Do I need PDK or Manual?
Discussion
So after 12+ years in my manual 996 turbo I'm looking for it's replacement - and apologies now for the waffling you might carry on and read!
Considering a 718 GT4, 718 Spyder or 991.2 GTS, the 991's being even fewer on the market with a sticky cog changer. I don't do track days any more and it's not a daily driver, but will see use in nice weather and a few alpine road trips.
I appreciate it's all subjective regarding which side of the fence you're sat on with this matter, but have any of you guys made the switch to PDK and embraced or regretted it?
In my head, I feel I still need a manual, you know, more involving and all that but after using a DSG Golf as my daily for the last 4 years I can't help but love it for wafting around. I' know the advice will be go drive them but can't help feeling a half hour test drive, especially in a PDK, will tell the full story.
Hence why I'm seeking input from the converted, or the remainer's!
Considering a 718 GT4, 718 Spyder or 991.2 GTS, the 991's being even fewer on the market with a sticky cog changer. I don't do track days any more and it's not a daily driver, but will see use in nice weather and a few alpine road trips.
I appreciate it's all subjective regarding which side of the fence you're sat on with this matter, but have any of you guys made the switch to PDK and embraced or regretted it?
In my head, I feel I still need a manual, you know, more involving and all that but after using a DSG Golf as my daily for the last 4 years I can't help but love it for wafting around. I' know the advice will be go drive them but can't help feeling a half hour test drive, especially in a PDK, will tell the full story.
Hence why I'm seeking input from the converted, or the remainer's!
Of no help whatsoever, but I've decided to give dct a try in my Emira that's on order. I'm a died in the wool manual gearbox man!
I test drove a slushbox auto Evora and surprised myself that I liked it!
ETA I still have my fix though, two manual single seaters, a 1963 lotus elan GTS and two 7s!!
I test drove a slushbox auto Evora and surprised myself that I liked it!
ETA I still have my fix though, two manual single seaters, a 1963 lotus elan GTS and two 7s!!
I'm always a bit on the fence with this having been a manual gearbox fan for pretty much forever(I have a 370Z with a manual gearbox still). However I've had a M4 for 2 years and 17k miles with a DCT and I still love the car/gearbox big time(it is a daily though).
Plus I recently drove my BILs 911(a 991.2 with the PDK) and I was absolutely blown away with how good the gearbox was. So I'm not much help either, but all I can say is that there is still fun to be had with only 2 pedals I reckon, and there was definitely a time where I thought that I'd never say that to be fair.
Plus I recently drove my BILs 911(a 991.2 with the PDK) and I was absolutely blown away with how good the gearbox was. So I'm not much help either, but all I can say is that there is still fun to be had with only 2 pedals I reckon, and there was definitely a time where I thought that I'd never say that to be fair.
Historically I’ve only stuck to manuals pretty much all my life for weekend cars, apart from an F430 and a 458. The 430 manuals were +£30k at the time and I didn’t feel the difference was worth it. The 458 was DCT only so no decision to make.
Changed back to manual Porsches for the next 4 years or so, then tried a GTS PDK and loved it. Banging through the gears definitely gives you the mini race car feel when you’re going for a blast. Great fun when pushing on and equally brilliant when you’re just cruising around. Probably the best ‘box out there IMO.
On my second PDK now and not missing the manual gearbox in the Spyder, although I do have a couple of manuals as well. For me and what I use the car for (similar to your usage by the sound of it), it’s just perfect.
If I get another Porsche, the rest of the spec would be more important for me now, the gearbox isn’t really a consideration as they’re both so brilliant.
As said, try one. You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s for you or not.
Have fun with the search
Changed back to manual Porsches for the next 4 years or so, then tried a GTS PDK and loved it. Banging through the gears definitely gives you the mini race car feel when you’re going for a blast. Great fun when pushing on and equally brilliant when you’re just cruising around. Probably the best ‘box out there IMO.
On my second PDK now and not missing the manual gearbox in the Spyder, although I do have a couple of manuals as well. For me and what I use the car for (similar to your usage by the sound of it), it’s just perfect.
If I get another Porsche, the rest of the spec would be more important for me now, the gearbox isn’t really a consideration as they’re both so brilliant.
As said, try one. You’ll know pretty quickly if it’s for you or not.
Have fun with the search

I had a 996 turbo for 4 1/2 years and was considering a change to a 981 Cayman S (this was back in 2015). 996 was a manual and that's what I wanted in the 981.
Before buying anything I thought I'd try a pdk having read so much about them. Drove 3 in the end and bought the 3rd. Owned it for nearly 6 years and loved it.
Went back to a manual 996 after that as we had got a dog and needed the space. Had to move on from that sadly as the dog hated travelling in it, and a manual for me was the wrong choice also.
I've had 3 manual Porsches and the pdk Cayman is the car I miss most. Suggest you try both pdk and manual, but make sure you use the pdk in sport/sport+ (if optioned with chrono) in manual mode. Don't just leave it in auto mode.
Cayman is a great euro touring car with the 2 boots and space above engine cover. Very practical car.
Before buying anything I thought I'd try a pdk having read so much about them. Drove 3 in the end and bought the 3rd. Owned it for nearly 6 years and loved it.
Went back to a manual 996 after that as we had got a dog and needed the space. Had to move on from that sadly as the dog hated travelling in it, and a manual for me was the wrong choice also.
I've had 3 manual Porsches and the pdk Cayman is the car I miss most. Suggest you try both pdk and manual, but make sure you use the pdk in sport/sport+ (if optioned with chrono) in manual mode. Don't just leave it in auto mode.
Cayman is a great euro touring car with the 2 boots and space above engine cover. Very practical car.
I only ever drove manuals ,but went for a pdk with a 991.2 gts and then with the gt3 .
I would say looking at the cars you are thinking of the consideration should include factors like the gearing.The GT4 gearing is crazy and realistically you end up not changing gear that often so I found the manual in the gt4 to be a bit frustrating because it was mostly a case of using one or 2 gears.
Just try a pdk but remember you can use it in a manual manner ,a fact many seem to ignore
I would say looking at the cars you are thinking of the consideration should include factors like the gearing.The GT4 gearing is crazy and realistically you end up not changing gear that often so I found the manual in the gt4 to be a bit frustrating because it was mostly a case of using one or 2 gears.
Just try a pdk but remember you can use it in a manual manner ,a fact many seem to ignore
I find the 718 GT4/Spyder 4.0 engine to be pretty torquey so you don't have to rev it out everywhere to make progress. You can short shift and row the gears if you so desire and so I don't find the longer gearing, which works great on track, to be an issue.
Each to their own though of course!
Each to their own though of course!

Whilst my left leg works and I don't tend to drive in traffic when in the 'special' car.....it's manual.
But then I'm never gonna drive it more than 5k miles a year and I need it to make me 'feel' good every time, and the matching of foot, revs and hand over just revs and hand makes me 'feel' better... like you say, all very personal.
If I did more miles, sat in more traffic or did any track work, then yeah I'd definitely consider PDK...and with luck I have plenty of time to move onto a good auto later in life...
But then I'm never gonna drive it more than 5k miles a year and I need it to make me 'feel' good every time, and the matching of foot, revs and hand over just revs and hand makes me 'feel' better... like you say, all very personal.
If I did more miles, sat in more traffic or did any track work, then yeah I'd definitely consider PDK...and with luck I have plenty of time to move onto a good auto later in life...
I’ve had both manual and PDK 911’s and GT4’s. I really can’t help you with this decision. I love both. However, in the PDK cars I literally never drive them in auto. Get in, start the car, select drive, then push the lever to manual mode.
Just moved from a manual 718 GT4 to a new PDK 718 GT4 and have to admit that the PDK really does suit the GT4. I am enjoying more than I expected. But I’d be happy with either.
Clear as mud, I know….
Just moved from a manual 718 GT4 to a new PDK 718 GT4 and have to admit that the PDK really does suit the GT4. I am enjoying more than I expected. But I’d be happy with either.
Clear as mud, I know….

Thanks for all your feedback so far and some interesting comments.
Seems very positive for PDK with no negative comments really, and no regrets either. I've heard the manual GT4's have a leggy gearbox with tall ratio's and picked up on RPM Technik offering a smaller crown & pinion to overcome this, ideally fitted of course when you need a clutch but that could take a few full moons to arrive at that point in ownership.
Definitely need to experience both, and that's easier said than done without looking like a tyre kicker, and who knows I may end up liking it! If anyone's based in North Yorkshire, well ok it's a big county, let's say close ish to York and fancies taking me out in theirs I'd happily throw you some beer tokens.
Keep 'em coming!
Cheers.
Seems very positive for PDK with no negative comments really, and no regrets either. I've heard the manual GT4's have a leggy gearbox with tall ratio's and picked up on RPM Technik offering a smaller crown & pinion to overcome this, ideally fitted of course when you need a clutch but that could take a few full moons to arrive at that point in ownership.
Definitely need to experience both, and that's easier said than done without looking like a tyre kicker, and who knows I may end up liking it! If anyone's based in North Yorkshire, well ok it's a big county, let's say close ish to York and fancies taking me out in theirs I'd happily throw you some beer tokens.
Keep 'em coming!
Cheers.
I bought mine from RPM, and budgeted to have the gear ratios sorted at the time of purchase. They effectively 'refused', insisting I live with it a year or so to make sure its something I actually need rather than doing something off the back of hearsay.
I'm 6 months in and just over a thousand miles of motorway stuff and up and down Wales stuff... I have yet to actually feel short changed by the ratios... (and that's coming from an S2000....) and am actually grateful for RPM's attitude with regards to the issue.
I'm 6 months in and just over a thousand miles of motorway stuff and up and down Wales stuff... I have yet to actually feel short changed by the ratios... (and that's coming from an S2000....) and am actually grateful for RPM's attitude with regards to the issue.
All I'll say is this: If you haven't driven a PDK, you need to try it for yourself. I was always on the "I'm never owning an automatic" side, until I tried some modern automatics. BMW M DCT & PDK are nothing like the awful 3 speed slushboxes from 20 years ago. Even the ZF8 found in a lot of cars now is a very different thing to those ancient autos that a lot of us think about.
I still have a manual in my toy car (Boxster S), but for my day to day car I've switched over to auto. If I was only running one car it would be auto now, either DCT / PDK or even a ZF8.
I still have a manual in my toy car (Boxster S), but for my day to day car I've switched over to auto. If I was only running one car it would be auto now, either DCT / PDK or even a ZF8.
I have had a few of both. Most recently I changed a manual 718 Spyder for a PDK Spyder. Night and day the PDK box is a better fit for the Spyder. Apart from the slightly lower gearing which as others have said is not a massive issue, the thing I noticed most in back to back use is the response of the PDK on the motorway and in normal open road driving, when the traffic clears or you want a quick getaway it is so much nicer to be instantly on it rather than having to poke about and find a suitable gear. The other big difference is the fuel economy, the PDK is way better than the manual. Not that this matters to the powerfully build PH types obviously.
Top down, arm out of window, slushbox working away, banging tunes on full blast, what’s not to like.

Top down, arm out of window, slushbox working away, banging tunes on full blast, what’s not to like.
Clearly there are no absolute right or wrong answers to this one, it's all opinions so here's mine 
I had a manual 996 Turbo before a series of M cars with DCT (M3 SMG, V8 M3, M4 Competition) because I felt I really needed those faster gearshifts. I don't do track days but I do a big Euro trip at least once per year and decided I'd be rocket fast in to the mountain hairpins whacking down the gears with a twin clutch. And indeed, I'm sure I was quicker than in a manual.
However, the longer I had a twin clutch the more I began to feel it was all a bit easy, a bit clinical, particularly the upshifts. I felt myself leaning back towards manual so bought a new manual M2 Competition, which I absolutely fell in love with. It was a cracking little car and so engaging with the manual box.
So with apologies for all the BMW ramblings and to bring it back on track I recently bought one of the cars actually mentioned by the OP, a 991.2 GTS manual.
I cannot believe how good it is, which I appreciate simply means it meets all my criteria but by any objective standards it's a cracking piece of kit. It has the factory shortshift which gives it such a lovely snickety snick shift and of course it has rev matching so I'm just as quick in to those pesky downhill hairpins as I ever wanted to be.
For the use I put it to (ie virtually never in town) I would definitely take it over the PDK, it has all the engagement I could wish for.
But as I said, it's just another opinion

I had a manual 996 Turbo before a series of M cars with DCT (M3 SMG, V8 M3, M4 Competition) because I felt I really needed those faster gearshifts. I don't do track days but I do a big Euro trip at least once per year and decided I'd be rocket fast in to the mountain hairpins whacking down the gears with a twin clutch. And indeed, I'm sure I was quicker than in a manual.
However, the longer I had a twin clutch the more I began to feel it was all a bit easy, a bit clinical, particularly the upshifts. I felt myself leaning back towards manual so bought a new manual M2 Competition, which I absolutely fell in love with. It was a cracking little car and so engaging with the manual box.
So with apologies for all the BMW ramblings and to bring it back on track I recently bought one of the cars actually mentioned by the OP, a 991.2 GTS manual.
I cannot believe how good it is, which I appreciate simply means it meets all my criteria but by any objective standards it's a cracking piece of kit. It has the factory shortshift which gives it such a lovely snickety snick shift and of course it has rev matching so I'm just as quick in to those pesky downhill hairpins as I ever wanted to be.
For the use I put it to (ie virtually never in town) I would definitely take it over the PDK, it has all the engagement I could wish for.
But as I said, it's just another opinion

I also have both in 9A1 Ge n 2's and agree with RDMcG and Ohio7274 - for a sporty drive = manual seems more exciting but for normal road use definitely PDK. only exception is my 4 litre Gen 2 which has so much torque when you "kick down" and is so quick in "manual" it seems to cover both driving options. If I couls onlt have one it would have to be PDK (and can also use to left foot brake - unlike tips). Baz
Magnum 475 said:
All I'll say is this: If you haven't driven a PDK, you need to try it for yourself. I was always on the "I'm never owning an automatic" side, until I tried some modern automatics. BMW M DCT & PDK are nothing like the awful 3 speed slushboxes from 20 years ago. Even the ZF8 found in a lot of cars now is a very different thing to those ancient autos that a lot of us think about.
I still have a manual in my toy car (Boxster S), but for my day to day car I've switched over to auto. If I was only running one car it would be auto now, either DCT / PDK or even a ZF8.
I can't believe how much I've changed with this too. I love the M DCT in the M4, and I was completely blown away with how good the PDK was when I tried it as well. I don't even use the paddles or the gearshifter in the M4, but I still think that it is a really good gearbox though. I still have a manual in my toy car (Boxster S), but for my day to day car I've switched over to auto. If I was only running one car it would be auto now, either DCT / PDK or even a ZF8.
I've had two Macans and now a 530D Beemer (don't ask). As the head of Ferrari said when questioned about them ditching manuals, 'They are a nostalgic choice'. Given the huge number of vehicles on the road coupled with road works, jams and 'smart' motorways, pushing a pedal and waggling a stick is an inconvenience. If folk like to do that, that's fine but a PDK box is so good, it makes a manual almost a barve choice. Resale market is smaller for manuals too.
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