[ds968]

Now that I own the Maserati GT Sport which has a tiptronic mode and a paddle shift mode , and having tested them all in multiple driving conditions , I can categorically state this : Booooooring !

In addition to my 968 tip, I have also driven both a Ferrari California and a 911 with the much acclaimed PDK, so arguably it would not get any better that that , right ? Wrong ! Boring, boring , boring !

Unless you're simply commuting in bumper to bumper traffic daily for hours on end, or conversely take frequent and very long highway trips where you just let the car drive you in cruise mode , automatic transmission cars are the lazy person's way of giving up on the joy of life and driving . IMHO :-) :-)

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[az968]

I much prefer rowing my own gears. I know the PDK is faster and all modern racercars are "automatic" or rather computer controlled gear changers, But, I still prefer to be in complete control.

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[Rap]

Can you imagine that some don't even know what Manuel means let alone have driven one or will?

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[ds968]

Indeed, and in the U.S. I'd go as far as saying that would be a large majority of the population .. Probably 75% + ... Pity.

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[Kim]

I might suggest that it is above 95% for the under 30 crowd.

 

I will comment that those of you who have not driven a Porsche PDK transmission are really missing out.  The difference between a 4 speed tip in a 968 and a 7 speed PDK in a newer Porsche is significant.  This debate has done on with the 911/991/987.2/981 crowd for a while now. Comes down to what you like and need - coffee or tea, gin or vodka, red or white wine, iPhone of Android, etc. My comment is simply that this transmission is really good. I had one in my 997 that I really did like.

 

And, keep in mind, the great guru himself bought a 991 with PDK and sang songs of praise.

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[lbpesq]

4,5,6, even 7? It's all good, as long as it's on the floor! Automatic is great for commuting in my Highlander. Driving up the coast to Mendocino, (like I'll be doing in a couple of hours), calls for a clutch.


Bill

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[ds968]

Yes the PDK gives you a lot faster shifting, and maybe a great feature if you track / race the car , where even a 1/10 sec. makes a big difference , but IMO it does little to make up for the loss of fun using a clutch pedal and a stick shift . As Kim said, it's " coffee or tea " , but PDK or auto mode is not for me ! ( hey, that rhymes ..I can be a poet , lol ).


And with all due respect and continued admiration for the great guru, the fact is that he's also getting to that certain age where one tends to give in to creature comforts and least effort ease of use , heck he's probably just a couple of years away from buying a Cadillac and driving it while wearing a fleece lined home leisure velour onesie :-) :-) .

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[az968]

Hey, what's wrong with a fleece lined home leisure velour onesie? As cold as it is "over there" those things are probably highly coveted! Lol!

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[flash]

i think it all comes to what you consider "fun".  having to take a foot off the dead pedal, move it over and fiddle with another pedal, lose that added balance, wrestle with a shifter, and time it all together, just so as to not lose speed in a turn, is not "fun".  it's work, and it's slow.  i find it far more fun to just flip a paddle, know that it will make the shift more quickly and accurately than i could do on my best day, and go through a turn faster.  it's the sideways G force, and being on the edge of grip, that is fun.  the PDK made the car more enjoyable to drive fast.  it's not an automatic.  it's a pedal-less manual transmission.  you have to drive it like that though to understand it.

 

lol - catch up with the times old man.  i think it's you who is about ready for the onesie.

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[ds968]

Ahh, poppycock ! Lol ,if I wanted to " catch up with the times " I'd be driving a Tesla ( aka being driven by a computer on wheels ) which was a very boring test drive experience I've had recently , in spite of it being initially frightening , and I don't frighten easily ..

But this was the 2.9 sec. 0-60 " lubricious mode" of Tesla's top end model , and being catapulted like that will send chills through your bones ! But aside from that single factor, once you get used to massive torque at a single touch , and do that a few times to get it out of your system, it's a dreadfully boring car . Same for me with anything which does not require driver effort ,I don't even like power steering, so fast PDK paddles or not ...meh , it's a big yawn !

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[lbpesq]

Pedal-less manual transmission? "Catch up with the times"? I had such a beast on my 1959 Mercedes 220S Cab! The infamous Hydrak Transmission. (Porsche called it the Sportomatic, Volkswagen had the Automatic Stick Shift). Nothing new under the sun. As for the "work" of coordinating your foot, pedal, arm, shift, etc., some find it "fun". To paraphrase Paul Simon, "One man's ceiling is another man's four-on-the-floor." (or 5 or 6).


Bill

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[968workaholic]

The new manual Porsches have auto blip when in sport plus mode, makes for a seamless transition, especially when driving "spirited" lol. The PDK cars do sound great when shifting though, almost like an F1 car

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[az968]

Drove some wonderful roads today in Mendocino area. Shifting gears for the curves and into the straights and back down for the next tight curve for 4 hours. I won't stop grinning for nours! Can't imagine letting the car do that for me. Call me old fashioned, say I'm over the hill.

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[Rap]

Az, is it old or old fashioned? To each his or her own. I enjoy shifting but then again I am fortunate to leave in an area where I can drive without worrying about traffic. Some of you poor bastards, well I guess that's a different story.

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[az968]

Yeah, where I live I'm very fortunate that rush hour lasts for 15 minutes and I can drive to the end of my street and blast through the hills for an hour loop with 2 stop signs the whole distance. If I had a commute like ds968, I'd probably have a Transmission that shifts for me.


Oh well, another drive through the hills around Mendocino tomorrow to wear out my right arm :-)

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[Rap]

Enjoy. Sorry we couldn't make it!

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[ds968]

Yes, my commute is not at all suitable to a manual car ; at the end of each month I'd have to have the clutch replaced , along with a knee replacement, and carpal tunnel surgery . Too expensive !! ;-) :-)

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[968Syncro]

If clutching and shifting is fun, then why not get an early Porsche 356 without synchronized transmission and you can have even more fun double clutching everywhere.   I recall doing this on some trucks I had to drive for summer jobs.  It felt like a big accomplishment to drive one of these well, double clutching up and down.  So the glory and fun of clutching / shifting is even greater with these cars. 

 

But no, my 968 and 911 are both tiptronic.   With some practice they can be driven with the same fun.  IMHO the fun isn't using a clutch / stick, the fun is being in the proper gear at the right time -- and that can be done with the tip.  But then on occasion I still long for a stick -- about 2% of the time in some special situations.  The 911 also allows manual shifting while in "auto" mode without first switching to manual mode, which is very convenient.   But the 911 has button shifters on the wheel, not paddle shifters, and it has taken much practice to use them well.  The 968 is easier, simply slapping the stick around for manual shifting is much more natural -- 911 only has the button shifters, no manual on the stick.  I think I read that with the newer 911s, manual shifting (probably the PDK) is also available on the stick.

 

Final vote:  I'd take the PDK in an instant.

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[Kaj Hallstrom]

Bill (the art car) and I had this talk this morning. Auto vs 6spd. He like the tip mode driving on the extremely uneven winding roads we handled today. I had no problem shifting my six up and down. If you use your 968 in heavy traffic I would definitely prefer auto....For fun ..no way.. a six is the only way to go!!

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[flash]

what dan finds boring and exciting are very different than most.  he likes going fast in a straight line.  i find that incredibly boring, and i've driven over 200mph.

 

i guess there are just a lot of people who don't enjoy driving the car as fast as they can in turns.  that's fine.  i prefer not losing any time to a clutch pedal, regardless of the testosterone effect of banging gears.  the real rush is in the g-force in the turn, which cannot be matched with a manual transmission.

 

no worries.  the manual transmission guys can follow me and catch up when they can.

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