PH Blog: Porsche and the rise of the machines
Nope, Dan's not done musing on the Porsche 991 and why it's the manual gearbox that saves it
So, one week on from posting the PH review on the Porsche 991 and how am I feeling about it now? Well, I can't lie, writing that roadtest involved more than a bit of soul searching. And quite a few re-writes.
The 991 is a massively significant car for the likes of us though. And my thoughts and feelings towards it have veered from one extreme to the other since driving it. Indeed, from reading the press pack. Those initial worries about it being overly computerised were partly calmed on driving it - Porsche has done a fantastic job of keeping the computer assistance in the background and an Audi RS5 it is not. But even though it feels authentic the more I think about it the more I worry about the fact that pretty much every input you make in the car has to go through some sort of computer filtration before being actioned. Brilliantly honed and very subtle in action but there nonetheless. We hacks prattle endlessly about feedback and such things but it's the fact 911s don't treat the driver like an idiot that's made them so appealing to those of us viewing driving as more than just a means of transport.
You fight this with a manual gearbox?!
There are other nerdy little details too. Call me a Luddite but I quite like the idea of a mechanical LSD in the back rather than an electronic one like you get with PDK. Only if you tick the box for PTV of course.There's also the small matter of the manual gearbox saving 20kg from somewhere in a 911 you really want as little extra weight as possible.
Little things but enough to make a difference in my book. And why, personally, the only 911s that really float my boat are ones with two driven wheels, a fixed roof and three pedals. Turbos do present me with a bit of a dilemma, admittedly. But if I had to really narrow it down I'd say either a basic Carrera 2 manual with the minimum of options. Or something with GT3 in its name. My apologies to the cabrio fans - and there are more on PistonHeads than I thought - for this rather uncompromising approach but each to their own and Porsche is nothing if not generous in accommodating every taste!
And credit due to Some Gump for the brilliant analogy for Porsche's options policy in the comments after the number crunching story. If you missed it I've pasted it in below for your enjoyment. Well done that man! In the meantime I'd better prove I'm capable of extending my writing beyond endless Porsche musings...
Dan
Some Gump's take on Porsche option pricing:
“@ people mocking the pricing structure, it's actually very clever. You see it in action everywhere, every day.
e.g - go to a restaurant.
First, an observation: some people are more price sensitive than others. This can be due to income levels, whether they are a tightwad in general, whether they really care about the item i question etc etc.
The boss needs full tables to keep himself earning well. To fill tables, you need to offer stuff at pricing that doesn't put off price sensitive people. Cue the 12 quid main. However, the restauranteur also wants to get more money off people who are not price sensitive. Enter stage left, the £8 quid starter. Price sensitive man will not say "ahm not paying 8 quid for a starter. It's half the size of the main". Price insensitive people will simply buy one. As with all cases where people are price insensitive, the price is higher for that part (i.e more profit for the restaurant).
So, basic meal - 12 quid. Fully loaded (starter and sweet) £12 + 8 + 5 - that's £13 of options on a £12 "basic spec".
You see this every day - in pubs, Tescos, the Kosovans down the road that wash your car, barbers, Next, TV shops, you name it. Noone bats an eyelid. Apply the same to cars, and people think it's mad.
I understand that one would expect a 60k car to come with cruise control. However, if Porsche sold all the cars fully loaded for 70k, they would miss out on all that lovely margin selling cars at 90k with a mill cost 3k higher than the 65k car. If they did that, they'd take home less money for the same work, and have less to plough into the campaign to stop those pesky French trying to win their home race with those horrible diesels. After all, we don't want to see the French winning, do we?”
Reading the reviews of the 991, and having experienced the ride of a Panemera 4S, it seems as though they have given the new 911 a ride somewhere between the 997 and Panemera, which is no bad thing.
Re: the options pricing, the optimum strategy is: for price insensitive man to buy new, and price sensitive man to buy used from price insensitive man. Then price sensitive man gets a well optioned car for not much more than a comparable lesser optioned car! Thats how I roll anyway....
Me, I'm currently lusting after a £3k car-it gets the juices going as much as new cars,and they are a lot more individual & exclusive-because most have them gave died.
It's true, you do see this happening everywhere.
Just pay for all you can afford. simples.
And, the one who will get a bargain is the one who buys a fully-loaded, 2nd hand example!
Before you all shoot me down for buying the wrong car, let me explain. I have owned a 997 C2s manual which I adored and spent many hours pounding the track in, however when the time came to swap I had to have a pdk. This gearbox is woefully underrated by all the press, especially as mine is,it is not equipped with the paddles behind the wheel. I make do with the switches on the steering wheel, changing up with my palm on my right hand and down with my fingers on my left hand - simple, just like the paddles. My reason for wanting the pdk? I have also owned an M3 SMG which was terrible due to the gearbox and also one of the first offically imported GTRs which had an amazing gear change. I reasoned that if Nissan could make a good one then Porsche could too. The quality of the change is fantastic, smooth, fast and precise, just as you would expect from a Porsche. Its great when you are not in the mood and even better when you are, I have tracked this car at Oulton and Donnington and I can tell you that it was not any less enjoyable than the manual. Then theres the noise, it makes a whining noise (similar to the GTR in this respect) which just seems to add to the occasion, like its straight cut.
So lets not believe everything that car mags say, based on a few hours around a foreign road. I have already ordered my new 991 with pdk, so I'm confident that it will still be a magnificent car with the best gearbox in it.
Oh and my 911 isn't fully loaded either, just ipod connectivity, wheel centres and Sports Chrono. Perfect 911 in my eyes.
I approach a bend from speed, squeeze the brakes hard, twist my foot right, dip clutch, get a glorious flare of revs as I blip the throttle, re-engage clutch and turn in. The noise, the smooth downshift, the skillful application of heel-and-toe. All done by me. All part of the fun and the satisfaction from driving a proper car quickly.
You, er, press a button.
By blipping the throttle in the pdk you actually make the gearbox kick down and therefore you get the noise and the engine braking without having to press any button. My hands remain on the steering wheel at all times thus enjoying the thing that 911s are famous for, the wonderfully communicative steering feel.
Don't knock 'till you tried it, the fact is that most people who don't like these types of gearbox have never used one, or their experience is limited to a brief spin around the block in a mates car. I have owned a manual 911 and a pdk 911 and tracked them both extensively and there is no difference to the enjoyment or the skillful application of driving a proper car quickly. Day to day I prefer the pdk.
We won't agree I know but I thought that I would try and balance the debate a little.
The old man recently bought a 2 year old Turbo S with PDK. Granted the steering is heavier and not quite as feelsome and there's a bit of lag, but it rides better, corners flatter, and has nicer balance as a road car for the weight in the front.
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