After driving numerous PDK's at the Porsche Road Show, and many dealer test drives, and only getting one 7MT test drive, I knew that I still needed to row the gears, even as I realized what an engineering marvel the PDK was.

It's just more involving, and I'm quite happy with it.

 

I have both a MT, 6 speed Miata and a S PDK apart from two other cars, one a normal automatic and another a "normal" MT, neither of these are sports cars.
The Miata is brilliant. Short gearing means you get a lot of fun even at street legal speeds. It's NA with a similar rev limit to the Porsche so you thrash it to get it going. All in the name of fun.
The PDK is brilliant. No, you can't really have fun with it at street legal speeds (not with U.S. speeds at any rate) - but, in my now favourite past time of winding up mountain passes it is just fantastic - with the Miata (MX5) I find myself rowing gears like crazy and that takes away attention. With the PDK you just hammer it, it gets every gear change spot on. Driver involvement just shifts to a different level - I can keep both hands on the wheel and my attention is now completely focused on the road, steering inputs and my right foot - incidently, that right foot is now somewhat involved in gear changes. You learn to change gears with just a little flick of the foot if needed, don't even bother with the paddles.

So - I like both. No need to choose. Get one of each...

Rainier

 

It will be interesting to see if the owners of new 991 PDK's feel the same way about the transmission after some time has passed. The car websites are replete with posts about how the novelty of clutchless shifting has worn off and folks have gone back to three pedals for increased involvement in street driving

 

Personally, I currently have the M3 with MDCT as my DD. On the one hand it is a great transmission with fantastic speed of change but at the same time I miss the involvement even with the crazy traffic around DC. That is why I have the C4S on order as my DD with MT.

Disclaimer - I have already test driven the PDK around a track and on the road extensively. Wonderful transmission better than the MDCT but I want to go back to MT.

 

My last car had a PDK. This one has a manual... I like it better.

 

Virtually every automobile journalist has damned the Audi R8 single clutch R-tronic transmission. Called it clunky, old generation etc. Interestingly, many of the owners of R8's with the r- tronic really like the transmssion because when you learn to use it properly, they find it more involving than the double clutch S-tronic, which are in other Audis and will soon appear in the R8. The S-tronic equipped R8 has been raved about by the journalists as being equivalent to the PDK, but a number of people who have lived with both transmissions claim they will miss the human involvement with the older trans. My take - track car should have PDK; street car it's much less clear

 

I was going to get a manual, but after driving test driving the PDK it just made more sense to me, I am a track junkie, so the PDK made more sense and it give allow my brother and my dad who don't drive manual, a chance to drive a 911 and have fun with it. the grin on my dad's face priceless

 

I hate dilemnas so just went ahead and bought both.
When I feel like racing on city and mountain roads I go for my 997 C4S with PDK but when driving for pleasure or on track I take out my 996 turbo S with 6 speed manual and 510 bhp. Two completly different driving experiences yet both as involving as the other. PDK is no more of an improved automatic transmition for those who never drove stick shifts whilst the manual shift is the transmission of choice by far for the GT3 and other serious track cars.

 

[quote=Cpa4S;3755741]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.

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You brake with your left foot? Do you do that in other cars now, too?

 

[quote=TTCarrera;3756514]with any auto i drive like my dad's or spouses A3. - i think i started with my M3 which was an old SMG version

 

I have had 3 speeds, 4 speeds and 6 speeds PDK's forever now.

 

had my mind set on the 7MT box. went to the dealership to place my order, test drove a PDK on the lot and left the dealership with the PDK. it is that good. no regrets.

 

i doubt you will have any regrets either way. Porsche manuals are quite easy to drive and the clutch is nice and light. PDK is flawless at shifting. i would get the PDK, as it is quicker... a 991 S PDK runs a flat 12 sec 1/4 mile, which is just phenominal for a "regular" 911. (and most cars)

 

Great response, perfect. I also need a 3rd pedal. Being of American Muscle Late 60's descent, If you didn't have a Muncie, you didn't really have a Muscle Car. Oh, I loved those days.

 

I had a manual in my 991 and thought and still think that it was better for me and my driving than the PDK. I've had the PDK, and it's good, but it's not for me.

That said, I find the 7-speed manual transmission to not be as good as the previous 6-speed in the 997, which is still available in the Boxster and Cayman. That was the object of my regret, to address the OP's question: not that I didn't get the PDK, but that I didn't buy a Boxster instead. I rectified that last month.