The section on transmission in the new 991 webcast talks about the PDK and the manual. Basically says that if you want comfortable driving, it's the manual transmission, but if you want the optimum in sport driving, it's PDK.

I always preceived it exactly the opposite - I need to be educated, I guess

 

Sounds like marketing to me.

 

It's all about driver experience. YES: PDK in Sport Plus IS faster than manual...no two ways about it. But the EXPERIENCE of driving PDK is somewhat disconnected as you just don't have the interaction and required skill of changing gears on your own. Since I don't race my car and I prefer the interaction with the clutch pedal and gear shifter, I've gone with manual.

If/When the PDK design can handle the stress, heat, torque etc of weekend racing, I suppose we'll start seeing it in the GT cars. But for now, Porsche doesn't deem it ready for consumer GT car use. In fact, the current PDK can't handle the HP that the 2RS puts through it...

 

No need to comment on 1st paragraph as it is simply opinion.

On the 2nd paragraph... is that so? Are you familiar with a professional racing team based in FL racing an S with a PDK? Do you know that after a racing season, they opened the tranny thinking the clutches needed replacement and to their surprise they looked like new and just closed the tranny?

It appears that you need to check your facts and review prejudices, as this is not opinion.

 

First Paragraph is FACT. I'd challenge you to find a driver that can make it around a circuit faster in a 6spd 911 than in a similarly equipped 911 with PDK & Sports Plus. There's a reason F1 cars are using automated manuals...

Second Paragraph is probably more opinion, but my comments are directed to GT cars that Porsche makes available to the general public at it's dealers. Yes, I know of the instances of PDKs that have been brought into racing teams, but those are 'experiments' and those cars aren't supported by a Porsche factory warranty. When Porsche is comfortable supporting warranties on PDK GT cars that have a good chance of being tracked regularly, then we'll see the, offer a PDK GT3 and/or GT2.

The Turbo and Turbo S are the exceptions that are hard to explain. They deal with an immense amount of power and torque, and some see the track. My best GUESS is that there are far less Turbos that see hard track time than GT cars.

And YES: my comments are opinion...that's a large part of what these online forums are contained with.

 

Yes, but civility compels us to separate personal opinion from information we may have gathered in some professional role. Civility in the general case, but also consideration for forum visitors. They sometimes lack the background to tell who among us is a professional and who is just providing opinions that many others don't share.

Gary

 

Fifthgear reviewed the Cayman with PDK vs manual. Although not paddle shifters, the manual was faster.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTgXky5ntEo

 

The only "official" comparison test I am aware of that was done on the same day is claimed by Porsche - a PDK equipped 2009 Carrera S lapped the Nordschleife approximately 8 seconds faster than it's manual transmission brethren.

bob

 

My mistake. I should have removed the first 2 sentences of your 1s paragraph.

This: "... But the EXPERIENCE of driving PDK is somewhat disconnected as you just don't have the interaction and required skill of changing gears on your own. Since I don't race my car and I prefer the interaction with the clutch pedal and gear shifter, I've gone with manual. "is your opinion.

BTW... what experience do you have with PDK cars? Some of us have tens of thousands of miles with PDK and find it no more troublesome than 6speed manual trannies; just pay attention to the numerous posts reporting tranny and clutch issues. And, FYI, I drive both PDK and 6-speed (the latter on a Turbo, no less).

 

PDK can handle the 530 HP and 700NM coming from the engine in the Turbo S . If Porsche chose to do so, they could've even placed it in the GT3 RS 4.0 ! And correct me if im wrong, but isn't torque the main factor when it comes to gearboxes ?

 

Folks, I think some of you are being a little too sensitive with my responses. Nowhere in my signature do I claim to be an 'expert' on PDK, but I do have MANY MORE MILES driving PDKs that most people (see below). I've also spoken at length on the topic with Sales Managers, Service Managers and Techs from a couple of local dealerships. Even they don't know WHY Porsche hasn't put PDK in the GT cars (yet), but most of THEIR OPINIONS lean towards the idea that while a PDK w/ SportPlus would be faster on a track, there is a concern regarding longevity, and until Porsche feels as though their PDK design can handle the stresses of track driving, it isn't going to be put in a GT3. For all we know, the 991 GT cars will see PDK...time will tell.

Here are my thoughts to some of the comments:


I have no idea where this comes from...how can my comments bump against the thoughts of being Civil. Several times I mention the term 'opinion' and 'prefer'...if a reader sees everything else but passes over those words, that's their problem (as it seems in this case). When I respond to any topic on a board, I assume it's taken as an opinion (unless quoting OBJECTIVE topics). The TOPIC of this thread is very SUBJECTIVE.


But do you know if he was using SportPlus during his PDK drive? It makes all the difference in how PDK responds to gear shifts, etc. I can see the car is equipped with SC, but there's no validation that it's being used. I can't tell from the video whether the SP button is active or not.


Thank You...



Hence the reason I used the phrase 'I prefer' in my comments...any 'preference' is implying personal opinion to an extent, correct?



35K miles, as a matter of fact. 16K in an 09 C2S, 16K in my Panamera S and another 3-4K in the loaner PDK cars while my C2S and P2S were in the shop for PDK Valve and Control Box issues.



Did you see my 2nd response?

 

And I hope that my comments are at a minimum seen as respectful. My goal in any communication through electronic media is to say it as if the audience is sitting right next to me.

 

Although I prefer manual myself, I don't find this particular comparison to be credible. It's just one guy making one run on one track, and he doesn't seem comfortable with the PDK.

Objectively, the evidence seems to strongly favor PDK being faster in both drag racing and on the track. With the option of using the paddles in manual mode, I don't see how it could be otherwise.

Subjectively, there are clearly different preferences on which is more fun, for the usual reasons.

 

dallascajun I didn't mean to attack your remarks at all, i was merely sharing my thoughts , Im probably even less of an "expert" than you
Your opinion is justified. However, perhaps a better reason why Porsche did not provide the GT cars with the PDK is the fact that it weighs more than the manual at this point. The whole point of the GT cars is to bring the weight down as much as possible.

 

The PDK is not in the current GTx series due to interface-ability issues . The PDK flange geometry is incompatible with the 997.2 GT3 seroes Mezger engine's flange. I bet there will be a PDK in a 991 GT3.