The Ferrari F430 can not compete with PDK shift efficiency. In fact Ferrari now is using the getrag double clutch in the California as well as the 458 italia . The California had all sorts of problems with it.

In short it's Porsche who is leading the way.

 

Get a grip folks. There is a reason top level racing cars have automatic transmissions. They are faster and, ultimately, offer the driver a better option.

 

I watched the Malaysian Grand Prix just yesterday. All of the cars still had clutches, it's just that they're not engauged by a pedal anymore.

All kidding aside your point is very well taken. In fact I'll see your point and raise you. As less manuals are on the market the opportunity for someone to learn how to drive one diminishes and indeed it is downward spiral for the manual. I guess if one looks hard enough there will always be someone offering a manual just as one can still find a blacksmith and glassblower too.

I can't even make a good Amish joke here because the vehicles they drive precede the invention of the transmission manual or otherwise.

I ordered my car with a manual because I still enjoy do-it-yourself shifting and I realize this may be my last car with a manual so I'm going to enjoy it while I can.

 

yrralis1,

I totally agree with you. In fact when I started researching Porsche last year I found out they actually invented the synchronizer rings that virtually all manual transmissions use (with the notable except of over-the-road trucks). If not for Porsche we would all be forced to double clutch and rev-match whether we wanted to or not. Porsche has a long and storied history of automotive innovation not just for sports cars but all cars. This is why I wanted to own one, they are one of the world's finest but as members of this forum we all know that.

 

I.5 years ago I would have been on board with most of you saying "the Manual can NEVER be replaced! It Defines the history of the sports car!" But after spending 6 months with this PDK, my mind is of the SO WHAT! kind. Now I have had 3 exciting 911s 993TT, 996GT3, 997.1GT3 all sticks and just a great driving experience. But due to a back problem I tinkered with the AMG ESpeed 7 speed auto. The C63 actually had the best tranny of all the AMGs for some reason. But that kind of tuned me to receive the PDK.
And I had a orange 08 GT3 RS as the replacement all lined up for purchase in Aug.
But I drove the C2S PDK with chrono and I could NOT get that out of my head. So instead of the 08 RS, I went 09 PDK, and never looked back.
Its just progress. Really its the best of both worlds. Its trully an Automatic Manual. Not an Automatic that can be shifted manually. Its just a piece of art.
You can still grab the stick and command shifts just like in the 6speed. Its just
simpler without the possibility of shifting from 5th to 2nd and blowing stuff up.

 

This was exactly my point of view when I drove the GT-R for the first time in '08. I haven't looked back. I think a lot of 'traditional' manual owners who favor the single clutch pedal over the dual clutch system haven't tried it yet.

 

I agree. People who say it makes the drive more uninvolving aren't pushing hard enough. Perhaps for the daily commute - yes (I wouldn't know, I only drive 10 -20 minutes a day to work and back).

 

I chose the 6 speed after an SMG because there is nothing more satisfying than a perfectly matched double clutch downshift from 3rd to 2nd. And a 997 is about the only car these days that will not be worth LESS because it is a manual - not many other cars you can say that about.

 

I am curious about the operation of a dual clutch transmission when stopped at a traffic light. When stopped and in gear ( drive) with your foot on the brake, is the clutch release bearing activated during this time? If so, I would think there would be a lot of wear ( unless it is a completely different set up).

 

Agreed.

PDK or similar type tech is the future. Simply, the manufacturers could tap into a deeper market. Being that I don't own the fastest car on the track anyway, I relish the enjoyment of driving my 911 with a manual the way I imagined that I would as a kid.

For example, why do people go on and on about aircooled Porsches? Are they connoisseurs of Porsches from the storied era or just insufferable bores?...Probably a bit of both, but if the enthusiasm is genuine, then why not?

A perfect heel/toe down shift will be considered a lost art at some point. I will appreciate being among a small fraternity who could drive performance cars the way they should from that earlier era.