On the 7-speed manual trannie on the Carrera S 991: there are 2 magazines out today with detiailed tests...
Chris Harris in EVO #165 Jan : He compares a PDK-991 with a 997-Gen1 GT3 in a USA test [no manuals]. He notes that with quick presses of a few buttons it can be comfortable GT-like or as a sports car for the track weekend...very impressed, concerns dealt with. As fast as the previous gen GT3, around the North Loop in Germany.
Andrew Frankel in "GTPorsche" UK, January : 7speed manual and PDK. Brilliant with PDK...mesmerizing. Manual: cf to 997, poorer shift qualilty, also disliked volume [i.e. 7 rather then 6 causes issues in selection] and ratios, and >driveline shunt. Still the car was 'good, b...good'...With PDK, not just a great Porsche, it's a fabulous 911 too. Mostly OK with me...most of my order stands, but oNLY with a PDK!.
Manual 'a > step back.'..and note, the 'vastly improved PDK' : he would [as a guy usually preferring a manual] for 1st time likely take PDK for himself. Ouch Ouch! Frankel is a very good writer /tester...value his opinions much.
Adam Towler in '911 and Porsche World' UK Jan2012: 'biggest single leap in the evolution of the 911'. Most detailed test of the 3...well done...also reports on opinions of other colleagues at the Porsche-event . I am clearly going to enjoy this car [with the PDK...only due to vast improvements; as I dislike the 1st Gen PDK very much...[low speed jerkiness, and unpleasnat software choices in the PDK options]. He and others did not generally endorse/like the manual [f'eel' not nice], and the several manual cars there were each different [all less good than the 997's manual!] ...he said he would need more time to get to know it ! Further: like the 458, the 991 felt as tho' it had been developed around THAT transmission. ..Another who went in expecting to prefer the manual, [if they were both done well] quickly found that the PDK matched the car much better.
Unless the manual has been improved [as these tests were written ~4 weeks ago], as in the cars to be tested by a group of US/Canada 'Porsche dealers' this week, I will have to change my order from manual, to PDK....which is a B... shame [if they are both done well, I choose manuals based upon my driving/road contours and typical choice of the drive]. Assuming [hoping, although the fact it was the PDK 'box' /twin shaft, but with a dry clutch in front of it was worrying me!] the manual was a good as in my 997, I had ordered a manual some months ago for delivery in 3 months from the PDK sales [Feb 4 in Canada]....they are not manufactured off the line in the 1st 3 months of production. These are early cars, and Porsche are NOT going to like these reviews on the manual...not a BIGGY for them as the PDK dominate European sales, but not in the US/Canada, where we are ~ 55% manual.
I had actually heard a few months ago, that the manual was proving difficult to 'sign off' with ZF, and that production could be delayed! May still be friends!
KiwiCanuck