I really like manual transmissions. I prematurely disposed of a 2011 M3 with a DCT transmission because, among other things, it was very jerky at low speed and wasn't nearly as satisfying as rowing the gears. I've never owned a large, heavy vehicle with a manual so I don't know if having one in a Panamera would be as much fun as it is in my 911, but I find it very odd that Porsche would offer it in a Cayenne but not the Panny. BTW, I've heard that the PDK is superior to the DCT, but the BMW fans also claimed the DCT was state of the art.

 

The new M5 DCT may be better than the PDK. It's gotten terrific reviews.

 

I never felt the DCT was fun. Efficient? Yes. Good technology? Yes. A bit boring? Yes. Also, my personal opinion is that the 5 series is ugly. I much prefer the Panny.

 

Because race cars no longer use manuals?

They are old technology.

Why don't they have carburetors? Mechanical fuel injection?

Allows the driver to focus on other aspects of driving!!

 

It's not a race car.

 

What do you base this on? Pdk has received only praise in all tests Ive seen, except for the steering wheel buttons. Okay then there is the evo review were they liked the manual, but evo hated the Panamera from the start. It is thebest gearbox I have tested, ne. Ive read that the dct is better than all other gearboxes, ive understood they say its better than the smg. Still no test drive before winter is over, so cant compare.

 

I'm basing this on the 15 F10 M5 reviews I've read. Every one praises the gearbox as incredibly smooth, and not one negative. No comparison with the POS SMG transmission, and much better than the other BMW DCT's.

PDK reviews have some negatives, specifically it doesn't downshift quickly enough when the revs are high, and it can be a bit rough at slow speeds in some situations.

 

Because despite the purist outcry, nobody is buying them. Plain and simple economics. For the five people who will truly pass on the car if it has no manual tranny, the major companies are willing to sacrifice the very small percentage of lost sales when weighed against the cost of designing and manufacturing a car to accept both transmission types.

I doubt you will see a manual option in the next M5. Ferrari currently has very limited manual options and none that I know of in the US.

I miss driving a stick, but it's easy to wax nostalgic when you aren't sitting in stop and go traffic. I would absolutely still opt for a stick in a second/weekend car (boxter, cayman, 911, etc.) but for a daily driver? Not so much. Particularly when you are talking about a big car like a Panny, it just doesn't suit the character of the car.

Not to mention that the modern dual-clutch transmission is a performance benefit, not a weakness like an old-fashioned autobox.