Re: Thoughts on PDK (long - sorry for the bandwidth)

I had my 08S manual in to repair/replace the PSE (earlier posts) and got a 2011 base with PDK as a loaner. It turned out to be an ok weather weekend in MD and I had plans to visit a friend in Easton, so I had a nice ride and thought I’d share some impressions. There has been plenty posted here about pdk and like many things it comes down to personal preference, but additional input may be helpful to folks thinking about pdk vs manual. If you have only driven pdk with a salesman for a 10 minute spin, as I did about two years ago, that’s not enough time to get to appreciate it.

My first impression driving home, about 6 miles from the dealership, was that I didn’t like it. Then I saw a few buttons. Sports and Sport Plus that were both off, so there are 4 modes, the 4th being full manual control.

If I had pdk, I would probably never drive it in non-sport mode, but non-sport may be good for city driving. I don’t drive my Boxster in the city or even in heavy traffic if I can help it.

Sport mode is much more to my liking. Whoever designed the software for Sport mode came close to my driving style, and I’ll bet many people on this board. With just “normal” driving and use of the gas pedal, Sport shifts at about 3,500. I shift about there or a little higher with my manual transmission, but a few more feathers of right foot pressure and the rpms map a little higher, a bit more gas and a bit higher. Sweet. This is how traditional (non-geared) auto tranys work too, but Porsche did it to reflect a little more of what a spirited driver might be happier with.

Sport Plus. Now we’re talk’n. I’m 62, I have done autox and about 6 DE weekends in my early 50’s with my first Boxster, and I don’t mind admitting this mode is too aggressive for me. Not in a straight line. Anyone, even me, can put the peddle to the medal and go straight. But, this mode is more aggressive than how I drove on the track. It probably drives like a car on the track should be driven – at peak rpms, shifting at redline, going down to about 4K, and right back up in the next gear. It also downshifts aggressively. Very nice, but not a mode for street driving as far I can see. However, from Porsche, this mapping is expected and it’s there for the enthusiast. I’ll leave it to more experienced track drivers to comment on how Sport Plus is on the track vs. the totally manual operation of pdk vs. a manual trany.

There is also a fully manual mode (in pdk) in which gears will not change w/o driver action. As people have posted, the paddle shifters are not great. But, you can use the gear stick just like a manual to +/- shift. With the car in any of the 3 automatic modes, the mapping does the thinking, but in manual you are in total control. Even in auto mode you can up/down shift with the paddle shifters, and the system will shortly revert to the chosen mode after a few seconds and move to its (the mappings) choice of gears. Manual mode won’t do this.

In two days of driving I didn’t get as comfortable with pdk as I am after 45 years of driving manuals. My guess is that in a few weeks or months it would become second nature and be even more fun.

To me, aside from what I thought was a very good mapping of the pdk/driver interface, the highlights of pdk are the lighting fast shifts, and the sync between gas/gear/and driver intent. This last point is something that I played with and came to appreciate and really enjoy. For example, if pdk has you in a gear, say 6th, a little gas doesn’t do much, but a little more gets you 5th, a bit more 4th, and full throttle jumps to 3rd. I don’t mean it goes 6, 5, 4, 3 (although this may happen mechanically without the driver knowing), but driving in 6th at a speed that would put the car in 3rd at maybe 4,000 rpms, enough application of right foot and … zip… 3rd gear and instant acceleration. Seamless and waaay quicker than shifting. Let me say this an other way. The gas pedal not only is used to accelerate, but it also gets you the gear you want at exactly the same instant. I found this to be very satisfying in the sense of car and driver working together for the same objective.

There isn’t a neutral of course, and I kind of missed it coming to stops. Pdk will downshift into 1st just before stopping; you can’t push the clutch in and coast to a stop in neutral (from say, 10 mph). I didn’t like that so much, but it is minor.

If dealers read this board, I’ll offer a piece of advice even though it may be impractical or impossible. Let folks drive a pdk car for a few days. For some people, automatic/pdk is a must have, no testing necessary. But, for folks convinced that manual is the only way to go (and that was me) – drive it for a few days. It’s a hoot!

Bottom line: would I pay $3,420 for it? I’d have to think real hard. It is a lot of fun. As we know, the car is wonderful. In my opinion both transmissions are terrific and an owner can’t go wrong either way.

1999 Arctic Sivler/black/black (sold)
2008s Silver/black/black - so predictable
2011 Outback
8/24/2011 first Grandson

Excellent write-up.

Maybe some of us would hesitate to drop $3500 on it as an option on a new car, but down the road, we'll likely see PDK on used Boxsters for sale. Knowing it can be fun will open up a broader selection of used cars.

I've never felt driving a stick in stop-and-go traffic to be the slightest bother, and this includes countless trips in and out of Manhattan. For me it's nearly an unconscious action. If anything, I only worry about feathering the clutch too much when going up hill. I've got friends and relatives who can't drive stick and I'd love for them to understand how much of a driver's car a Porsche is, so those are the only occasions where PDK would be desirable. As for "driver involvement," it's three pedals for me.

Quote
Bobtesa
There isn’t a neutral of course, and I kind of missed it coming to stops. Pdk will downshift into 1st just before stopping; you can’t push the clutch in and coast to a stop in neutral (from say, 10 mph). I didn’t like that so much, but it is minor.

Nice description of the pdk!

I have been driving it now for about 1,5 years and really love it.

Just one minor correction on your write-up: there is a neutral (not reachable from the paddles) but easily chosen with the stick. You even don't need to touch the brake or the unlock switch on the stick to enable it. So you can coast the last meters to a red traffic light and leave it in neutral there until green is about to return. I do it all the time.

Regards, Joris

Joris, Can you put pdk in neutral at any speed? Or, is there a safety issue so that its mapping requires a gear at, say, over 20 mph?

I don't know, but my guess is that there is no limit.
OTOH I never tried because it wants to see the brake engaged in order to allow you to switch back to D(rive). I don't feel safe coasting at high speed with no instant power available.

Again I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is.
I only use it approaching a red light.

1998 986 Turbo-Look Cab
172,000 Miles
Dilithium Crystal Supercharger

Good write up. On the track, PDK is a monster (i mean that as a good thing). I did a HPDE with my local PCA. All I had to do is concentrate on braking and apexes (apexi?). No missed shifts, perfect throttle blips, and as you said, your right foot controlling things. You don't need two feet and a hand to control a car these days. That's gone the way of the hand-crank starters, and chokes. Both hands are always on the wheel. With sticks, some people get lazy and keep their right hand on the shifter. I tried a few laps in manual mode, and auto is much better on the track. Why try and out do what obviously professional drivers have done with the mapping system. I do enjoy manual mode when driving on those perfect, what my wife likes to call, Boxster roads. But, to and from work, the auto is great.

One thing of note, where to you bring your car for service? When I bring mine to Porsche of Arlington, they give me a rental from Enterprise. I'd love for them to toss me the keys to a Cayman or dare I say, a Pepper, loaner car. Basically, just to try something different.

I originally had a 1999, now a 2008, both at Tischer, and always get an Enterprise car. I got an Enterprise car this time too, but when the part was going to take 4-5 days (including the weekend) to get here, they gave me the Boxster loaner. After my great review, if pdk sales go up at Tischer, I expect next time to drive away in a GT3

I've driven almost every type of transmission made. Crash boxes, two speed automatics (Powerglide), five speed automatics, PDK, three to six speed manuals, two speed axels and construction equipment.
My current collection includes three crash boxes, six syncro manuals, and two five speed automatics. Each has its good and bad points.
I've driven a PDK on the track and had one for a week in Germany.
Would I buy a Porsche with a PDK transmission? Yes! Would I buy a Porsche with a Tiptronic? No!

YOMV

Ed B

Bobtesa,
Maybe you can answer a question that I've been trying to get an answer to. I understand that the Sport-chrono plus is supposed to offer the most aggresive shifts, but is that only in one of the auto modes? I want to know, if one intends to only use the manual mode for aggresive driving, does the Sport-chrono plus have any affect on the shift performance under manual mode? If not, that is one option to save money on if you don't need the highest performance in auto mode.

My 2011 Boxster S is on order.
It will be my 1st PDK after 3 Boxsters with Tip.
I ordered the sport chrono plus for LAUNCH CONTROL!!!!!!!

Bill S
2011 Boxster S Speed Yellow Birth Date 3/25/2011
S/P
2005 Boxster S Atlas Grey
2000 Boxster S Blue
1998 Boxster Arena Red

The Boxster loaner had pdk and sports chrono (I guess, because it had the little timer on top of the dash). If it had launch control, I didn't notice a button. Now guessing from what I think I have read: With a manual tranny, sports chrono somehow "quickens" the throttle response. It doesn't make the car any faster, it just makes the throttle respond faster some how. And, for a manual tranny, I think you set launch control, put it in first, rev to high rpms, and pop the clutch - the electronics take over from there. I am guessing that with pdk, if you have the sports chrono on and floor it from a stop, you are getting as fast a launch as possible.

Again, guessing, others can correct me.