I've now done 4.5k mile in my CS PDK and I have to say that I use the buttons without any problems. I have to confess at not using the stick unless necessary but having just been on some fantastic B-roads in Northumberland the car in Sport/S+ was fantastic and the drives rewarding (even with puddle buttons).
I've used it in manual mode for the majority of my ownership and whilst Normal mode is boring, it's fine when on the motorway.
I've had many manuals in my time and whilst I'm sure Porsche will continue to improve the gearbox I don't regret buying a PDK as it just makes the car feel very fast and responsive. I'll be tracking it soon so will see how it fairs but I wouldn't personally go back to a manual. I've not had any issue with the gearbox either.
Agree with 7th gear, it's an overdrive so it will feel flat but on a motorway it has a place.
Cheers, Simon
clewsey:
I've now done 4.5k mile in my CS PDK and I have to say that I use the buttons without any problems. I have to confess at not using the stick unless necessary but having just been on some fantastic B-roads in Northumberland the car in Sport/S+ was fantastic and the drives rewarding (even with puddle buttons).
I've used it in manual mode for the majority of my ownership and whilst Normal mode is boring, it's fine when on the motorway.
I've had many manuals in my time and whilst I'm sure Porsche will continue to improve the gearbox I don't regret buying a PDK as it just makes the car feel very fast and responsive. I'll be tracking it soon so will see how it fairs but I wouldn't personally go back to a manual. I've not had any issue with the gearbox either.
Agree with 7th gear, it's an overdrive so it will feel flat but on a motorway it has a place.
Cheers, Simon
--
+1
Exactly my assessment.
The Normal mode and 7th might be boring but on a speed limited busy motorway why not save some fuel and relax. And anyway you can change the mode at the press of a button.
KresoF1:
Carlos from Spain:
Reginos, with all due respect, you are calling forum members "forum experts" but you are the one sounding like one of those "forum experts". You don't seem to be able to grasp or comprehend why others still preffer the involvement and experience of a manual tranny, and thats fine, your loss, but your respectable opinion is just an opinion, there are others with more experience than you with the PDK here and don't necesarily agree with yours for example so keep an open mind.
Shifting is a key part in the driving experience of sportcars and there is no one and only good solution, it depends on the driver. I for one would be miserable if I can't work the clutch and the stick while happily driving along a mountain road, and no automatic tranny can be a substitute because of what their name implies, no matter how good they are. And that YOU cannot negate that because you are not me. For others may be the opposite, it may be not so important to shift manually or even bothersome and with the new DCTs the performance drawbacks are a thing of the past so its a win win for them.
What I'm trying to say is that to reduce transmitions in sportcars to one option is a very one dimential and narrowminded approach. The debate is always going to be, manual vs which auto (torque converter SCT, DCT, etc), because the two will never overlap completely, they can be compared in performace, weight, usability, confort, # gears, etc but there is always one thing that will be different, one has clutch and stick and the other one doesn't, and that difference alone is huge because its linked to involvement in the driving experience in a part of the sportcar drivers, and the driving experience should be one of the highest priorities in sportcars.
--
I agree with you Carlos. Currently I am torn apart with same decision PDK or manual for my Cayman S order. Until two days ago I was pretty sure about what to do-order PDK. Just yesterday I drove Porsche 997 CS(version 1) manual and I think that manual is better thing for me. PDK is IMHO the best current DCT one the market just, as I wrote before PDK programms(standard, sport and sport plus) are sometimes not good or enough for me. I would like more control overall-at all time.
Well said, Carlos - many here agree with you. Kresos, we are still intending to order a new Cayman S but no question it will be manual... keep the spirit of the simple and light sports car and maximum driver involvement.
But for the RS5 that I am waiting for (assuming it is still going to be announced) I am also undecided - assuming Audi even have a manual option I am leaning towards the S-tronic as it fits the GT theme of the car.
Present: 2005 STi, 2002 M Coupe
Future: 2009 Cayman S - pending; 2010? Audi RS5 ??
Mar 8, 2009 10:56:11 PM
SciFrog:
The problem is the buttons are attached to the wheel...
But that should be a non-factor provided (i) you drive with your hands at 9 and 3 as designed/intended, and (ii) you're not trying to shift mid-corner (which from years of tracking I was taught not to do). I've been driving Tips for years with my hands at 9 and 3, and my thumbs are always where the need to be to shift. And 99% of the time the only time I shuffle the wheel through my hands is turning a corner (not cornering). So I guess they designed PDK for me
I wish it was around for the 06 MY because my Club Coupe would have had it. But oh well.
Mar 9, 2009 12:51:32 AM
i have a manual c2s gen 2 and love it, but i also love the tech in the PDK i think its light years ahead of tiptronic and after the test drive in it I was in 2 minds what to get.....i chose the manual simply because i love dropping the cogs myself...
i think that its down to preference but both are just fantastic and i think we should just enjoy them...
Mar 9, 2009 6:23:03 PM
A very interesting debate about the PDK. People have different needs and preferences, so I´m not surprised about the different opinions.
I got my 997.2 CS with PDK in October. Before I was used to a Cayman S with a manual, so I´m not accustomed to the tiptronic.
So far I´m very pleased with the car and especially the PDK system. The shifting is very fast, smooth and precise. For city driving/commuting/queues it is much more convenient. Normal and Sport mode is usually the most natural here. Sport Plus in the city makes no sense as it doesn´t shift before it reaches the red mark then.
I haven´t tracked it yet because its winter here, but when driving it more inspired on curvy roads the Sport Plus mode and the PDK worked perfect. Of course I tried it out in manual many times too, but I think the PDK is doing such a good job that I really don’t see the point. On ice and snow I think this is different. In January I participated at Porsche Camp 4S in Ivalo in the north of Finland, and the cars we got to use there were all Carrera 4 or 4S with PDK, and also some Targas with PDK. We turned of course the PSM off and switched to manual. At first we used the paddles to shift up and down, but I think the most of us switched to using the stick which we found quite efficient. I was ok with the paddles/buttons, but on the ice you really turn the wheel a lot, and that muddled it up a bit. And 2 or 3 times I touched the paddle by accident when driving as they are exactly where you hold your hands on the steering wheel. Anyway the 4-wheel drive cars handled great on the ice.
I see that there are different opinions as to which way the paddles would be more intuitive. I´m not used to the “old” system with the tiptronic, but I honestly think the PDK paddles are quite intuitive the way they are. I drove roadracing some years ago, and on the racebikes we turned the shifting upside down so that we pushed the pedal when shifting up. You got used to it after about half a lap. On the PDK you also push the paddle to shift up in manual, or you push the stick. For me that works fine. But since I haven´t tried the old system I cant really compare them.
Right now I´m really looking forward to taking it to the tracks and try it out properly on the dry roads. Hopefully first a couple of times here in Norway, and in May I will be going to Nurburgring a couple of times. First to participate at the Scuderia Hanseat course, later in the month at Performance training with the Porsche Sport Driving School. I need to get to know the new car on this track, but I know that the PDK is more efficient for track driving and that the car has a very good laptime on the Nurburgring (7:50 in Sport Autos supertest, the 997 Turbo has 7,54), so my expectations to the car are very high. I don’t think I will be bored driving there in the automatic mode. I´m expecting the PDK to do an excellent job and that I then will be able to concentrate even more on getting perfect braking points, cornering etc.
But that’s my expectations based on my
experiences so far, I´m looking forward to seeing if the car lives up to them,
but I hope I will be just as pleased at the end of the summer.
I also drive a GT silver Carrera S with PDK and I love it too.
I agree with you about the high efficiency of PDK and with your positive comments about the paddle and stick interface.
Enjoy your car and rennteam!
Anne:
A very interesting debate about the PDK. People have different needs and preferences, so I´m not surprised about the different opinions.
I got my 997.2 CS with PDK in October. Before I was used to a Cayman S with a manual, so I´m not accustomed to the tiptronic.
So far I´m very pleased with the car and especially the PDK system. The shifting is very fast, smooth and precise. For city driving/commuting/queues it is much more convenient. Normal and Sport mode is usually the most natural here. Sport Plus in the city makes no sense as it doesn´t shift before it reaches the red mark then.
I haven´t tracked it yet because its winter here, but when driving it more inspired on curvy roads the Sport Plus mode and the PDK worked perfect. Of course I tried it out in manual many times too, but I think the PDK is doing such a good job that I really don’t see the point. On ice and snow I think this is different. In January I participated at Porsche Camp 4S in Ivalo in the north of Finland, and the cars we got to use there were all Carrera 4 or 4S with PDK, and also some Targas with PDK. We turned of course the PSM off and switched to manual. At first we used the paddles to shift up and down, but I think the most of us switched to using the stick which we found quite efficient. I was ok with the paddles/buttons, but on the ice you really turn the wheel a lot, and that muddled it up a bit. And 2 or 3 times I touched the paddle by accident when driving as they are exactly where you hold your hands on the steering wheel. Anyway the 4-wheel drive cars handled great on the ice.
I see that there are different opinions as to which way the paddles would be more intuitive. I´m not used to the “old” system with the tiptronic, but I honestly think the PDK paddles are quite intuitive the way they are. I drove roadracing some years ago, and on the racebikes we turned the shifting upside down so that we pushed the pedal when shifting up. You got used to it after about half a lap. On the PDK you also push the paddle to shift up in manual, or you push the stick. For me that works fine. But since I haven´t tried the old system I cant really compare them.
Right now I´m really looking forward to taking it to the tracks and try it out properly on the dry roads. Hopefully first a couple of times here in Norway, and in May I will be going to Nurburgring a couple of times. First to participate at the Scuderia Hanseat course, later in the month at Performance training with the Porsche Sport Driving School. I need to get to know the new car on this track, but I know that the PDK is more efficient for track driving and that the car has a very good laptime on the Nurburgring (7:50 in Sport Autos supertest, the 997 Turbo has 7,54), so my expectations to the car are very high. I don’t think I will be bored driving there in the automatic mode. I´m expecting the PDK to do an excellent job and that I then will be able to concentrate even more on getting perfect braking points, cornering etc.
But that’s my expectations based on my experiences so far, I´m looking forward to seeing if the car lives up to them, but I hope I will be just as pleased at the end of the summer.
Welcome Anne and thanks for a great review !
Currently I am mainly using the stick. I still think it should of been the other way around , up to downshift, as I sometimes need to ' think' to be sure I make the right moove ( but who knows if it was the other way around if that would also not happen sometimes??? ).
I am also looking for my first track day in May. I have been attending the Scuderia for the last 3 years, but will, sadly, skip it this year. Would of been nice to meet.
Anne:
Thanks for the welcome.
Gnil: Did you attend the Scuderia in spring last year or in the fall? I was there in spring last year too, but then in my black Cayman...
No, not in spring, I have always attended the fall sessions..... Will really be missing not going this year, specially that I got the R last time
Gnil:No, not in spring, I have always attended the fall sessions..... Will really be missing not going this year, specially that I got the R last time
Congratulations on the R! You would probably get an even better score this year with the new car. I was a beginner last year, but I won the ladies cup. Thats not important, but I hope to improve my score this year.
By the way, I was there the day you guys checked in at the office the first day of the fall-course. Was at the office to hand in my entry form for spring and pay the entry fee. We had been there for several days just driving in the opening hours of the Touristenfahrt. The Grand Prix circuit will be open for tourists this year too, and this makes it even more interesting. http://www.nuerburgring.de/Touristenfahrten-GP-Strecke.732.0.html
Mar 23, 2009 1:35:03 PM
Hi Anne - welcome on board Great 1st post - good review about your PDK experience
Seems that we have another Nordschleife fan in the RT community - great
As for PDK and track: I haven't driven a PDK car myself, hence I can't comment from own experience. But I had a quite interesting chat with another 'Ring regular just yesterday. The guy told me that he would have loved to get the GT3, but that he preferred the PDK over the manual, which is why he got himself a 997S PDK (mind you: his P-car is basically a "Nordschleife only" toy). He is very happy with the decision and said the PDK works like a charm on NoS
Let me know when you're in the Eifel - now and then I spend a little time there
Maybe I'll also attend the Porsche Sport Driving School course at the end of May.
It was a nice afternoon yesterday - I know Gnil will make some strict remarks about my line at the Carousell entry
Anne:
Gnil:No, not in spring, I have always attended the fall sessions..... Will really be missing not going this year, specially that I got the R last time
Congratulations on the R! You would probably get an even better score this year with the new car. I was a beginner last year, but I won the ladies cup. Thats not important, but I hope to improve my score this year.
By the way, I was there the day you guys checked in at the office the first day of the fall-course. Was at the office to hand in my entry form for spring and pay the entry fee. We had been there for several days just driving in the opening hours of the Touristenfahrt. The Grand Prix circuit will be open for tourists this year too, and this makes it even more interesting. http://www.nuerburgring.de/Touristenfahrten-GP-Strecke.732.0.html
You seem to be a real N Ring fan and a very good driver
The car will not make any difference on the Scuderia, as it is the line that counts..and the speed, even if this can not be said out loud
Mar 23, 2009 4:38:14 PM
Porsche-Jeck:
Hi Anne - welcome on board Great 1st post - good review about your PDK experience
Seems that we have another Nordschleife fan in the RT community - greatAs for PDK and track: I haven't driven a PDK car myself, hence I can't comment from own experience. But I had a quite interesting chat with another 'Ring regular just yesterday. The guy told me that he would have loved to get the GT3, but that he preferred the PDK over the manual, which is why he got himself a 997S PDK (mind you: his P-car is basically a "Nordschleife only" toy). He is very happy with the decision and said the PDK works like a charm on NoS
Let me know when you're in the Eifel - now and then I spend a little time there
Maybe I'll also attend the Porsche Sport Driving School course at the end of May.It was a nice afternoon yesterday - I know Gnil will make some strict remarks about my line at the Carousell entry
You are right PJ, I can not let this go by without a very precise analysis of your not so perfect line yet but keep on practicing you will get there eventually
I drew, very badly, your line........ you should know by now that the middle of your car needs to be on the start of the old concrete !!!!! Where were you going ???? into the post sign ? or did you do a quick turn just at the last second to be in the perfect line ????
Mar 23, 2009 5:08:22 PM
Mar 25, 2009 2:56:46 PM
hellgelb:
I've read a lot of PDK owners very happy with the system but who tend not to use manual mode and prefer the stick over the paddles. Given this and the corcerns I hear about accidental use of the shift buttons, would anyone be tempted to fit a non-PDK OEM steering wheel? It's perhaps a shame Porsche won't allow you to spec the car without the PDK wheel - they used to charge extra for the Tiptronic buttons, I think :) On a similar note - has anyone tried a 3rd party paddle equipped wheel with PDK or Tip (e.g. Ruf)?
hellgelb, don't listen to all these stories the interface is perfect without any problems whatsoever (for me at least).
In auto mode you cannot use the stick anyway and you can only overide by using the paddles. I personally use the right paddle 99% of the time because this suits me more. The left one is practically redundant for me unless the wheel is turned in such a way that the left one is more accessible. All very easy all very convenient.
When in manual mode I tend to use the stick more but I also use the paddle(s) interchangeably, without too much thought. The system is so natural!
Mind you most of the critics of the system are people who don't own a PDK car (or have never driven one for more than 1/2 hour) and just don't like the thought that the Porsche system is different to everybody else's.
However, if someone has many cars or has to drive many cars(like journalists) then this person might get confused, especially if he/she is not adaptable enough. Similarly if someone spends hours every week racing cars with the opposite up/down direction. You can appreciate that these people account for 1% of buyers!
There is some talk of Porsche offering a "classical" paddle interface next year, as an option. I hope they do that so as to end all this useless debate.
reginos:
PDK and similar are more efficient for track or fast road driving. No clutch, one less thing to co-ordinate and you can downchange even in the middle of a bend, if you so wish, without loss of traction. Moreover without the need to declutch you can be more concentrated and involved in your braking and cornering techniques.
PDK is also better for city driving/commuting due to convenience and economy. So it comes on top IMO on all counts.
The lust over the manual gearbox reminds me of the affection some people had for non-servo brakes and non-assisted steering systems many years ago when the new systems were a novelty and made some drivers feel detached.
+1
I'm 100% agree with you; I don't understand why people think that PDK/DCT/SMG/DSG transmissions are not involving; especially when they are used in manuel mode.
Only difference is you don't step on a pedal. It is more precise, accurate and faster.
ONUR
09 Audi TTS Ibis
07 CARRERA S Meteor (SOLD)
03 M3Coupe SMGII Bluewater (GONE) / 05 M3Coupe SMGII SilverGrau (SOLD)
96 M3 Coupe EVO Estoril (SOLD)
reginos:I am telling you that getting a manual car doesn't make any sense at all now that the PDK is an option. The choice of manual was obvious before with the tiptronic but not anymore.
I agree with this, too
At the time of ordering my 997.1 Carrera S, because of the awful auto box of Porsche, I went for the manual tranny evenif I love the SMG/PDK trannies. With the short shift and heavy clutch, I didn't like taking my 911 at nights and during the day (because of the traffic).
I can't think of buying a manual car again; well maybe GT3 in the future but again I would have preferred PDK type transmission.
In my TTS with S-Tronic which is Audi's interpretation of PDK, I love the gearbox evenif it doesn't have more sporty mode as M3 and 911 do have.
Too stiff sports chassie and manual transmission were my 2 main reasons to sell my 911.
ONUR
09 Audi TTS Ibis
07 CARRERA S Meteor (SOLD)
03 M3Coupe SMGII Bluewater (GONE) / 05 M3Coupe SMGII SilverGrau (SOLD)
96 M3 Coupe EVO Estoril (SOLD)
Mar 30, 2009 10:14:23 AM
easy_rider911:Hi Easy
I remember how few people (especially in the UK) bought the -20mm sports suspension on the 997.1 and how dealers actively discouraged buying it in favour of PASM.
Every mile I have driven has reenforced my view that my choice of -20mm was the right one.
ONUR
09 Audi TTS Ibis
07 CARRERA S Meteor (SOLD)
03 M3Coupe SMGII Bluewater (GONE) / 05 M3Coupe SMGII SilverGrau (SOLD)
96 M3 Coupe EVO Estoril (SOLD)
Mar 31, 2009 5:21:37 AM
pride355:
reginos:
PDK and similar are more efficient for track or fast road driving. No clutch, one less thing to co-ordinate and you can downchange even in the middle of a bend, if you so wish, without loss of traction. Moreover without the need to declutch you can be more concentrated and involved in your braking and cornering techniques.
PDK is also better for city driving/commuting due to convenience and economy. So it comes on top IMO on all counts.
The lust over the manual gearbox reminds me of the affection some people had for non-servo brakes and non-assisted steering systems many years ago when the new systems were a novelty and made some drivers feel detached.
+1
I'm 100% agree with you; I don't understand why people think that PDK/DCT/SMG/DSG transmissions are not involving; especially when they are used in manuel mode.Only difference is you don't step on a pedal. It is more precise, accurate and faster.
I agree that PDK is more precise, accurate, faster etc. A manual box requires 'skill' to emulate what PDK does so well. Acquiring and perfecting this skill is very rewarding. When I toe heel and perfectly match the revs by blipping the throttle on a down shift I feel like it is me that is making the car perform well rather than the car doing it for me.
The Porsche manual gearbox, especially in sport shifter form is one of the best manual gearboxes on the market. I find myslef changing gear just for the sake of it because it is engineered so well.
I know I would be faster in a PDK car but I would be having less fun.
Maybe one day technology will advance so far that I will be able to go to a track day and the car will brake, accelerate and steer for me too. I will be faster than Schumacher but it won't be me it will be the car. I will be a passenger.
Mar 31, 2009 8:34:17 AM
Pink Panther:
I agree that PDK is more precise, accurate, faster etc. A manual box requires 'skill' to emulate what PDK does so well. Acquiring and perfecting this skill is very rewarding.
Very well said; I agree
I used to love speeding in my 911 Carrera S which had manual trans.; heel and toeing and using the stick, spirited driving on the autobahn and on some of the back roads I know; but 25% of my driving time with the car was like that And at the rest of the time and especially on a race track I would prefer PDK style.
I have been on İstanbul Park F1 Circuit once with my 911 during a Porsche Club event. There are 3 turns on İstanbul Park where you have to brake hard from 6th gear to 3th gear especially at the back straight where you have to slow down from 240-250 km/h to 80 km/h .
When the competition heat is up it becomes difficult to modulate braking power while you blip the throttle from 6th to 5th, from 5th to 4th and finally from 4th to 3rd. Maybe my feet skill is not as strong as my driving
As a note, my fastest lap was 2:26 (I'm familiar with the circuit since I had 4 races during Honda Civic Type R Cup in 2005 and 2006) which was around 20 sec slower than DTM cars
ONUR
09 Audi TTS Ibis
07 CARRERA S Meteor (SOLD)
03 M3Coupe SMGII Bluewater (GONE) / 05 M3Coupe SMGII SilverGrau (SOLD)
96 M3 Coupe EVO Estoril (SOLD)
pride355: ...There are 3 turns on İstanbul Park where you have to brake hard from 6th gear to 3th gear especially at the back straight where you have to slow down from 240-250 km/h to 80 km/h .When the competition heat is up it becomes difficult to modulate braking power while you blip the throttle from 6th to 5th, from 5th to 4th and finally from 4th to 3rd. Maybe my feet skill is not as strong as my driving
Shouldn't you brake still in 6th and then heel-toe a shift to 3rd directly as the car slows down? Why 3 downshifts instead of one?
________________________
A. Dias
Corvette C6 coupe (sold)
996 C4 (sold)
When it is done properly, it also helps to use engine brake power.
Otherwise you are only on brakes from 6th to 3rd, and from 6th to 3th the gear lever isn't placed properly all of the time; so you may lose some time while trying to find right slot.
ONUR
09 Audi TTS Ibis
07 CARRERA S Meteor (SOLD)
03 M3Coupe SMGII Bluewater (GONE) / 05 M3Coupe SMGII SilverGrau (SOLD)
96 M3 Coupe EVO Estoril (SOLD)
Apr 1, 2009 5:56:01 AM
I think there are two schools of thought with this one. You could argue that the extra braking power gained from using 5th instead of staying longer in 6th is negated by the extra time spent in neutral while changing gear.
Gratuitous throttle blipping is also fun when not on the track