I still like to use the shifter (and the clutch....much less expensive )

The most important aspect of car ownership is selecting the car which is right for you .Now you have the right one and that's what matters . As for the financial hit --education is expensive . Chalk it up to a learning experience .

Thanks to all who offered up words of support and encouragement. After driving the car another 80 miles or so today....mostly on great back roads...... I'm feeling pretty good about my decision to say the least.

Here's a cruddy, dealer taken snap of the "new" '07.

Not sure about the wannabe rims.........opinions?

I hated them when I first saw them but they have grown on me a bit. I'm thinking HRE, but don't really want to lay out that much cash after the trade hit I just took......or '09 Carrera S II rims which I think look fantastic.....but I guess that could be perceived as "wannabe" also.

Anyone want a set of pristine Turbos?:

The Turbo rims are legitimate option rims for the full 997 line. They are not "wannabe" rims. Again it boils down to a matter of taste - you may like or not like them. They are however excellent light rims and their inner rim texture/color hides brake dust quite well.

And certainly easy to clean!

Post an ad in the classifieds, the wheels seem popular and should sell quickly if priced right.

Car looks great.

I have pristine Turbo wheels but I think you should wait and get the Hre's . It's all about getting things right without second guessing.

Sometimes you are too subtle.

Polar opposites of the same mindset may not be open to the other side and even criticize it as follows -
1) PDK lover = Non enthusiast
2) Manual lover = Denial/ refusal to evolve/ dismissal of facts = irrational

Agree - both sides of the argument stated in absolute terms
Agree - choice goes to the driver .
Agree - the advanced technology is a plus
In short --I agree with you .

It comes down to choice -- The original poster chose one then the other but I almost feel if one is on the fence the ideal setup would be two cars . Yet most can choose one so he (or she ) will select one and justify why he chose it above the other .

I know why I would pick a manual despite the hard facts of PDK having tremendous ability . I would select it because it is a multi decade piece of Porsche history whereas PDK is new and might even be set to evolve quickly . A manual has a timeless component to it .

On a side note, I'd like to point out that the sequential shifter in the RSRs is still very much a manual process, and quite a bit different from the driving dynamics of the PDK. The gearbox still requires the use of the clutch pedal for downshifts, and of course, there is no automatic mode.

Apologies Tejoe, as I don't mean to disagree with your statement about automatics, just that I had the opportunity to drive a PDK C4S today, and while super smooth, responsive, and fast-as-all-hell, felt pretty much the same as all the other dual-clutch auto transmissions I've experienced. Ironically, the slower, single-clutch systems like Ferrari's F1, or even BMW's SMG, while jerkier and much less efficient, feel more involving to drive. I've never driven the Oakley sequential transmission, but as it still requires the use of the clutch for shifts, I'd be curious to see if it could draw the appeal of both automatic and manual shifters alike.

I fully respect the capabilities and achievements of the PDK transmission, and I'm happy that it's found its way into Porsche's product lineup. I think because if its speed and smoothness, it's probably only a matter of time before the technology can get light enough and strong enough to be used reliably in race applications.

[quote=KelvinC;2388422]On a side note, I'd like to point out that the sequential shifter in the RSRs is still very much a manual process, and quite a bit different from the driving dynamics of the PDK. The gearbox still requires the use of the clutch pedal for downshifts, and of course, there is no automatic mode.........
quote]

No disagreement, I know, that was my point, that a MT can still beat Melo's damn little F-word red bug.

BRANDX, you have defined what in my view is one of the 2 toughest decisions for 911 buyers (the other being Coupe or Cab?). I was wondering last March myself whether or not to cancel my '08 C4S factory order (6-speed), and wait for the '09 with PDK (or Tiptronic, as I can't recall if PDK was confirmed at that time), as my wife can't drive a 6-speed (I know that would be a positive for many Forum members LOL), but I would like her to be able to enjoy driving the car (occasionally!)too.

One other point, likely controversial, is that as 911 owners we all could have bought GT cars such as the XJ, 550SL, etc. instead of a 911, but (I assume) all wanted the purer 'sports car' experience, (that some of us like me remember from owning sports cars many years ago - before kids came along etc. (in my case a TR6 and Corvette). BRANDX's decision and experience makes me question now whether I will trade my manual '08 in for PDK or not when the new 911 comes out in a few years.

To PDK owners, I don't mean any of these comments to be disrespectful to you, as I haven't driven the new car with PDK and so I am solely basing my comments on BRANDX's post.

I didn't mean for this to become a PDK versus manual debate in terms of which is necessarily better, but I guess that was inevitable.

I think my OP was pretty clear that I simply decided for *me* that not having the clutch pedal, gear rowing experience dulled the overall enjoyment of the '09 car.

I never have time for track days, but I will say that if I was tracking my car rather than using it for back road blitzing out in the county around my home I would have most likely stuck with the PDK. The shifts are lightning fast with upshifts revealing no discernible interruption to power delivery making the PDK cars very easy to drive very fast, but ultimate lap times aren't part of the plan for me and how I use my car.

The only downside to the PDK mechanism itself being that downshifts at slower speeds are a bit thunky.......an experience that bothered me every time I was down shifting to a stop or in heavy traffic

Downshifting under heavy load, as in quickly before a sharp turn, while at speed was awesome and smooth without the clunk from the tranny that you get at slower speeds.

I never minded the reverse nature of the "paddles" once I got used to them or the fact that the shifters were actually buttons rather than real paddles, but shoving the center console lever backwards or pulling it forwards had none of the appeal for me as actually rowing through gears and feeling the lever lock in to the shift gate.

I also truly missed rev-matched downshifting manually even though I never/rarely get it *as* right as PDK does.

So to reiterate my OP, PDK is amazing, which is why after my extended, back road test drive of the '09 I decided to buy that car.......I was very impressed and went from being an "I'll never buy a non-manual tranny guy" to actually signing the paperwork for a PDK car and taking it home.

But test drives and actually living with a car are two different things......as we all know.

This is all personal preference guys.....as others have clearly stated.

I can see in an ideal world, where money grew on trees, having a PDK Carrera S with Sports Chrono *and* a manual tranny Cayman S.....the Carrera for the commute or long road trips and the Cayman for back road fun, but alas.....my budget won't allow for that.

PDK versus manual aside.........having now owned both, I also feel there is simply more isolation in the .2 cars versus the .1 making the newer cars feel more like GT cars in general and less visceral and aggressive.

Like PDK this will most likley broaden the appeal of the Carrera, but is that what we as enthusiasts want? I prefer to belong to a more elite group of car owners who appreciate a somewhat raw, sports car feel.

Even the steering in the '07 is more of what I expected in terms of communication versus the '09.....my previous Porsche ownership experience being an '05 Boxster S. The '07 sends flawless feedback through the rim of the steering wheel.

The '09 was not dull my any means, but the road feel was slightly muted with the standard suspension versus even the Normal PASM mode of the '07.

Oh.....who am I kiding......I really just wanted the red brake calipers back that I missed from my Boxster S!

Have to say it takes ***** to take the hit you did financially to get what you really want. Also have to say that the color of the "new" car goes great with those wheels, and makes the car look fantastic.

Don't know if driving the new technology of a PDK says anything about a person, anymore than driving the old technology of a stick does, I only know that I drove a PDK loaner car while my 6-speed was getting worked on and my left foot was unhappy. I love this thread because I'm always looking to get the next Porsche and this really cemented my instinct to always, always go for the manual experience.

I have an '08 F430 and am looking at getting a 997.2 as a fun daily driver. I had to special order my 6-spd manual 430 because as most people know about 90% of them come with the F1 tranny. I've always been a manual transmission guy and I thought this being my first Ferrari I had to get a manual and I had to wait a long time before the dealer allocated me one. This shows you how strongly I feel about how much more involving a manual is over an auto since the F1 would have been much easier and faster to get. I feel if you're not going to track the car a manual will be more fun and have more driver involvement.
Then I test drove a 997.2 PDK and manual back to back a few weeks ago. My feelings were confirmed as with the manual I felt much more at home. But the car will be my daily driver and my wife will be able to drive it on long trips if I get the PDK. I like the quick shifts and technology behind the dual clutch so I'm left with a dilemma. I'm pretty old school in that I feel Porsches and Ferraris should have manuals. I've also noticed in my area that dealer's inventory have about 80% of their 911s in PDK. I don't want to get the PDK and then a month later regret my decision like the original poster. This will be my first Porsche so this is going to be a very tough decision. This is a great board by the way .