May 1, 2013 1:08:57 PM
- Carlos from Spain
- Rennteam Moderator
- Loc: Spain. , Spain
- Posts: 21156, Gallery
- Registered on: Feb 9, 2003
- Reply to: reginos
Re: OFFICIAL: New 911 GT3 (991)
I think the problem is that some people are not able to enjoy the added driving experience of being able to manually operate the clucth and stick and its interaction with the throttle and brake, which is a hole different ball game than automated flip paddle operation. And that is fine, we don't all enjoy the same things.
On the other hand that doesn't mean that those that prefer an automatic tranny can't operate a manual, just means that the won't understand as easily why others enjoy it so much and are oblibious to it. And some auto drivers will make up all sorts of explanations as to why someone would prefer a manual, some here even trying to convince trhemeselves that there is only one reasonable choice, and are compelete in denial, that is sad. I gives the feeling that some auto-box drivers feel threatened by manual geaboxes by the way they criticise other drivers who prefer manuals and who's opinion should be respected just as theirs.
Just the same as some manual drivers who critticse auto-box drivers and claiming the do so because they can't drive a stick, which is ridiculous, or that manual drivers are better than auto-drivers. Sure the poseurs will always choose auto-boxes but in my experience they are a minority.
If we are talking about a car that will be used for competition then there is only one reasonable choice, the fastest tranny wins. i.e. auto. But the GT3 is a street car, 90% will never see a track, and even if you go to track days with it, not everyone is willing to sacrifice everything for the fastest lap time posible on a track day, others track it to enjoy the pleasure of track driving (which for some a manual gearbox and doing heel-toe etc is a great part of) and care less about a lap time if that lap is due a mechanical advantage that comes at a cost (loss of involvement for them) and not their driving skills.
I often go over in my mind when I'm driving my 911 what would it be if I had PDK instead of manual, and while in some situations it would be more confortable, and in others faster, everytime I have a chance to stretch the 911's legs and start playing with the clucth and stick, I can't help be afraid that I would miss that too much that it won't compensate the advantages of the PDK. I have a lot of experience with autos and while I prefer them for some cars, for my 911 is different since the use I give my 911 is not only as a daily driver but also to make that daily driving the most fun posible, that is why I don't drive a boring sedan or SUV as a daily driver and the 911 for the weekends. So in my case taking the clutch and stick away (which is really really fun to use as hard as it may be for some people to comprehend, sadly for them) would water down that "fun" adpect for which I drive a 911 daily
Personally I don't have a clear answer yet, I don't know if I would be happy enough with a PDK to compensate what I would miss form a manual, and I know I would miss it since as much as I know how to drive a PDK and extract its full potential, the PDK and manual are not substiututes of each other. So maybe my next 911 will have PDK, I don't know yet, but I will only know if I made the right choice or if I will regret it after many many miles of driving the PDK and especially not driving a manual anymore. Its not a matter of enjoying the PDK is a matter more of how much I will miss the manual after a while.
What I do know is that when driving a mountain road, the PDK while faster and more efficient, it does not put the huge smile on my face that the manual does. I always know exactly what options I want in my 911's and very sure of them, but for my next 911, the choice of tranny is still a question mark I can't figure out. I guess I would have to take a pliunge and find out after the fact
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