981 Boxster S Manual Gear Ratios - What have Porsche done??
Discussion
What were Porsche thinking? Now that I've done over 500 miles - I've started extending the revs in the gears and although it feels quick the gear ratios are sooooo looooong!
Just before the 7,800rpm limiter, the speeds are:
1st = 46mph
2nd - 83mph
3rd = 118mph
4th = 150mph
Which leaves 2 gears to cover about 25mph ....
Now I thought the 997 GT3 had long gearing (2nd went to 88mph and 3rd went to 122mph) - but that had more torque and a lot more power! So the cynic in me thinks that Porsche either did it to get the emmissions lower or to peg it back against the 991 - but I gather that has rather long gearing too .... Harry Metcalfe wrote about the Cayman 2.7 in EVO and that must be positively glacial with this gearset!
Although I love the car, is this yet another reason to choose the PDK?
Just before the 7,800rpm limiter, the speeds are:
1st = 46mph
2nd - 83mph
3rd = 118mph
4th = 150mph
Which leaves 2 gears to cover about 25mph ....
Now I thought the 997 GT3 had long gearing (2nd went to 88mph and 3rd went to 122mph) - but that had more torque and a lot more power! So the cynic in me thinks that Porsche either did it to get the emmissions lower or to peg it back against the 991 - but I gather that has rather long gearing too .... Harry Metcalfe wrote about the Cayman 2.7 in EVO and that must be positively glacial with this gearset!
Although I love the car, is this yet another reason to choose the PDK?
Zyp said:
I've just read Richard Meaden's review of the 981 Cayman S, he reckons the 6 speed manual ratios are perfectly matched to the 3.4 engine.
I assume the gearboxes are the same in both cars? (Box and CS)
I believe they are - but I can't understand why he would think they were so appropriate? The engine is torquey everywhere - but only really gets going at 4,500rpm .... So imagine an overtake on an A road at 50mph, 3rd gear has you at around 3,500rpm, so to be safe and overtake quickly, you have to then pop it down to 2nd. This gives you 5,300rpm and has you smack in the meat of the powerband - cue a howling and wailing moment as you blast past before popping it into 6th - but you're having to use 2nd!I assume the gearboxes are the same in both cars? (Box and CS)
How much better would it be if the gearing was 1st - 38mph, 2nd 68mph, 3rd 90mph, 4th 120mph, 5th 150mph and 6th for 175mph
Then in the same situation you could pull 3rd, from just under 4,400 rpm and still blast past .....
cay said:
Are they any different to the Gen 1 cars?
I think my Gen 1 will do 77 or more in second gear and the new cars rev higher.
Good point - I don't know! Neither can I remember what my 987.1 Boxster did in gears - but I don't remember the gearing being this this long and that revved to 7,300rpm!!I think my Gen 1 will do 77 or more in second gear and the new cars rev higher.
Nuts isn't it? I only had a short and swift stint in a manual - whereas I got the whole weekend with the PDK (when I was really pushing the revs in gear - unaccompanied) and I don't remember the PDK box as having such long ratios - other than 7th - which is billed as an overdrive!
If various magazines have clocked the manual at 4.7sec to 60 and 11 seconds to 100 (whilst managing to beat the "F" Types on track) - what one earth would it do if you made the first 5 gears 20% shorter??
If various magazines have clocked the manual at 4.7sec to 60 and 11 seconds to 100 (whilst managing to beat the "F" Types on track) - what one earth would it do if you made the first 5 gears 20% shorter??
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