So I'm in my first Porsche, a 991 C2S 7MT PDCC SPASM and since I lilve in an urban area, I have been driving it in its default setting,without any buttons pressed.
I felt as if shifting and the engagement of the clutch was quite binary - either the clutch was engaged or not, and that there was no modulation.
I decided to try a few buttons, the Sport had no effect on the feeling of the clutch or throttle. After pressing the Sport Plus, what a difference!
I feel more connected to the car and the clutch feels less digital. Feeling of controlled feathering.

My other manual car is a Miata, without as much technology built in, so I feel as if my left leg is controlling the clutch's engagement.

Anyone else get the digital sense of the clutch? Almost as if it would be impossible to stall. Perhaps it's the linkage with auto stop/start as well as anti-roll?

Sport Plus gives me a more analog feel - hydraulic and less electric.

 

Would it possibly due to the engine mounts? I thought I read somewhere that the 991 has dynamic mounts that stiffen up when in sport plus?

 

That's odd. I didn't think selecting normal mode, sport mode, or sportplus mode had any influence on the bite point or travel of the manual clutch ?!

 

There is definitely more linearity in the gas pedal with Sport-plus activated. This linearity also helps to make the clutch pedal seem more lively.

This is exactly why many people enjoy the Sprint Booster. Some people cannot understand why the Sprint Booster is necessary, especially being that there is absolutely no increase in HP. What they don't seem to get is the fact that eliminating the pedal delay (inherent with drive by wire) can really add to the sporty feel of the car.

Those fortunate enough to have Sport-plus see a similar improvement in gas pedal response and linearity. I drive with Sport-plus activated most of the time: it really comes in handy when negotiating busy intersections and other areas where a delay in throttle response can get you in trouble.

 

What Pete said. I think it's the throttle sensitivity, and not the actual clutch pedal, that is translating into a more "analog" feel.

I do, however, enjoy the same throttle sensitivity when Sport (and not Sport Plus) is on. They both give me a similar feedback, which is worlds better than the lethargic feel of the car in Normal mode.

 

How can a manual clutch feel digital? :-)

 

CarreraPete / Christophorus
Thanks for the feedback - so it's not me

as it is in Normal, it "feels" either fully engaged or disengaged, but nowhere in-between regardless of clutch position

Traditionally the modulation of the left foot has the sensation of stretching the springs, and conversely one can slip the clutch plates while gassing.

Having been on the forum a bit, I don't know how this is not an issue and others without the Sport tolerate such a detached feeling and could sing the praises of a MT 911.
I'm glad I have the car spec'd the way I do, I think I would be very upset if it felt the way it does in Normal mode, with no other option.

My history of manuals in cars I've had starting from the 80's is a GTI, Integra GS-R, Legend Coupe, A4, Ducatis, and a Miata. I've never felt anything like this- Is this just the way a typical Porsche clutch is, or is it too many tech nannies on a 991?




. . . But then again, should it feel like it's always been?

I guess the only time it's noticeable is in slow accelerations and stop-and-go traffic, when you just need to scrub a bit to go 10' at a blip

 

You are clearly used to driving a MT. But what you describe doesn't sound "normal" to me. There shouldn't be a difference in bite point, nor clutch travel or feel from normal mode to sport mode. Maybe there is something wrong with your car ? I'd have my dealer check it out if it were my car !

But what happens when you let the clutch out without giving it throttle, both in normal and sport mode ? That takes the throttle variable out of the equation. My guess is clutch feel and takeoff would feel exactly the same. No pardon me, now I think of it, stationary rpm is raised from normal to sport, so it will be easier to modulate the clutch and take off in sport without throttle I suppose ?!

Keep us posted on your testing !

 

I think bccars hit one of the major points I was about to reply with: idle RPM. In Sport and Sport Plus, not only is the throttle response more aggressive, but the idle RPM is also raised a bit. This combination leads to smoother, more progressive starts in 1st gear.

Hearing the exhaust note, having a higher idle RPM, and having a more sensitive throttle all add to the "feel" Moje talks about. Clearly, the characteristics of the clutch are not changing from Normal to Sport; it's these other factors that make the difference.

That's one of my main gripes with Normal mode; throttle response is horrible, and that, combined with a low idle, makes it more difficult to replicate the smooth getaway I'm used to in Sport. That said, it isn't a "problem" at all. Just an observation I'm dissecting.

 

To elaborate, I would equate the bite point of the clutch in "Normal" to that of a Nautilus machine, with increasing resistance due to the decreasing radius.

I just read about the SprintBooster mentioned, and yes it seems as if SportPlus effectively does the same thing.
As a new owner, it's difficult to parse between marketing and actual driver perception.

This may all just be a perception on my part, or maybe spending too much time on motorcycles (hydraulic clutch and finely adjusted throttle coupled with pipes under my **** for feedback). But the sensation is not what I'm accustomed to, even in my Miata. My X6 is a twin turbo auto, with a similar delay, and remember initially thinking that it was a bit laggy but chalked it up to it being over 4000 lbs.

I am generally noticing that newer cars don't feel as connected as they used to on accelerating off a stop and cruising without throttle.

Haven't driven in a while so I will have to play with buttons and pedals a bit more. For now though (in "Normal"), my senses say non-linear feeling clutch engagement and delayed throttle.
I may just be used to the feedback as opposed to the input?

PS - I will say I didn't notice this too much when on the track, with very deliberate acceleration and up at redline.

991 911/50 C2S 7MT PDCC SPASM Powerkit