I test drove a 991 manual today. I found the 7-Speed manual transmission to be a little 'rough'.

The shifts weren't as smooth and slick as the manual 981 Cayman (different transmission) and I found the clutch pedal to be heavier.

I've heard that it's partly because it's built to interact with the PDK 7-Speed transmission so it's not ideal. I just found it a little rough. Not as slick and effortless as I was expecting.

I was a little disappointed to be honest. I'm a die-hard manual guy so this is NOT another manual vs PDK debate (thank goodness) but just to put feelers out there if other folks that have tried the 7-Speed manual were a bit underwhelmed?

 

I have a 7 speed 991 C2S and test drove the 981 Cayman S 6 speed before buying it. The Cayman transmission definitely felt more natural/precise/awesome to me compared to the one in 991. I remember being disappointed by this as well.

However, almost a year and 6K miles in the 991, I think it feels much better than it was when it was new. I don't know if that's because it's now "broken in", because I forgot what the Cayman transmission feels like or just simply wishful thinking on my part. Either way, I'm glad I have the 7 speed manual and have fun with it on every drive! Hope that helps :-)

 

Thanks vdar good to know.

 

I have a 6 speed manual Boxster S and the car is an absolute blast to drive .

With the 991 I have such mixed sentiment . Part of me feels that an X-51 manual 991 S is the fastest production manual 911 made . That logic makes it both more affordable and exclusive . The PDK option is expensive and what i found with my former 997S is that the PDK unit evolved faster than the rest of the car .

i look at the title of your thread and see the word "disappointed" .Regardless of how anyone else may feel about his 991 manual you have expressed how YOU feel . In my opinion if one is disappointed BEFORE he even buys the car then to me that's a dealbreaker .

You also expressed the "smooth" enjoyment of the Cayman . This is actually a good thing !! It might actually save you money (if you decide on a cayman) or it may lead you to buying neither .

In my opinion its best to buy no car at all than to buy the wrong car . Time is on your side to think it over and good luck in whatever you decide.

 

I remember test driving the 7MT for the first time… I was impressed beyond belief. What exactly felt "rough" to you? The clutch is a bit heavier than a Cayman, but I think the shifter is silky smooth, even with the shorter throws. In fact, it's loosened up over the last few months.

 

I've also driven manuals my entire life...never owned an AT car yet. The 7 speed is one of the best I've ever driven.

I do recall it took a bit of getting used to on the test drives. The movement is so short and close compared to anything else I've driven. I still get mixed up with the higher gears at times.

 

I remember when first getting my 7 speed and thinking it was rough. When broken in the shifts are smooth. Now with 11K miles, the car is even smoother and drives better. I could not imagine driving any other type of transmission.

 

I went from a 2010 Cayman 6-speed to a 2013 Carrera S 7 sd. Both cars were new, both were a little stiff finding the gates, but once both broken in ( I have 3k miles on the CS) they were fine. Shorter throws in the CS, feels like anyways than the Cayman. Also the CS has a lot more umph out of first gear than the Cayman, obviously.

 

I find my manual to be precise and effortless: the rev-matching feature also adds nicely to the overall driving experience.

The odd thing is that I thought the shifter and the clutch both felt too smooth when I first took delivery of the car. But I was used to a ZO6 and a Hemi Challenger: both of which I traded-in for this car.

 

Drive one with some more miles on it. Some of them are tight on delivery. Within a week or two of city driving, they should be like butter....

 

On my first test drive, I felt that the clutch was heavy as well and that it was a bit hard finding the upper gears...

Not any longer... It's a great transmission- clutch. Extremely precise and very smooth. The gear changes are exactly what you would expect from a Porsche.

Drive a used one with over 10k miles, then decide.

Good luck!

 

I did not drive the manual 7 - went directly to the PDK. My 997.2 had a 6-MT and I felt that the travel of the clutch was very long, especially into and out of first gear. I have an '06 manual Mustang GT and the clutch is much better than my 997 was. The shifter in the Mustang was poor and that of the 997 was worlds better. I have changed the shifter in the Mustang a couple of times, put in a Hurst, etc., and never got near as good.


What killed the MT for me was not the feel - but the traffic - too many times coming home with my left leg feeling like it was going to fall off. Also, my wife cannot drive a manual (a mixed blessing to be sure).

 

It takes a while to break in.
Will be less rough and less notchy with time..

 

I have found the 991 7MT and clutch to be smooth and excellent since day 1. Before ordering mine, I tried a few and found them all to be fine. The one aspect I still find a bit bothersome is the shear number of gears. there are 5 gears on the top. Oy... Nevertheless, lots of fun rowing my own gears as always.

 

Have driven a manual all my life. I have been use to driving manual corvettes (9) and now my third Porsche. All have been manual transmissions. The smoothest clutch/gear shift in a corvette was my 2001 Z06, after I installed a short shifter. The others all had some bugs that left me wanting, right up to my 2008 corvette convertible.

My first Porsche experience was a 2003 C4s. It was a tough transmission to deal with and always felt difficult to drive smooth and always gave me a lost feeling trying to find a gear when driven hard.

My 2011 Cayman was a totally different story. A very smooth and easy to drive clutch and gear selection, driven hard or at everyday speeds. Unfortunately, Superstorm Sandy decided that I needed to move on from my Cayman.

Move I did to a 2013 Carrera and of course, a manual transmission. So I have had some experience with manual trannys and I can say that my 991 is the best manual transmission I have ever driven. It has smooth and silky throws and driven hard never loses it feel. I find the clutch pressure to be just right. Only thing I could ask for is a little shorter throw. Wish they had the short throw kit for the seven speed!

Others are right that you need to test drive one that has a few miles on the clock and been "broken-in".