PDK & Sport Chrono Pack?

[fergusor]

Hi guys,

I'm going to be ordering a new 718 Cayman when they're released in September and I've been having a look on the configuration site.

I took a 718 Boxster out for a test drive last weekend and it was fitted with PDK and the Sport Chrono pack.

Before driving this configuration I was only thinking of the manual without the Chrono, but I really liked the PDK.

What would people's recommendations be, manual or PDK, Chrono or not?

What are the advantages of each?

This'll be my first Porsche, and potentially first auto.

Thanks,
Richard.

 

[mr pg]

Only you can decide between manual and pdk in the end. Try both. I was a manual man until I tried pdk (test drove three to make sure it was the right decision). If you opt for pdk, get the chrono too, as it livens everything up. Don't think of it as an auto either, as it's best when used in manual mode, in both sport and sport plus.

 

[keiththo]

I bought a PDK 981 Cayman last October having previously driven a manual Boxster. I wasn't convinced I wanted PDK but was persuaded by the dealership that this was the way to go and would give me a higher residual value.

It certainly changes gear faster than I ever could and for town driving, which I do extensively, it's effortless. Having said that I'm sure I'd love the manual box so ultimately it's your decision.

The car I drove on the track at Silversone had sport chrono but I never considered having it.

Keith

 

[DaveH911]

As the others have said above really. Pdk or manual is really down to personal choice but I'd definitely choose the sports chrono option. You probably won't use it very often but it is a 'nice to have' and it tends to be the first thing that potential buyers will look for when you decide to sell in the future.

 

[am1985uk]

Are you going to use the car as a daily driver? If so, that might tip the balance towards PDK (easier in traffic queues). If not, then it's down to straight preference. The PDK box can do faster changes, but costs more, is heavier and more complex (more to go wrong). Manual is simpler, cheaper, more satisfaction (though of course you can still use PDK in manual mode). The manual box doesn't protect you from gross errors - eg. changing from 5th to 2nd! The majority of cars are supplied now with PDK, but whether that will still be the more desirable option on the second-hand market remains to be seen.

Sport Chrono has a lot more to it than a stop watch. It includes different throttle mapping, different settings in the PDK box, different limits on PSM Stability Control and dynamic engine mounts. It is probably most useful if you intend to track the car sometime in the future. It also has a neat feature of auto blip on manual downshifts (yes, that's cheating, but it's fun). Only you can decide whether SC is worth the cost.

Alan

 

[Buddy]

I have a 987S with Chrono and PDK and funnily enough I feel that the PDK is a must for the faster gear change as over the length of a straight you may have two or three gear changes and knocking that amount of time out of the acceleration you will be going faster by the end of it, although I do drive manuals much of the time and have always preferred them until the advent of PDK I think the more difficult choice is paddles or buttons for the PDK operation, paddles is the universal way these days but the buttons allow you to change up and down with either hand. IF you do have the PDK and the Chrono think about PASM too when you select sport mode it comes on automatically but you can deselect if you want a softer ride