2010 Porsche PDK: First drive

October 22, 10:34 AMPhoenix European Sports Car ExaminerAdam Thaler

Previous Next

4 comments Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Phoenix European Sports Car Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

PDK look like an automatic.  It even has a Park position.

Doppelkupplung. Doppelkupplung. Doppelkupplung. Try saying that 3 times quickly. Try saying it even once. I guess that is why Porsche has just decided to call their dual clutch system simply PDK.

According to the sales brochure the PDK provides two clutches, seven gears and one seamless experience. I had the opportunity to drive a 2010 911 Carerra S Cabriolet (MSRP of $115,115) at Porsche North Scottsdale and see if that claim is true.

Before going into the test drive, let’s talk a little bit about the technology. The PDK transmission has seven gears. First through sixth are geared with a sports ratio and top speed is achieved in sixth gear. Seventh gear has been designed as an overdrive and has provided a significant improvement in fuel efficiency on the highway.

So, what do you get with a PDK transmission? Well, technically you get two separate gearboxes with two separate clutches that work together in a wet clutch transmission. As explained by Stephen Schwartz at Porsche North Scottsdale, the gearboxes are in a wet clutch transmission so the dissipate heat much quicker than dual clutch transmissions offered from other manufactures and results in longer durability. Additionally, if you are a spirited driver and like to take your shinny new Porsche out to the track, this gearbox will hold up much longer under the harder conditions.

With separate gearboxes, clutch one controls the first gearbox which contains the odd number gears (1, 3, 5 and 7) plus reverse. Clutch two controls the even gears (2, 4, and 6). Essentially, the gear changes are seamless and there is no loss of power because the car has already prepared itself for the next gear change. While shifting from first into second, the first clutch releases first gear and the second clutch has already engaged second gear.

Paddles in perfect position just below 10 and 2.

Anyone who has driven an E46 M3 or Ferrari F430 with a sequential gearbox (which I have had time in both) can tell you that the automatic mode is completely worthless. While it was marketed as a car that could be driven as a manual or an automatic I do not know of many people who actually used it as an automatic. The shifts would be very jerky and happen at the most unexpected times. Conversely, the automatic in the 911 PDK is an absolute dream. The shifts are predictable and also subtle. You hardly notice that the car has even changed gears. So, while this is great for stop and go city traffic it also gives you the ability to have manual control when the desire strikes. Slide the gear lever over to the left and select manual mode and you can be off to the races.

Unlike BMW and Ferrari, where the left paddle is for downshifting and the right paddle is for up shifting, Porsche allows both up shifts and downshifts from both the left and right button. Push the button and you will up shift to the next gear. Pull the button and it will downshift to the lower gear. This is advantageous under circumstances when you need to make a shift in the middle of a turn and the wheel is no longer centered.

Additional benefits that come with the PDK are the Hill-Start Assist and the Launch Control (when the optional Sports Chrono Package Plus is fitted to the 911). Hill-Start Assist will hold the car in place while on an incline for a smooth and roll free start. The car’s computers will recognize that you are on an incline and, when a gear is selected, the car will apply the brakes at all four wheels for up to two seconds, or until forward motion begins. Although few Porsche drivers will ever admit they ever did this, they now will no longer have to use the parking brake when stopped on a hill. Of course, Phoenix doesn’t have too many hills around to get stuck on, but this feature should come in handy when pulling your car into the garage from a sloped driveway.
 

Sport Plus button.  Used to activate Launch Control.

The Launch Control on the 911 PDK is simply amazing. Having owned an E46 M3, with the sequential gearbox, for over five years there is one reason that I never used the launch control feature. The reason was fear of premature wear on the clutch and it then not being covered by warranty. BMW and Ferrari both say that their clutch can withstand between five and ten launches. The Nissan GT-R’s entire warranty is void if you even try it once. When Stephen Schwartz was explaining this feature on the PDK my first question was “how many times can you use it before you either fry the clutch or void the warranty”? Stephen said that since the PDK uses a wet clutch transmission it can withstand repeated use and will not void the warranty or cause excessive wear on the clutch. He went on to describe the PDK in the new Panamera Turbo that they had been receiving their sales training in at Firebird Raceway. Stephen said that the car had over one hundred launches in the two days and the one hundredth launch was just as smooth as the first.

Experiencing a Launch Control start is an experience that everyone should have. The raw power is intoxicating and the ferocity in which the car bites the pavement is impressive. To get to this feature you need to have a car with the Sports Chrono Package Plus. Press the Sports Plus button, slide the stick over to M and put one foot on the brake and one foot on the gas. The RPMs will steadily increase to just about 6,500 at which time the car will sound like it is bouncing off of the rev limiter. The dash will display “Launch Control active”. From there, quickly release the brake and get ready for the ride of your life. The computers control the amount of wheel spin to provide the perfect launch leaving just a small streak of tire marks on the pavement behind. The driver needs to be focused though, because the shift to second gear approaches very quickly.

The PDK transmission is very impressive and versatile. During my test drive I found no condition in which the transmission wasn’t anticipating my next move and would gladly take a PDK equipped car over a traditional six speed transmission any day of the week. On the racetrack, the PDK transmission would outperform almost any driver in a traditional six speed. In a word, it is flawless.

Special thanks to Porsche North Scottsdale and Stephen Schwartz for his in depth knowledge of the PDK system and taking the time to talk with a true enthusiast. His knowledge and experience behind the wheel on both the street and racetrack is truely impressive.