After having C4S cabs in manual, and considering a new 991, I'm hearing a lot of 911 buyers are going for PDK. The ratio used to be 80% manual vehicles sold and 20% automatic, and now apparently it's 80% automatics.
Has anyone switched from their years of driving manual to a 991 in PDK?
I also have a Panamera 4S and somehow using the PDK even in sport mode feels like shifting any old automatic car. (Except PDK does raise the rev's on the downshifts).
Does driving a 991 with PDK feel less like a true sportscar??

 

You're going to get a ton of fanboys jumping all over the place, but it comes down to personal preference.

A few points to consider:

- I've read here on the board that some PDK owners don't like the lack of "feel" associated with PDK shifts (vs. a BMW, for example). Test drive one and find out.

- This is my first manual car (after having an automatic for 8 years). Like I expected, I'm in love with it. Even hour-long rush hour drives don't make me think twice about my decision. I love the interaction between car and driver; no drive is boring.

I'm sure others will chime in who have gone from manual to PDK, and most will approve of your decision if you do the same. But, I cannot stress this enough… go get a feel for it yourself and take an extended test drive.


Cheers,

Chris

 

If you are in the USA, get the MT. If you are in Europe, get the Pdk !

 

Christophorus is right, it's a personal preference so try them both out. I've had 15 Porsches over the last 46 years, 2 of which were PDKs. My 2009 C2S was okay, but not refined. The 991's PDK is refined and wonderful to drive. I manually shift it up and down in sport and sport+ and enjoy it immensely. If you do get a PDK, Sport Chrono is important.

ChuckJ

 

If you are going to drive it daily and in the city with a lot of traffic then PDK.

If it's your weekend car then MT.

My next Porsche will probably be PDK just so my wife can enjoy it too. My 997 is a manual and I will always have at least one MT sports car.

 

11 of my 13 Porsches had manual transmissions and now my 991S has PDK. I far prefer it and actually manually shift it 90+% of the time. Far faster shifting than I can hope to do with manual either up or down. No loss in "driving joy" whatsoever in my opinion. My 996 TT is Tip S and that too I find very enjoyable to drive "shifting" it. Mind you I changed from the Tip S buttons to a true Paddle Shifting steering wheel and that made a big difference.

 

My 2014 c4s is a pdk, and I love it. Last year I sold my Z06 Corvette, it had a manual. Loved it except when I was in traffic. I am very happy that I chose the PDK. I would do the same if I were buying again. That said, I am seriously considering the purchase of a Lotus Exige with manual transmission, to add to the collection. The 911 is refined and awesome. The Lotus is completely unrefined and awesome. What do you want your 911 to be?

 

I have a MT and love it.

The only time I think maybe the PDK might have been nice is for downshifts.

In my view, upshifts are more fun with a MT but downshifts are easier and better with the PDK.

You really don't need to downshift much with either transmission unless you are at track and want to keep it in the best RPM range, but downshifts at higher RPM's with a sport exhaust is a delight to the ears, so it is something I like to do.

While I love the MT, sometimes I wish I had the PDK for the downshifts.

The newer MT's in Sport Plus have rev-matching making downshifts very easy.

Lastly, the speed of shifting with PDK is irrelevant except on a track (in my view). If you aren't going to track it much, don't give much weight to that argument.

 

I have no idea what you're talking about. Downshifting with a proper transmission is much more fun than having a automatic do it for you. Sure you can flick a floppy paddle and it downshifts (I do that with my Jeep) but its not nearly as engaging as clutch-downshift-match rev with the gas- and clutch out. A manual transmission is much more rewarding. A PDK is fun in its own way, you feel like a F1 driver behind the wheel but having a true manual transmission is a whole different experience that I could never give up.

 

With the new Porsche having rev matching, much of the fun I believe is gone.. But you need to try them both and decide which you like more. I have had both and really enjoy my PDK for daily driving, I believe some day in the near future, MT will be almost extinct, it is often hard to take new technology.
The decision needs to be what you like, not what we like..

Good Luck

 

Go over to Rennlist and read about it. They have a 30 page argument on the subject. Bottom line is get what you want. They are both good and have their advantages and disadvantages. For me, I prefer manual as long as I can still shift for myself.

 

PDK is not an "automatic" . It actually is an auto-manual.
That said I like both transmissions equally . I feel PDK really shines in the Turbo yet I picked my Boxster S in a manual . Much depends on the actual car and the drivers specific needs .

With a 991S it's a tough choice . I'd probably pick a manual for the following reason :
If the X51 is added then the car would be the highest HP manual 991 available . That makes the car quite exclusive on top of being fun to drive. Plus the 4K saved in the absent PDK is well spent towards the powerkit.

 

If the days of the manual tranny in the 911 are in fact numbered, then you should get the manual now and enjoy it while you can.

 

If shifting with your feet working a clutch is what defines sports car to you, it will for sure feel like less of a sports car to you. Me? I have owned and extensively tracked Porsches with manual transmissions since I bought a 914 2.0 new in 73. My PDK 991C2S is to me by far the best sports car I have ever owned.

 

If you let the clutch out without blipping the throttle just right the car will lurch, potentially causing dangerous instability. Getting the rev-match right, not too much or too little, is not that easy unless you do it all the time. You could also over rev the car if you are not careful. The PDK or the newer Manual's make that process easier. It is as simple as that.

Note: I have an Manual and overall, I prefer it.