Update: Porsche Carrera PDK Review

Jay Shoemaker
by Jay Shoemaker

Dumfounded by my disappointing experience driving the new Porsche 911 PDK, I sought out another example this weekend. I located a 911 S PDK with the sport chrono option plus Porsche Active Suspension Management. The sport chrono option coupled with PDK offers three transmission settings. The normal setting shares the same fuel saving/fun deleting shift pattern as the car I drove previously. The sport plus setting wrings the engine to redline no matter how aggressive you are driving and makes sense only for the track. The middle sport setting is heavenly- shifting around 4,000 RPM under casual circumstances and bouncing off the rev limiter when angered. Porsche needs to replace the normal setting with the sport setting in all vehicles. The sport plus button is the one I would charge more money for. If people who drive 911’s really give priority to fuel economy over driving enjoyment, then they shouldn’t be allow to purchase one at all.

Jay Shoemaker
Jay Shoemaker

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  • Johnny Canada Johnny Canada on Oct 21, 2008

    I'm starting to worry about Porsche the same way I did with BMW six years ago. With the upcoming launch of the Panamera and now the worlds worst DSG in the base 911, this brand is losing focus.

  • Ricky Spanish Ricky Spanish on Oct 21, 2008

    NoSubstitute - that's a copout - I drove 1 hour each way (to go 12 miles) in DC traffic for 8 years, a manual transmission every single day. And once the traffic cleared I was glad every time that I could row the gears myself. This is of course what separates a purist and a pistonhead from a poseur. Campisi - One of the only legitimate reasons to go with the DSG. Although I hate left foot braking, I personally find it a challenge (or rather, a pain in the ass) to perfect my heel-toe as well, which the DSG does for you by rev matching.

  • Campisi Campisi on Oct 21, 2008
    Although I hate left foot braking, I personally find it a challenge (or rather, a pain in the ass) to perfect my heel-toe as well, which the DSG does for you by rev matching. My Spider was designed for someone about half a foot shorter than me, so the only way I can fit is if I bend my right leg at such an angle that I can't really move my right foot all that much. This, sadly, makes heel-and-toeing impossible. Strangely enough, I can almost heel-and-toe with the clutch pedal and the brake.
  • NoSubstitute NoSubstitute on Oct 21, 2008

    "NoSubstitute - that’s a copout - I drove 1 hour each way (to go 12 miles) in DC traffic for 8 years, a manual transmission every single day. And once the traffic cleared I was glad every time that I could row the gears myself. This is of course what separates a purist and a pistonhead from a poseur." Well, I've been doing it now for 27 years, so I guess I'm ready to make the transition to poseur.

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