A move to the dark side…..

[biZ4rreMids]

Picture for the fun factor in the Alps when using the gearbox as it was designed (I do like the cheating ref matching feature though in Sport Plus mode)

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and a great photo of your 911.

[biZ4rreMids]

That looks fantastic! I hope you enjoy many miles in it. I've had Boxster adverts saved in Autotrader for so long now that I really need to take the plunge. No doubt this will encourage me to start browsing again!

Is this to replace your Z4C?

[M1k3yC]

Is this to replace your Z4C?

That was the original intention, but things changed. The E86 went in January and about a month later I bought a Jazz for ferrying the dog about and taking him on UK holidays. I had decided to do some modifications to my Mini then think about moving it on next year for a Porsche, unless I start going to more meets and runs with the Mini. Unfortunately a shock absorber recently let go on my MX-5 and, as they were all looking a bit ropey, I'm putting new coil overs on the 5 all round and having some other work done. Mini mods on hold for a bit longer. First world problems

[M1k3yC]

The biggest problem I always have with the loaners is the PDK box as that sucks the enjoyment out of the driving big time, I might as well drive the EV for the same enjoyment level.

That's interesting - are there specific reasons you don't get on with it? I've always had manual cars but my dad's 911 is a 991.2 GTS cab and whenever I drive it I'm always impressed by the PDK. I don't like it in normal mode but in sport and/or with the few second override you get if you pick a gear yourself it's great. I'm leaning towards a PDK if I ever get a Boxster.

[pvr]

One of the issues with PDK is when you slow down for a roundabout to an almost stop, and when you then press the accelerator the car doesn’t know what to do and leaves you crawling onto the roundabout before it suddenly remembers to get a move on. Happens to all I have had (a few dozen) of all models, diesel, petrol etc. I hate that you are not in control, and I know you can put it in sport mode so it keeps revving the nuts when you get to a roundabout and it will work fine, but that is not relaxed driving.

Letting the accelerator go before a bend, the gearbox thinks it needs to switch up and in the middle of the bend you end up 2 gears higher which you might not have wanted.

I prefer the gearbox in my X5M to the PDK version, even though I wished that a manual existed.

Problem is that I know what I want the car to do at any given time, but the guessing by the PDK is not always right.

In practical terms I leave the PDK in fully auto mode as I get bored very quickly with doing the flippers when I am not really controlling the car.

[Pondrew]

Problem is that I know what I want the car to do at any given time, but the guessing by the PDK is not always right.

Is that not a common problem with all double clutch autos, though?

[pvr]

Problem is that I know what I want the car to do at any given time, but the guessing by the PDK is not always right.

Is that not a common problem with all double clutch autos, though?

Yep, which is why I didn’t want a 35is

[BMWZ4MC]

Our Jaguar F Pace has an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. It remains in the gear I have selected and happily runs on the limiter if I don’t change gear.
Is there not an option for a full manual mode with PDK? Or does the problem relate to the fact that PDK has to guess whether your next shift will be up or down the gearbox - if it has prepared the wrong gear, it then has to find the correct one? A triple-clutch gearbox would fix that - it always has the next gear ready whether it’s an upshift or downshift!

[Mr Tidy]

Pondrew wrote: ↑Sat Aug 05, 2023 5:06 pm
pvr wrote: ↑Sat Aug 05, 2023 3:00 pm
Problem is that I know what I want the car to do at any given time, but the guessing by the PDK is not always right.
Is that not a common problem with all double clutch autos, though?
Yep, which is why I didn’t want a 35is

Maybe that's why all Z4Ms were manual!

That way the car only does what you tell it to do.

[M1k3yC]

Is there not an option for a full manual mode with PDK?

Yes, full manual is available. In normal mode, it can be frustrating in the way pvr described. In sport mode, though, it doesn't change up as quickly (for example mid corner) and the experience is smoother. The downside is that sometimes it holds a lower gear when it's unnecessary but you can easily override it and it won't change down again unless you start to press on. I found the smoothest way to drive my dad's was to learn when to pick your own gear and when to just leave it to do its own thing. Even if you're not in full manual mode, when you pick your own gear it goes into manual mode for a few seconds and I think there's a red LED telling you that's what's happening. I quite enjoyed that because I felt more involved with the car. Each to their own.

[BMWZ4MC]

My only experience of driving PDK was a 991.2 GT3RS on a track in full manual (and presumably sport) mode. It did everything I wanted it to do and seemed almost as good as a gated manual. It’s disappointing to hear that PDK is dim-witted on the road - if I can ever afford a GT3 it’ll have to be a more expensive manual!

[pvr]

if I can ever afford a GT3 it’ll have to be a more expensive manual!

Can’t you be a bit more selective with your patients and only treat millionaires?

[BMWZ4MC]

Sadly, the richest patients are the most reluctant to part with their money!