Drove a 09 997S w/PDK...wow! - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

j.fro · 10-03-2008, 04:45 PM

What an amazing car Porsche has produced. More HP & torque, and faster 0-60 time (in Sport Plus mode) than an 04 GT3. In regular mode, it was as civilized as a Benz. 25+mpg on the highway according to the OBC. In regular mode, I was cruising at 45 mph in 7th gear at 1300RPM...hit the gas, the motor spun up and the gears dropped, and it took off so hard my head smacked the seat. In the sport plus mode, the car held the low gear until it almost redlined, and the suspension was almost as tight as my 986 with the K-Sports. The acceleration was unreal. I would love to AX this car!

gregdacat · 10-04-2008, 04:43 PM

Hey J.fro

what did you think about that 7 speed tranny? Having learned to drive on a "3 on the tree" I sometime think 5 speeds is over-kill. When driving in the city (say 35mph) I occasionally skip from 3rd to 5th. I cannot imagine 7 gears. It would be like driving a semi tractor-trailer. You would do nothing but shift.

Dragonwind · 10-05-2008, 05:09 AM

Sweet! I have already marked that as my next Porsche (keeping the Boxster). It's going to take me a few years to get there (have to finish the house remodel, build a garage etc) but then it's 911 time!
Thanks for posting.

Chris

j.fro · 10-05-2008, 04:31 PM

Because the trans is an "automatic", there's no shifting at all. The 7th gear is strictly for fuel efficiency. In normal mode, the trans picks the most efficient gear to manage the load. That's why it was at 1300RPM at 45 mph. Also, in normal mode, the shifts were so smooth they were almost unnoticeable. The shifting didn't interfere with driving at all. In the sport or sport plus modes, shifts are at higher RPM's, but they never came at unexpected or inopportune times.
Yeah, it will definitely be a while before this car comes into my budget...sticker was 99K. I write a tech column for the regional PCA magazine, so I used that as my "lever"to get a test drive.

Better go write that article...

husker boxster · 10-06-2008, 03:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.fro

the ****************s were so smooth they were almost unnoticeable...

I hate it when that happens. Very embarrassing

peakpro · 10-06-2008, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by husker boxster

I hate it when that happens. Very embarrassing

good review and good catch...LOL

vincesf · 10-06-2008, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by j.fro

What an amazing car Porsche has produced. More HP & torque, and faster 0-60 time (in Sport Plus mode) than an 04 GT3. In regular mode, it was as civilized as a Benz. 25+mpg on the highway according to the OBC. In regular mode, I was cruising at 45 mph in 7th gear at 1300RPM...hit the gas, the motor spun up and the gears dropped, and it took off so hard my head smacked the seat. In the sport plus mode, the car held the low gear until it almost redlined, and the suspension was almost as tight as my 986 with the K-Sports. The acceleration was unreal. I would love to AX this car!

Sounds incredible and it is certainly the direction for the modern sports car. I must say that I will miss the involvement of the manual shift, especially when it is as smooth and quick as that provided by Porsche. If my car were an everyday driver PDK is certainly enticing, but my Porsche is an occasional driver and I long to shift, even if .2 seconds slower to 60 than PDK, it's a real driver's experience. Will PDK attract drivers to Porsche that ordinarily would drive a MBZ? Perhaps, and it is a better car for it. I just hope that they do not discontinue manual shifters for some of us.
vincesf

Allen K. Littlefield · 10-06-2008, 12:37 PM

... Will PDK attract drivers to Porsche that ordinarily would drive a MBZ? Perhaps, and it is a better car for it. I just hope that they do not discontinue manual shifters for some of us.
vincesf[/QUOTE]...

Vince, I drove one also and it is so smooth and quick it is unreal. I want one...someday. I predict that in the near future you will have to order the manuel as an option. Many high end racers are using trannies like the PDK so driving one is nothing to be ashamed of. You can concentrate more on the road and getting the corners right then shift points. You can shift by using the paddles if you like and the thing still will protect you from over revs. Try one, you might like it.

AKL