Re: Walter is right!

How could you, Walter?

Perhaps the time will come when sports cars become irrelevant, especially with the newer generation, which has a great number of non-performance car enthusiasts who demand park assist, torque vectoring, 20 inch wheels, power steering assist, and such, in cars that rarely if ever see the track. It isn't about being quicker, more efficient, more economical...for me it's the pure enjoyment of rowing the gears. I fully appreciate that on the track, a PDK may be preferable if a racer is at the top of his/her form. If 1% of those checking the PDK box are...that's a LOT. Most of the rest, IMHO, are race car driver wanna-bees.

Each of us should drive the car we truly enjoy, if we can afford it. I don't look down on anyone using an automatic transmission in a new Boxster, just feel sorry for them and what they are missing. As for the article above, Porsche will never make any dramatic changes unless they're absolutely positive that it won't hurt their bottom line. When that day comes, as it surely will, something unique about Porsche will be lost forever, and I'll feel sorry for all of us.

The times they are a changing.....

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

Especially the retired attorney with the PDK 981 'for his wife'

Music to our ears...with an active right arm and left foor

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

I'll bet his personal car is a PDK too.

You and he are about the same age, right

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

Interesting that when Porsche goes "all PDK" used Porsches with a manual transmission might command a premium!

I wonder if there is someone out there already planning to "corner the market" for "previously owned manual transmission Porsches"?

Regards, Maurice.

Lease residuals for cars with MANual transmissions are a point or two higher than those with PDK's. Porsche may know something Walter and my old sissy 'devil' friend don't.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

Since residuals are so obviously important to you, may I suggest you buy a Prius or a Corolla? [www.carsdirect.com]

Have you driven your sissy $90,000 Boxster over 80 MPH yet???

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

Not quite $90K - and I have driven it 130 in Texas last fall!

Kind of hard to get it much above 80 in the NC mountains where I usually drive it.

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Lawdevil & CURVN8R
Not quite $90K - and I have driven it 130 in Texas last fall!


Kind of hard to get it much above 80 in the NC mountains where I usually drive it.

After taxes....

Yeah....the Texas hill country drives at Boxstoberfest are usually somewhat 'more aggressive' than the ones at BRBS.

Those 'usual NC mountain drives' have me more than a bit envious, living in mountain-less SoFL.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

Well, for Walter, every hundredth of a second counts. So for those who are racing on the track or up Pikes Peak, they need to have the advantage of the other cars, most of which have automatics. I can see that.

Problem is, Audi already has a car that can negotiate Pikes Peak without a driver. So there will come a time when Walter, like the manual transmission becomes irrelevant in these events. Then it will be a Porsche that beat an Audi or vise versa, as Walter sits back in his chair and watches the race with a beverage in one hand and pizza in the other. So engineers at Porsche will have beat the engineers at Audi. Walter will be sitting there, with a tear in his eye, remembering the time that he used to be able to participate in these events. At the end of the event, he'll summon up the Googlemobile, hop in and start the return to his abode with a simple "Home".

For me, I'll continue to enjoy the pleasure I get out of making a well executed downshift and power out of a turn, hundredths of a second be damned. When I can't do that any more, I might as well just ride home with Walter.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/18/2013 05:14PM by Guenter in Ontario. (view changes)

Be honest - wouldn't you just love to have a ride home with Walter? Maybe have a beer with him when you get home? I would!

No doubt....

Lawdevil and Walter could compare Social Security checks, and discuss the good old days when they were able raise their arthritic arms and legs enough to handle a MANual transmission.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

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Lawdevil & CURVN8R
Be honest - wouldn't you just love to have a ride home with Walter? Maybe have a beer with him when you get home? I would!

Absolutely would love a drive home with Walter IF he is at the wheel driving. NOT, as I implied, riding home with him in the Googlemobile, which unfortunately is the direction we're headed. In that case, I'd need more than one beer.

Granted, with the way many people drive, the Googlemobile would add to road safety, AS LONG AS, all the electronics and satellites are working (ever driven though a mountain tunnel with your GPS on or hear "Lost satellite reception." for some unknown reason). Unfortunately, the art of driving is disappearing at an alarming rate.

Personally, I enjoy the Zen of Driving. I love to dance through the corners and curves with the CURVEN8R. I enjoy blipping the throttle on a downshift, the snick, snick of the short shifter, engaging the clutch and powering out of a turn. I just get a sense of satisfaction out of it. I know it's not for everyone, but for me it's just part of the whole driving experience.

As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with people wanting a PDK. there are lots of reasons for it - don't feel like shifting, can't get the technique of shifting, driving in stop and go traffic all the time (don't know why you'd want a Porsche for this kind of driving.), need that extra second on the track, want the latest gadget ...and I'm sure there are others.

PDK, just isn't for me because it robs me of something that I enjoy doing.

[upload.wikimedia.org]

[www.youtube.com]

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

I understand where you are coming from, Guenter. OTOH, I have been driving manuals for over 50 years and, although I still enjoy shifting gears myself, I don't miss the manual clutch at all. Unlike previous automatics (which I hate in a sports car), the PDK actually improves the quality of my driving - allowing me to instantly choose a gear with never a worry of a "money shift"..

I wonder if folks had the same discussions back in the 40s and early 50s when synchros were first introduced into manual transmissions. Can't say I miss double-clutching or the sound of crunching gears either.

À chacun son goût

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Lawdevil & CURVN8R
.....I have been driving manuals for over 50 years and, although I still enjoy shifting gears myself, I don't miss the manual clutch at all. Unlike previous automatics (which I hate in a sports car), the PDK actually improves the quality of my driving - allowing me to instantly choose a gear with never a worry of a "money shift"..

À chacun son goût

You probably brushed your teeth for 50 years as well, and now find another method easier.



You should worry more about falling asleep in that detached Boxster with all the expensive letter assists; rather than any impossible automatic money shift.

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

just trying to give myself lots of ammo to not go PDK anytime soon

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

... closet PDK'er.
You wanna come out?
Happy PDK'ing,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 311,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."

Lemme see what surprise you're keeping from us.
-991
-PTS hot flamingo
-custom hot flamingo full leather
-PDK with new soft shift paddles
-Infotainment system
-power steering Plus
-18 way power seats with memory (important for mature drivers)
-heated seats for those frigid Florida winter mornings
-heated steering wheel - see previous option

Just for starters



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/2013 08:24AM by Guenter in Ontario. (view changes)

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Lawdevil & CURVN8R

À chacun son goût

Exactement.

I never had a non syncro tranny. I did learn on 3 on the tree. Enjoyed it better than when automatics came out. But when I got my first car (a well used '51 Morris Minor). There was just somthing about having 4 on the floor that made it fun to drive. Not exactly a rocket with top speed of about 55 mph, downhill with wind at my back. Owned it a year and managed to pass one car with it. Only took about 2 miles.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/24/2013 09:21AM by Guenter in Ontario. (view changes)

Not too different fromt he first car I drove - a 59 or 60 Nash Metropolitan. Probably about 50 hp and 0 to 60 in about ... forever! But it was three on the tree. It was the epitome of a "cute" car!

With 50 HP, you'd have smoked me at a light.

Manuals forever!