987.2 - Leggy PDK or low miles manual. ;o)

[AshVX220]

In an earlier post of mine I asked the question about whether to go for a leggy 3.4 or a low miles 2.9.

And based on another discussion another conundrum raises it's head.

If the prices were similar, would you recommend a leggy PDK car or a lower mileage manual?

This is based on the car mostly being used for the commute and as a weekend toy, but I intend to do maybe 4-5 track days a year.

So, approximately 7k miles a year normal driving on the road and the 4-5 track days.

From a discussion in the facebook Cayman group a lot of people are advocating the PDK as a "mostly used daily" car, would I enjoy the PDK gearbox on track, I've heard it's a bit counter-intuitive compared to paddles, with the buttons on the front of the steering wheel used to go up a gear and the ones on the back to come back down again. Surely it would actually be better to have up on the right and down on the left with no other buttons behind, although paddles would be better still, which I believe was an option on the next model Cayman (which I definitely can't afford).

Has anyone ever driven both and have any insight?

Of course, if the budget doesn't stretch to a 987.2 for whatever reason, then it's likely to be 987.1 2.7 manual as I really don't like the sound of a tiptronic and what I've heard/read about the 3.4 puts me off, especially when I consider going on track with it.

Thanks in advance, sorry for more mundane questions, I just want to make the right decisions, it'll be the most I've ever spent on a car.

[Filibuster]

That's an easy one, imho: low miles manual for sure!

[mr pg]

The paddle steering wheel was an option on the 987.2, so you may find one of these so fitted, and can be retro-fitted (at a cost) as well.

[T1547]

Would go manual even if it was the high miles one!

Nothing against the PDK just prefer a manual.

[PaulD86]

PDK is a very good auto box (well semi-auto technically) however the earlier versions like the 987 are nowhere near as good as the new ones. That said, I would not want one in a 987. I always prefer a manual sports car, however I think autos have their place once you reach a certain pace of car - stuff like the 911 turbo would be more enjoyable as PDK for most drivers, l suspect. The 987 isn't that fast though and driving one quickly you never feel like you're constantly at the gearstick - indeed I wish they had shorter ratios so you did have to use it more. If you had a VX220 I suspect you're not the type of driver who finds a manual arduous and if it's also lower miles then I'd call it a no-brainer.

[AshVX220]

Thanks all, very much appreciate the time you took to respond.

So, I'll be on the hunt for manual when the time comes, either a 2.9 if funds allow or a 2.7 if I can't quite stretch to the later 987.2 Cayman.