PDK – how good is it?
Porsche’s new seven-speed PDK double-clutch transmission available as an option on the second generation Boxster & Cayman models has been loudly praised by everyone who has driven it, not least by Porsche Cars Australia’s National Product Training Manager Warwick McKenzie, who has been one of the greatest advocates of the Tiptronic transmission.
He told Momentum: why PDK is the next step.
E-Strasse: So after driving with the PDK, how good is it?
McKenzie: PDK answers all the questions. It’s even more intuitive than Tiptronic and it’s faster than a manual gearbox. It’s unbelievably smooth and seamless when you want it to be, yet it really responds to your every wish when you want to drive hard. It’s effectively a sequential manual gearbox that you can use in full automatic mode.
All the features we have come to love with Tiptronic, such as Dynamic Downshift and gear preservation in a corner, are built into PDK, but it has seven gears instead of five, it changes gears automatically in around half the time and because you can also shift gears manually with the central gear lever just like the Carrera Cup guys do, the pleasure of manual gearchange is still there if you want it.
What is really impressive is that there is no delay in the gearshifting. Because the incoming gear is already engaged and waiting only for the clutch to engage, changes feel as though you are directly connected to the transmission through the gear lever by a mechanical coupling.
There is real driver satisfaction – you really feel that YOU have made the connection, not a computer! Like Tiptronic, PDK is intuitive, so if you start to drive faster it will stay in the lower gears longer and will shift down quicker when you brake, so drivers used to Tiptronic will be even more impressed with PDK.
E-Strasse: You have driven the Boxster & Cayman with PDK against other German sports cars. How does it compare?
McKenzie: All these new double-clutch gearboxes are impressive, but what sets PDK apart is that it has the ability to skip gears - say from seventh to second – on heavy braking for a tight corner and with more sporting driving.
You can also do this manually by holding the steering wheel change lever down and the transmission will then go straight to the lowest gear available. You don’t have to keep flicking the switch.
There is absolutely no fear of over-revving or of the transmission locking wheels – everything is taken care of electronically by the computer and the car’s drive systems.
E-Strasse: How worthwhile is the Sport Chrono option?
McKenzie: With the Sport Chrono Package, you get two extra buttons – Sport and Sport Plus In the Sport mode, a sportier shift map is employed; the shifts are a lot faster and the throttle will ‘blip’ a little on downchanges.The Sport Plus programme should be called the ‘Track Programme’, because it’s focused on maximum performance.
A non-variable, very high rpm fixed shift map ensures maximum acceleration through the gears and the changes are faster again and noticeably harder. It also includes launch control. You just put your left foot on the brake, floor the accelerator and when the revs hit a computer-controlled 6,500rpm you simply lift your left foot and hang on! It’s quite extraordinary.
E-Strasse: There will still be some people who prefer a manual gearbox.
McKenzie: After you drive PDK you are conscious of all the time you are wasting by interrupting the power supply with a manual change and how much faster you are in real world driving with PDK. It’s not the soft option; it is the enthusiasts’ option!
Note from E-Strasse: The only way to experience the truly subliminal performance of Porsche’s seven speed PDK transmission is to drive it. Porsche Centre Brisbane will have PDK equipped Boxster & Cayman models for demonstration from 16th March 2009.
Contact James Simpson, Sales Manager, on 07 3248 9411 today to arrange an exclusive demonstration.