Shifting slowly and hearing the engine rev down in between gear shifts is great!! Therefore, manual for me.

 

Wow - this has become a more interesting thread than I expected! I bought a Subaru Outback a few years ago, wanting a low maintenance, reasonable car that would get me and the family up to the Colorado mountains every weekend to ski. I struggled between automatic and manual, because it's a turbocharged 4cyl engine, and at altitude, the turbo lag is tough with the automatic. The manual was much more drive-able in many ways. However, I ultimately decided on the automatic because I realized that when I'm tired and sitting in our epic Colorado ski traffic on a Sunday, I just want to drive and not push in a clutch.

For the Porsche, as with the other sports cars I've owned, I never considered anything but a manual. For me, driving a sports car should be a fully involved experience at all times. I want to constantly have to work to make perfect shifts, even during a routine trip to town, or making a perfect heel-toe downshift - I appreciate and relish the skill involved. I really can't imagine that ever changing for me. However, it's hard to argue that the technology is evolving to the point where the automatic (I use the term loosely here in the case of PDK) option is actually FASTER! Not sure how long I'll hold on to the "old" technology beyond the point where it becomes clearly behind the times.

Time will tell...

 

Hard to argue against PDK for a daily-driver especially for gridlock traffic. I however strongly feel that one's first Porsche should be a MT one. Mine wasn't...but as you can see from my signature I no longer miss a MT. I cannot be without either gear boxes. Hard to give you the right answer. One thing for sure there is no wrong answer.

 

Heel-toe downshifting into a corner is a real experience. Go for the stick unless you commute in stop-and-go traffic.

If you get tired the manual after the novelty wears off the PDK cars will be cheaper and you can change for one of those.

I drive a manual to work every day and I take the long way ;-)

 

Probably the best answer in this thread.

 

Drive them. I was pretty sure I wanted a PDk until I drove one. in my view its ok driving full auto (traffic) and great on the track, in between, however, I didn't like it at all and in between is most driving. I commute in my 6 spd, I have a short commute, but sometimes with stop and go and the 6 spd is worth it -- it makes the car feel much more a sports car.

The downside is, having broken my wrist at Laguna seca on a bike, I have to drive my Suburban to work until I heal a bit more.

 

To each their own. Drive both and see which you like. I did and found the 6-sp the best manual transmission I've ever driven (BMW, Audi, VW as comparison). I found the PDK the only automatic (Porsche, BMW, Audi, VW.... ) that I have ever driven which was acceptable, this includes the double clutch in the M3.

In the end I went PDK and don't regret it. It can shift faster than me and I still feel like I'm driving a sports car. My first automatic ever in 38 years of driving and l love it.

 

I want to upgrade my '10 Turbo to the sport wheel with paddle shifters. How much does it cost? My stock wheel has heating and controls for the on board computer

 

I guess you figured out I went with the PDK on my Turbo. I have never owned any car without a manual transmission except an '83 Crown Vic.
It definitely shifts faster and smoother than I ever could, but it is a little disconcerting to a Scotsman to hear the clutch slipping in second gear and back to third in slow traffic. I am thinking about those two clutches wearing out. I usually switch to manual mode in that circumstance.

 

For a DD, I'd definitely go with the PDK especially if you live in an area with high traffic like I do.

 

im going to test drive a 6spd 2mrrw. Like i mentioned ive drove a PDK S ...very curious on how the DFI 6spd is in comparision to my 05 S 6spd.

 

i struggled with my car`s transmission for first 2 months or so in gridlock traffic, now i do not even notice it. i would not care about traffic aspect too much - just decide for yourself what do you like best - performance of PDK auto or ability to witch gears manually by working clutch pedal.

my personal opinion is - for DD car I would get PDK.

 

Shifting gears is 2nd nature for me but there are rare occasions when on a long grid lock (>1 hour) my leg will get a cramp. Still I perfer manual.

 

Hi all. My first post here, hope to be around a fair amount going forward.

About a year ago I thought I might want an M3 and mentioned that to my mechanic. There was a nice one very nearby but it had the SMG transmission and his comment was he would rather replace a clutch down the road than a transmission. When I purchase my 997 (assuming my year end bonus comes in as expected) I have every intention of keeping it for a very long time and thus won't be considering PDK as for me, the long term reliability is still a question mark.

 

You should drive them both, but a test drive will hardly tell you what traffic commuting in an MT is like.

I have been driving manuals forever, and honestly, if that's all you've ever done, you don't notice that it's supposed to be annoying in traffic. I don't find it so. I will admit though that my wife's automatic seems like it would be easier to put around in (but I don't drive it enough to really notice).

I had your dilemma backwards this past month -- a long-time MT'r trying to decide if paddles would do it for me. I ultimately decided against the paddles (bought a 997 MT), in part because the paddles somehow seemed incongruous with a cabriolet. I didn't drive a 911 PDK, but if the P-car PDK is anything like the M3 paddles I test-drove, there's still a lot of fun to be had in a non-MT car.

But I'd say go MT.