Cayman 718 Manual
Discussion
Test drove the Cayman 718 manual today. Been pondering the manual and PDK debate for a while but spec locks down on Thursday so decision time.
Had an accompanied test drive on Saturday in the manual and still undecided so had the car on my own for a couple of hours. Really set my heart on the manual before driving, drove a friends 911 to Spa GP and enjoyed it. However decided to opt for the PDK as found the gearing quite tall in first and second gears and as a result it did not feel that fluid to drive. Felt that the extra gear and ratios on the PDK were more suited to the engine. I also found the clutch very heavy and this was in the base model so would imagine the clutch on the S must be even stronger to accomodate the extra power and torque. Seemed to be much heavier than on the 911 that I drove. maybe I am getting old!
PDK Also does more with the sports chrono.
Had an accompanied test drive on Saturday in the manual and still undecided so had the car on my own for a couple of hours. Really set my heart on the manual before driving, drove a friends 911 to Spa GP and enjoyed it. However decided to opt for the PDK as found the gearing quite tall in first and second gears and as a result it did not feel that fluid to drive. Felt that the extra gear and ratios on the PDK were more suited to the engine. I also found the clutch very heavy and this was in the base model so would imagine the clutch on the S must be even stronger to accomodate the extra power and torque. Seemed to be much heavier than on the 911 that I drove. maybe I am getting old!
PDK Also does more with the sports chrono.
The Mean Machine said:
Test drove the Cayman 718 manual today. Been pondering the manual and PDK debate for a while but spec locks down on Thursday so decision time.
Had an accompanied test drive on Saturday in the manual and still undecided so had the car on my own for a couple of hours. Really set my heart on the manual before driving, drove a friends 911 to Spa GP and enjoyed it. However decided to opt for the PDK as found the gearing quite tall in first and second gears and as a result it did not feel that fluid to drive. Felt that the extra gear and ratios on the PDK were more suited to the engine. I also found the clutch very heavy and this was in the base model so would imagine the clutch on the S must be even stronger to accomodate the extra power and torque. Seemed to be much heavier than on the 911 that I drove. maybe I am getting old!
PDK Also does more with the sports chrono.
Had an accompanied test drive on Saturday in the manual and still undecided so had the car on my own for a couple of hours. Really set my heart on the manual before driving, drove a friends 911 to Spa GP and enjoyed it. However decided to opt for the PDK as found the gearing quite tall in first and second gears and as a result it did not feel that fluid to drive. Felt that the extra gear and ratios on the PDK were more suited to the engine. I also found the clutch very heavy and this was in the base model so would imagine the clutch on the S must be even stronger to accomodate the extra power and torque. Seemed to be much heavier than on the 911 that I drove. maybe I am getting old!
PDK Also does more with the sports chrono.
Thats pretty depressing reading. Roll on fully autonomous cars eh?
The Mean Machine said:
<snip> I also found the clutch very heavy and this was in the base model so would imagine the clutch on the S must be even stronger to accomodate the extra power and torque. Seemed to be much heavier than on the 911 that I drove. maybe I am getting old!
Definitely a heavy clutch, but not unusually so for a car with a bit of torque. I haven't driven a manual "S" yet, so don't know if it's heavier. I'll still be going for manual - I had heard the gearing was tall in the lower ratios, but actually felt surprisingly good to me on the road. Top and 5th beautifully responsive at motorway speeds, and I still like selecting ratios with a clutch and stick. PDK is astounding, especially with Sports Chrono, but not for me.Liam
Cayman 718S manual I drove in August didn't have a heavy clutch. It seemed fine compared to base 2016 Boxster 981 courtesy car I had for a day. On those two drives I wouldn't have bought a base 981 manual but would have bought the 718S manual. No issue with its clutch action whatsoever. It was a press car but can't see that would make any difference.
After going auto for the first time in my current M235i, with the brilliant ZF 8-speed, I'll be going back to manual in the 718 S.
I've not gelled with the 8-speed. Too many gears, constantly changing up and down with the flappies.
I dislike not being able to separate the wheels from the engine with a clutch, it just doesn't suit my driving; no ability to graduate in the power. I don't enjoy the auto experience.
So back to a good ol' 6-speed manual with a proper clutch, so I can bring in the power as I choose, ease into engine braking to slow down, and just have the level of control that I've missed with the auto.
Gears one and two being tall in the 718 sounds interesting ... can hold on to them for longer when pulling away from standstill.
I've not gelled with the 8-speed. Too many gears, constantly changing up and down with the flappies.
I dislike not being able to separate the wheels from the engine with a clutch, it just doesn't suit my driving; no ability to graduate in the power. I don't enjoy the auto experience.
So back to a good ol' 6-speed manual with a proper clutch, so I can bring in the power as I choose, ease into engine braking to slow down, and just have the level of control that I've missed with the auto.
Gears one and two being tall in the 718 sounds interesting ... can hold on to them for longer when pulling away from standstill.
mollytherocker said:
Thats pretty depressing reading. Roll on fully autonomous cars eh?
nickfrog said:
Timbola said:
So back to a good ol' 6-speed manual with a proper clutch, so I can bring in the power as I choose
Do you make the clutch slip in any other situation than off the line ?nickfrog said:
Do you make the clutch slip in any other situation than off the line ?
Hmm. Can't see a reason to let the clutch slip off the line, unless it's a hill-start or junction on an incline where clutch balance is needed.BertBert said:
Yes, sounded odd to me. Note to self to not buy a used car from Tombola!
Who's Tombola? 
n17ves said:
Yes, when sliding! Easier to balance oversteer with the assistance of the clutch than it is purely just throttle.
When I test drove the manual I thought it was an absolute joy to use and after about 30 minutes I'd made my mind up and decided manual was definitely for me.
Flash forward to later in the day having done some city driving and got stuck in a 30 minute stop start traffic jam, I was wishing I had a PDK.
Depends how you intend to use your car at the end of the day. Mine will be my daily and fun car and given I work in a city, I''m now leaning towards a PDK.
The great thing is that it's not even something that should be dictated by cost as you'd most likely get your money back on a PDK anyway (even Porsche's own gfv in their pcp examples reflect that). Just choose what suits you best.
ikonic said:
When I test drove the manual I thought it was an absolute joy to use and after about 30 minutes I'd made my mind up and decided manual was definitely for me.
Flash forward to later in the day having done some city driving and got stuck in a 30 minute stop start traffic jam, I was wishing I had a PDK.
Depends how you intend to use your car at the end of the day. Mine will be my daily and fun car and given I work in a city, I''m now leaning towards a PDK.
The great thing is that it's not even something that should be dictated by cost as you'd most likely get your money back on a PDK anyway (even Porsche's own gfv in their pcp examples reflect that). Just choose what suits you best.
Indeed. PDK would be the way to go in terms of residuals. I can't remember what the ratio is for 911/caysters in terms of PDK & manuals sold, but I know it is significantly higher for PDK - it's the preferred choice.Flash forward to later in the day having done some city driving and got stuck in a 30 minute stop start traffic jam, I was wishing I had a PDK.
Depends how you intend to use your car at the end of the day. Mine will be my daily and fun car and given I work in a city, I''m now leaning towards a PDK.
The great thing is that it's not even something that should be dictated by cost as you'd most likely get your money back on a PDK anyway (even Porsche's own gfv in their pcp examples reflect that). Just choose what suits you best.
My commute is on the tube, so the 718 S will be purely for weekend shenanigans and long road trips. Manual all the way.
Timbola said:
nickfrog said:
Do you make the clutch slip in any other situation than off the line ?
Hmm. Can't see a reason to let the clutch slip off the line, unless it's a hill-start or junction on an incline where clutch balance is needed.BertBert said:
Yes, sounded odd to me. Note to self to not buy a used car from Tombola!
Who's Tombola? n17ves said:
Yes, when sliding! Easier to balance oversteer with the assistance of the clutch than it is purely just throttle.
Clutch kicking a low PMOI car on the other hand earns my respect ! Especially if it actually happened! ;-)
nickfrog said:
You've lost me there. If you don't have any slip then how's the car ever going to move off the line.
Clutch kicking a low PMOI car on the other hand earns my respect ! Especially if it actually happened! ;-)
Well, slip as in the usual sense of easing the clutch out and pulling away. Or easing the clutch in and coming to rest.Clutch kicking a low PMOI car on the other hand earns my respect ! Especially if it actually happened! ;-)
Not slip as in sitting there with the clutch half in for ages so that it eventually burns out (note to self not to buy a used car from Tombola!) or something similarly moronic.
Edited by Timbola on Wednesday 28th September 22:40
I was choosing between the M2 and a Cayman S but knew I wanted the manual in either. I think we all buy these types of vehicles (over sedans, SUV's etc) because we want to be engaged in the experience. I think there is something quite nostalgic about changing gears yourself when it will quite soon never be an option.
Before we know it, cars will all be hybrid, then electric, then autonomous. Isn't it a great opportunity to be "involved" in how you get your car around from A to B?
Maybe PDK is the smarter choice but buying a Toyota Prius would also be a smarter choice. However, I'm buying from the heart on this one, not the head.
Before we know it, cars will all be hybrid, then electric, then autonomous. Isn't it a great opportunity to be "involved" in how you get your car around from A to B?
Maybe PDK is the smarter choice but buying a Toyota Prius would also be a smarter choice. However, I'm buying from the heart on this one, not the head.
In 30 years of driving never owned an auto, the only time I have had auto cars is when a car has gone in for a service.
However since purchasing my BGTS manual I had problems sometimes in getting reverse gear and was informed by local dealer that it will sort itself out. Cut a long story short a new gearbox was ordered and a PDK equipped Panamera was my loan car travelling over 1,000 miles in the week.
What I did like in auto was just how much easier the car was to drive, did not need to think what gear I was in and when to change gear.
What I did not like was that when accelerating hard (not that I did very often Mr Porsche dealer) there was a delay before it kicked down and dropped through the gears. Also on reversing the only control you have is how far you press the accelerator and then how quickly you can brake if you have over egged it.
What I do like about the manual gearbox is that I can chose if I want to go directly from 6th to 2nd in one go if I want to, you have more control as you can use the clutch to modulate the revs and use the engine to brake. The PDK will not let you blow the engine up due to incorrect gear selection the manual will.
So when I change the BGTS after having manual gearboxes for over 30 years what would I go with?
After a week with the PDK Panamera the answer would be PDK!.
The reason may be in the 30 years driving, I have completed many track days, been a boy racer in the fastest MK1 Cortina that existed but unless you are out in the very early morning on roads with no cameras or farm tractors it is becoming very hard to utilise all of the power of any car on a UK road.
For me the PDK is an easier way to drive on UK roads, on track I would stay with a manual so it really does depend on what use you have for whatever car that you purchase.
Good Hunting.
However since purchasing my BGTS manual I had problems sometimes in getting reverse gear and was informed by local dealer that it will sort itself out. Cut a long story short a new gearbox was ordered and a PDK equipped Panamera was my loan car travelling over 1,000 miles in the week.
What I did like in auto was just how much easier the car was to drive, did not need to think what gear I was in and when to change gear.
What I did not like was that when accelerating hard (not that I did very often Mr Porsche dealer) there was a delay before it kicked down and dropped through the gears. Also on reversing the only control you have is how far you press the accelerator and then how quickly you can brake if you have over egged it.
What I do like about the manual gearbox is that I can chose if I want to go directly from 6th to 2nd in one go if I want to, you have more control as you can use the clutch to modulate the revs and use the engine to brake. The PDK will not let you blow the engine up due to incorrect gear selection the manual will.
So when I change the BGTS after having manual gearboxes for over 30 years what would I go with?
After a week with the PDK Panamera the answer would be PDK!.
The reason may be in the 30 years driving, I have completed many track days, been a boy racer in the fastest MK1 Cortina that existed but unless you are out in the very early morning on roads with no cameras or farm tractors it is becoming very hard to utilise all of the power of any car on a UK road.
For me the PDK is an easier way to drive on UK roads, on track I would stay with a manual so it really does depend on what use you have for whatever car that you purchase.
Good Hunting.
SHIFTY said:
In 30 years of driving never owned an auto, the only time I have had auto cars is when a car has gone in for a service.
Same here, and for about the same time. Have only driven 2 cars with PDK (Cayman 3.4 S and 718 S), and I was similarly smitten. Always referred to them as sludge boxes in the past, but the PDK takes auto boxes to another level entirely.My Cayman 718 will be manual, but for its eventual replacement I will be seriously considering PDK. It's about the best sorted innovation in automotive technology that has appeared in my adult lifetime.
Liam
LiamH66 said:
Same here, and for about the same time. Have only driven 2 cars with PDK (Cayman 3.4 S and 718 S), and I was similarly smitten. Always referred to them as sludge boxes in the past, but the PDK takes auto boxes to another level entirely.
My Cayman 718 will be manual, but for its eventual replacement I will be seriously considering PDK. It's about the best sorted innovation in automotive technology that has appeared in my adult lifetime.
Liam
Liam what are your thoughts on the 981s PDK vs the manual base 718 having driven both?My Cayman 718 will be manual, but for its eventual replacement I will be seriously considering PDK. It's about the best sorted innovation in automotive technology that has appeared in my adult lifetime.
Liam
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