Is the 2010 TT PDK too Soft and Refined?
 

Have been driving mine now for about 4 weeks, and its not growing on me!

The car is very competent, easy to drive, smooth, comfortable and very fast.

BUT: I am having a hard time getting really excited and worked up when I drive it. The car seems to be improved to the point that it has lost some of the 911 specialness. It gathers speed with such ease and lack of drama that the adrenaline just does not flow.

Maybe it is just the PDK.
What do other that have received their 2010 and had previous experience with TT or other supercars think? Those of you that have a stick shift version, has it also been "improved and refined" into a less exciting ride?

cant wait to recieve mine on may :(

Your not driving it hard enough ;)
I test drove a PDK and came to the conclusion its just too boring - happy with my 6 speed.

Sounds like the exact reason I sold my GT-R and went to a GT3

If I was getting one then the first thing I would do is to change out the suspension to what I have now!

I hear you. I think that it can be more exciting. I am a 6-speed guy all the way but I purchased the PDK because Porsche is making more PDK cars than 6-speed cars. I figured for testing purposes, I needed to have the car that most people are purchasing. Now that I have taken the plunge, I have some regrets, however I also see how the PDK will be popular. I think there are huge improvements which can be made to make the PDK system more interactive.

I think that if you are a TRUE 6-speed guy and cannot imagine EVER driving anything but a manual transmission then the PDK is not for you. I would recommend testing the PDK and trying to imagine if this is for you or not before making the purchase.

Now with all this being said, it is now my personal quest to make this car more interactive with the driver and offer a better connected feeling. I am currently working on a few upgrades as we speak that will help.

LOL too soft and refined has been the complaint about new turbos since the 80s :)

You probably need a Tubi or other vendor's exhaust and maybe some suspension tightening. It's worked well for a lot of .1 turbo owners. The problem -or not, with PDK is that you'll lose some speed without it on a turbo.

I had an umodded .1 turbo and also felt it was too refined, quiet and uneventful. I found that the real fun was only when mashing the throttle and feeling like Scottie in the engine room of the Enterprise.

Anyway, I too sold mine and recently gort a .2 GT3. I'm sure the 3 will be much more involving once the stupid snow stops. It has only 4 miles on the clock.

Take the car to the track and drive it. I got to drive the PDK when our local dealers did an introductory day at our local track. I found that I could concentrate more on the line and balance of the car than on shifting and clutching. If you only drive on the street, I can see where you might feel bored. Although in bumper to bumper traffic I would think full auto mode would be a blessing.

I hate to say it but that is the OP's best solution. I testdrove a 997 TT and quickly realized that the car wasn't for me. The car took you to warp speed but with little drama. There was Plenty of TQ but it was missing something. I went with a GT3 instead and have never regretted the decision.

I have 997.1 Turbo and recently drove 997.2 Turbo PDK. Your impression is correct: PDK Turbo is stupendously fast, but feels insulated.

Do not give up on the car yet; I could nearly guarantee you the following 2 simple things will transform the driving experience:

1. Suspension: Bilstein, alignment change, and lowering. Alignment change means more front negative camber. The stock car rides too high and therefore leans too much. The stock coilover is better than 997.1 but still too soft.
2. Louder exhaust: Tone of 997.2 exhaust is warmer, but loudness and character are nowhere near the outstanding level of an aftermarket system like Cargraphic. 997.2 needs a louder exhaust, very badly.

PDK is a dilemma (less driver involvement -- I prefer my manual box even though it's slower) but in return, you have a car that in my experience wipes out and overwhelms every car that I've driven (GT2, Gallardo, F430, Ford GT, Corvette, my Turbo -- admittedly not an aggressively tuned one) when it comes to straightline power and torque. GT3 has better handling but is hopeless outmatched when it comes to straightline acceleration and torque compared to this car.

How do you think PDK compares to Ferrari's F1?

Is it a lot more boring?

John

The PDK is much smoother and closer in feeling to a good torque converter automatic.

The Ferrari F1 is much sharper, immediate and engaging to drive. The actual shift times (torque interruption) are longer in the F1, but there is zero lag time in the F1.
Joe

Well... the consensus seems to be that dual-clutch semi automatics like DSG and PDK are superior to single-clutch like SMG but having driven both, I still prefer single-clutch for its more raw race car feel. The dual-clutch feels almost like a super fast version of tiptronic, you don't actually "feel" the shift. With SMG, shifting at 8k RPM at full throttle feels like the powertrain is about to explode lol

I have heard that Ferrari intentionally made the shifts thump on the DSG in the 458 Italia to bring more shift feel to the table.