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Manual vs PDK...


rifraf

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hi  all

I suspect this has been discussed many time before and was unable to find...

on the basis of pure engagement / enjoyment .. do not have to consider convenience etc

has anyone moved from a manual to a PDK (or vise-versa) and differences were felt ?

I currently have a very lovely low miles warranted gen II - 2.9  manual (40k miles/ black / sand interior/ sports buckets / 18" wheels high spec etc) ... though the previous owner did black out vents / wheels which I have always thought I should back to stock...

I now have the potential to acquire a similar gen II which has PDK - 30k miles with the colour combination  - graphite grey / red roof & interior / extended leather and also high spec though "wrong" wheels from my perspective (19") and no flappy paddles. 

I  am contemplating swapping as I also like the colour combination and have a bit of an itch to scratch re. PDK - I guess this is all about spec which makes me feel rather shallow though not at the expense of enjoyment ...

Forums thoughts welcome please...

 

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14 minutes ago, rifraf said:

hi  all

I suspect this has been discussed many time before 

Yes, many many times

Go on PH you can find some right an*l retards there discussing their ability to go 0.3s faster than anyone else 🙄

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My previous car was manual, current ones are PDK, do I care? Not really, is it nice? Very much so. Do I prefer one or the other, not any more!

Some will be driving gods & purists, others will just have different views and needs.

I suggest you go try one, if you don’t like it, there’s your answer 😊

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55 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

I have almost never seen criticism of PDK on this board. I don’t read PH. 

Not a bad thing! I do because it makes me realise how good this site is 👍🏻

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Obviously it’s totally personal opinion so really you need to try yourself but I will make a few points.

- Whether you love it or hate it most people will agree that the PDK is one of the best gearboxes of its type available.

- Dont assume you know all about the PDK with a 30 minute test drive, it can take a while to fully appreciate and exploit the strengths of the gearbox, and amend you driving style accordingly.

- there is little doubt you can drive quicker with the PDK, if that is of any importance to you.

- in manual mode there is still a high level of driver interaction, though obviously if you are a heal and toe addict then it can’t provide that..

- Many people love the PDK and wouldn’t go back to manual, some strongly prefer manual.

- PDK seems very reliable, but doesn’t appear to be very serviceable in the event of rare failure, hence potentially large expense in event of failure.

 

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57 minutes ago, Menoporsche said:

I have almost never seen criticism of PDK on this board. I don’t read PH. 

I dont think its a manual replacement like most PDK fan boys do...does that count?

....I should add I dont think it's 'bad', just still has those delayed pull-away traits that all auto's do and unless its in sport mode takes over too quickly when tryign to drive 'manually'

if I drove into town every day and had to sit in traffic I might actually have specified PDK and it's definately better than a lot of autos

I just dont buy the fuel economy and its faster sales pitch

 

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2 minutes ago, Stuart21UK said:

I just dont buy the its faster sales pitch

 

Oh god, here we go 😂😂😂😂

 

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Just now, Stuart21UK said:

sometimes I like to be confrontatinal....I held back a bit this time ;)

😂😂👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

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Just now, Menoporsche said:

52% of voters think PDK will be faster if the UK leaves the EU :)

And heads for the Nurburgring 

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to me, Pretty Damn Kuick  provides the best of both worlds as my car is a daily driver, and shock horror - goes out in the rain and snow and everything in between :)

Never felt that the manual would make my real world driving any better (probably worse when sat in traffic) and as i'm not a driving god that clips the apex of every roundabout or drags it round on the door handles in Waitrose car park and don't track it, then its perfect.

If i was using it as a track weapon a manual might be slightly better, unless i'm using Sport Plus. 

I find standard PDK mode is fine for bumbling around town, Sports mode gives instant throttle response and is ideal for a country lane blat or a spirited drive, and Sports Plus is just a little bit mental for driving on normal roads.

As others have said, give it a try yourself and see what you think - although the red interior is a massive plus selling point more than PDK ;)

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Wonder if Mercedes need to change their F1 cars to manual transmissions so that they can catch Ferrari.......

Also the roads in Uk are getting more and more congested with roadworks in my area almost around every corner.

Makes PDK a simple answer for me but thats me and not everyone else.

Pay your money you take your choice and be happy with what you get/have. :)

 

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My only crtiticsim of the PDK is it is slightly more difficult for low speed manoeuvres like parking and so on. Than either a manual or torque converter auto. Otherwise great. But I still like driving a manual on fun roads. Which are quite rare round here.

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I was a dedicated manual box driver and detested the old Porsche tiptronic box. I now have a PDK and find it great, although I do tend to drive it in manual mode 99% of the time. Is it better than manual? I wouldnt say that - its just a different experience and both are fantastic in their own way. I love both 😁

Edited to say I have sports + and the paddles which definately improves the experience IMHO

 

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specifically looked for a PDK as we both drive it. It can be many things dependant on the mood.

lazy auto for her

lazy auto for me

sports auto is my preferred mode which allows maximum enjoyment of twisty roads, straight line sprints.

Allow it to shift or flick the gear lever/paddles to give a manual-esq driving experience. The possibilities are endless

 

sport + is pure hooligan mode and used sparingly.  launch control!

 

Would I go back to pushing a clutch pedal ? NOPE  .... PDK for my driving style and needs is way better.

 

P.S This reminds me of the continual debate over which is best ... 911 or a Boxster/Cayman 

 

 

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You really do need to try it for yourself.

 I went from a 987 manual to a 987.2 PDK and I think it is excellent and find driving manuals a pita. Would I ever go back to a manual, I might make a exception for a GT4 or a Spyder but then if I was spending that sort of money I would probably end up with a GTS PDK.

It really is the best of both worlds and like having two cars in one. I also like the fact you can tackle tight corners with two hands on the steering wheel, but then my driving needs all the help I can get 😂

A friend of mine has just swapped from a manual Cayman S to a PDK Cayman S and can’t decide if he likes it? I think his problem is it hasn’t got the paddle wheel...

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12 hours ago, rifraf said:

hi  all

I suspect this has been discussed many time before and was unable to find...

on the basis of pure engagement / enjoyment .. do not have to consider convenience etc

has anyone moved from a manual to a PDK (or vise-versa) and differences were felt ?

I currently have a very lovely low miles warranted gen II - 2.9  manual (40k miles/ black / sand interior/ sports buckets / 18" wheels high spec etc) ... though the previous owner did black out vents / wheels which I have always thought I should back to stock...

I now have the potential to acquire a similar gen II which has PDK - 30k miles with the colour combination  - graphite grey / red roof & interior / extended leather and also high spec though "wrong" wheels from my perspective (19") and no flappy paddles. 

I  am contemplating swapping as I also like the colour combination and have a bit of an itch to scratch re. PDK - I guess this is all about spec which makes me feel rather shallow though not at the expense of enjoyment ...

Forums thoughts welcome please...

 

PDK is good for everyday driving.  If you want to play, it needs to have at least 'Sport' if not 'Sport+' or you will not enjoy it as much. :)

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32 minutes ago, Araf said:

PDK is good for everyday driving.  If you want to play, it needs to have at least 'Sport' if not 'Sport+' or you will not enjoy it as much. :)

Good point, mine has Sport and Sports + with the paddle wheel. Simons Cayman hasn’t  got any Sports modes and the normal wheel, so perhaps that’s the problem...

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I’ve had a PDK 981 GTS and a manual 987 Black Edition.......

I think a couple of points above are very valid in that it takes a while to get used to PDK when coming from a manual, I would say it took me a good week of manual driving to get used to it ie being able to know when to change gear without needing to feel like you constantly have to check the rev display etc......and actually just “knowing” which gear you are in.

I would have a PDK every time if its a daily driver, it not such an easy choice for me if its a weekend fun car only, in a way that is credit to the PDK box.

If I had a PDK it would have to have a Sport paddle shift steering wheel and Sport Chrono. I used to drive my PDK 99% of the time in manual which ultimately I found rather defeated the object and I missed the interaction / greater control of a manual so after test driving a PDK 987 I knew I wanted to go back to a manual. NB If I was getting a manual I would again look for sport Chrono as even on a manual it gives the car two distinct “personalities”.

You can’t really go wrong with either, so get the one which suits you but if you’ve never driven a PDK before make sure you get a good long test drive in it ie 10 min just in auto does not really do it justice........but at the end of the day if I was to look for another 981 GTS I would get a manual ;-)............but if I was getting a daily it would be PDK........choices choices lol

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8 hours ago, Purdie said:

I was a dedicated manual box driver and detested the old Porsche tiptronic box. I now have a PDK and find it great, although I do tend to drive it in manual mode 99% of the time. Is it better than manual? I wouldnt say that - its just a different experience and both are fantastic in their own way. I love both 😁

Me too, as my first Boxster was a Tip. And otherwise mint. Odd as my previous car had the same ZF 5 speed, and it was just fine in that. The PDK is damn near perfect though. Although the higher torque from my 3.4 probably helps too. Making the car do everything with less fuss than the Tip.

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Thanks for the replies…
 
I of course plan to test drive and echo others comments that a 30 min test drive does not provide sufficient time to really get underneath what a PDK is like day to day. I assume an automatic is more convenient in city traffic etc, and...
 
scenario time… imagine driving a manual car, blatting down a country lane, roof off despite the cool damp weather, third gear, revs high, approaching a corner, toe brake late, hard, , dip the clutch and into second, heal to blip, releasing the clutch and feeding in the revs through and out of the corner, miraculously having not fluffed things for once… precisely how I was lucky enough to be driving last week. It's not about the absolute speed and the engagement in getting there hence I prefer the rev happy nature of a 2.9.
 
Can a PDK engage one in this manner…?
 
I’ve been on a bit of a journey with cars over recent years (Elise(s)/911/MR2/Boxster(s)); settling on my current car as a reasonable compromise between everyday liveability, performance, engagement & enjoyment. 
 
Notwithstanding that the Box serves a purpose for the mundane, as a second car, it also needs to have the potential to lift the spirits with minimal additional compromise.
 
 
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Yes a PDK can absolutely be in the right gear and rev range as the car enters/exits a corner. It just does it in a different manner with less manual operation (clutch heel toe blip).

Your dilemma is what value you place on that for the few occasions it's possible to play.

 

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