When the cars sit on the the showroom floor Porsche will get the message...

 

I agree that the PDK GT3 will be amazing, but disagree about the lever/paddle comparison. It is more about the clutch pedal then what my hands are doing. Moving it into gear and knowing which gear your in, makes me feel more confident about my gear, then guessing how many times I hit the paddle and in which direction. As easy as it is, I mess up the paddles more then I mess up rev matching with the clutch/gas/brake pedals.
The new GT3 PDK will sell like crazy and will be loved whether we like it or not. Porsche is not the most profitable car company and out of touch with whats going to sell and be popular.

 

Racers want to have the best lap times.
I think it may be boring, but can't wait to compare the 991RS vs corvette and Viper. USA as likely to be faster again than Germany, but who will provide more fun?

BTW, please send me an invoice :-)

 

I drive an "old" manual 996 both as my daily driver and on the track as part of Porsche Club DEs and thoroughly enjoy 3 pedal manual cars. But I also have owned many Ferraris with F1 transmissions and enjoyed, in a "different" sense, driving each of those cars.

However, associating "skill" in driving on the track or on the street with 3 pedal cars may not be correct. When is the last time a race car in any of the world's top racing series - Formula 1, LeMans, ALMS, DTM, FIA GT1 etc etc. had a 3 pedal car in its top category? I cannot even remember because it is that far back! Are all those drivers including the current crop of F1 drivers lacking talent or skill because they are not rev matching with a manual transmission with 3 pedals? I do not believe so.

Sequential manuals with paddle-shift is the future in both road and race cars. One may feel nostalgic (as I do) about driving a new car with 3 pedals but I think they are the past not the future. Porsche is simply embracing the future and so are all its competitors.

 

It's the sense of satisfaction to enter the corner with perfect heel and toe down shifts...

 

Maybe the settlers felt the same way when the horseless carriage came along. Without all those reins on that horse team they felt disconnected... Young kids today including my son don't know how to drive a manual transmission much less mesh gears without syncros.

 

I'm just curious why anyone would think that the 991 GT3 is a track car and/or that PDK is a sequential manual?

Both statements are false. PDK is a dual-clutch automatic and the GT3 manual for US cars clearly states that track use will void the warranty.

 

Is the statement about track use voiding the warranty true?

 

From the 2010 GT3 Owner's Manual -

Your vehicle warranty does not cover use in competition, racing or track use or other events. Components and/or parts that fail during racing or driving events (including Porsche sponsored events) will not be covered by the manufacturer new car limited warranty or the pre-owned vehicle warranty.

 

With the computer calling the shots, you can cheapen the components and then charge more money for the car. The new GT3 probably costs less to manufacture than the previous model, however, that would not be the case if it offered a manual option.

 

Ladies and Gents, I present to you the new GT3 RNS (N stands for neural interface)
you just think about it and it shifts for ya
in that way, you are very engaged; as a matter of fact you don't even have to drive it , just dream it at home and you win the laps!

Come on...accept it! its the new technology as a matter of fact, there is no
driving involved anymore! and if you really feel driving is a necessity then you are reallyyyy doing something wrong ...!!

 

Don't think this will happen.
Wonderfully stated. Unfortunately, it's not that obvious to others.

It's the same standard verbiage -
Thanks!

No surprises there. Pretty standard stuff.

 

i love it when people consistently claim the new 911 costs less to make than the previous gen. i feel like this is constantly thrown around because it proves a point?

porsche is giving you a new motor, 9000rpm, rear wheel steel, lighter components, etc, and you think its cheaper to make?

 

but it says 'during the event...'? if its after
how do they know the car was tracked anyway

 

Porsches record events (such as RPM's, gears, speed, etc... - like in the past, the money shift, etc...). But now it can record elevated temps, duration, RPM's shifts, etc...

As far as let's say - a drag race (10 secs), and something fails then, how would Porsche prove it? I believe this becomes a gray area (if one fails to describe the situation accurately). I'd recommend not showing videos on youtube (and other obvious proof of racing/etc...). Manufacturers sometimes appoint organizations to frequent websites (such as this one) to look for information (also handled internally for some).