My 09 9977 PDK Car Comes in: Initial thoughts
We ordered the 09 MKII 997S and I drove it for the first time today and so far I have to say it feels like much more than just a "refresh". For now here's a teaser but I absolutely dig the PDK. The sports suspension feels pretty darned good for "stock" out of the box and the power increase is certainly noticeable too. Feels quite quick to me
I'm pretty stoked about the car thus far. I also like a lot of the updates made. I think I was in the same camp as most. Doubting the PDK along with the rest of the new updates. I don't look at this car as a comparable to the RS as it's still chalk vs cheese. The RS' motor is still in my mind the most fun you can have in a 911. The new DI certainly seems like it has good power and perhaps close to that of a 996GT3. The response is fantastic with the DI and it's almost like the good old days of a "cable" throttle body. The pedal feels more connected and less electronic if you will. I think the 997MKII with PDK is a much "easier" car to drive daily and live with in traffic. The PDK and software/shift patterns are _especially_ impressive in one area that I still think matters- in traffic and on hills. It feels so smooth and so well done that you think you're in an automatic. Friday rush hour traffic was my first drive in it and I can say that with PDK there's now no need for the Tiptronic. It's done. Over with and time to move on. What you also get with PDK is a more involving car, more sophisticated and generally faster set up than you used to with a Tip. Anyone can jump in and drive it anytime and under any circumstance. Traffic, freeway, curvy roads et. al. This is Porsche's first attempt and they scored. Combine it with a 7-speed exceptionally geared tranny you get a very quick car in terms of straight line speed. It goes like stink as the magazines have said.
Out of the box experience thus far has gone like this. Styling, I like it. The new color. I really like it. The stock wheels? A bit nicer. Led lights- cool. Transmission, practical and still fun but not RS 6speed. Suspension, the best yet for a "non" GT 911. I love the different settings with the sport suspension. They really do work well and change the ride charachteristics. In 'normal' soft mode I can't see the wife-o-meter even registering on the richter-scale. Creature comforts are the best yet. The NAV is finally on par with a modern Toyota and functional. BlueTooth, ipod yadda yadda. Stereo is at least as good as something found in a honda and not a 1979 Blaupunkt 930. It's a 911 that's more comfortable, easy to drive and in my mind more appealing car to the masses.
The bad? The buttons. I don't know what Hilda and Herman were thinking but when I want to change gears I really, really don't want to feel like I'm pushing a Vending machine's coin return trying to get my 25 cents back All I can think is that they are trying to appeal to the former tiptronic owners by saying "Hey look the wheel is very similar to what came before". Paddles people. Paddles.
So am I confident that the next gen GT3 with PDK will be a hit? I'm a lot more confident than I was a few days ago. I personally would still pick a 6speed in a car like a GT3 or RS present/future because to me nothing feels as connected, visceral and more perfect for that high-revving hard-edged car. But will the new PDK equipped car be faster? Absolutely it will.
I'm pretty stoked about the car thus far. I also like a lot of the updates made. I think I was in the same camp as most. Doubting the PDK along with the rest of the new updates. I don't look at this car as a comparable to the RS as it's still chalk vs cheese. The RS' motor is still in my mind the most fun you can have in a 911. The new DI certainly seems like it has good power and perhaps close to that of a 996GT3. The response is fantastic with the DI and it's almost like the good old days of a "cable" throttle body. The pedal feels more connected and less electronic if you will. I think the 997MKII with PDK is a much "easier" car to drive daily and live with in traffic. The PDK and software/shift patterns are _especially_ impressive in one area that I still think matters- in traffic and on hills. It feels so smooth and so well done that you think you're in an automatic. Friday rush hour traffic was my first drive in it and I can say that with PDK there's now no need for the Tiptronic. It's done. Over with and time to move on. What you also get with PDK is a more involving car, more sophisticated and generally faster set up than you used to with a Tip. Anyone can jump in and drive it anytime and under any circumstance. Traffic, freeway, curvy roads et. al. This is Porsche's first attempt and they scored. Combine it with a 7-speed exceptionally geared tranny you get a very quick car in terms of straight line speed. It goes like stink as the magazines have said.
Out of the box experience thus far has gone like this. Styling, I like it. The new color. I really like it. The stock wheels? A bit nicer. Led lights- cool. Transmission, practical and still fun but not RS 6speed. Suspension, the best yet for a "non" GT 911. I love the different settings with the sport suspension. They really do work well and change the ride charachteristics. In 'normal' soft mode I can't see the wife-o-meter even registering on the richter-scale. Creature comforts are the best yet. The NAV is finally on par with a modern Toyota and functional. BlueTooth, ipod yadda yadda. Stereo is at least as good as something found in a honda and not a 1979 Blaupunkt 930. It's a 911 that's more comfortable, easy to drive and in my mind more appealing car to the masses.
The bad? The buttons. I don't know what Hilda and Herman were thinking but when I want to change gears I really, really don't want to feel like I'm pushing a Vending machine's coin return trying to get my 25 cents back All I can think is that they are trying to appeal to the former tiptronic owners by saying "Hey look the wheel is very similar to what came before". Paddles people. Paddles.
So am I confident that the next gen GT3 with PDK will be a hit? I'm a lot more confident than I was a few days ago. I personally would still pick a 6speed in a car like a GT3 or RS present/future because to me nothing feels as connected, visceral and more perfect for that high-revving hard-edged car. But will the new PDK equipped car be faster? Absolutely it will.
