hands down.

 

I just bought a C2S PDK and after TWO GT3s and a tracked TT there is NO reason this car cant go to the track. Maybe the C4S cant but after I tested it in Sport Plus I immediately thought of how good this is going to be on the track. In fact so far sport works well on the road and my feelings for sport PLUS are on the track.

 

Thanks for posting this. I sympathize with you on the issues of owning a manual trans in NYC and the road conditions in the 5 boroughs. Thankfully, I only drive on the weekends but even then it makes me wish I lived out west where owning a sports car is an enjoyable experience. That said, in re disconnected feeling, my guess is that they know their base and cater to it. Enthusiasts will opt for the performance/track versions of the 997 or tune theirs stockers to their taste.

 

Terrence => So - what drove you to sell the GT-R? I still think about that car. It sounds like you want the softer ride for a daily -- was the GT-R just too stiff and aggressive for daily driving?