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Sibling Rivalry

911 VS. 911 (Manual VS. PDK)

Text: Dhruv Behl Images: Gaurang Patkar


	In today’s microprocessor age, you couldn’t possibly be expected to row a manual gearbox as your predecessors would undoubtedly have done almost a century ago – can you? Well, there are many who believe that changing gears manually is very much an integral part of the art of driving, and the joy to be experienced by matching revs and performing a perfectly executed manual gear change can never be matched by flicking a paddle or pressing a button, and thereby instructing a microchip to do the same. It seems these purists are about to be challenged by Porsche’s newest gearbox – the ‘Doppelkupplung.’ And if that sounds like double Dutch to you, you’re not far off – it’s actually ‘double clutch’ in German, as its Porsche’s version of a dual clutch transmission. Suffice to say, we’ll refer to it simply as PDK. And, what we have here are two of Zuffenhausen’s finest – a 911 Carrera 4S coupe with a manual gearbox, and a 911 Carrera 4S cabriolet with Porsche’s new PDK transmission. Gearboxes aside, both cars share identical mechanicals – so let’s see if the slightly wet-behind-the-ears PDK can put one over its more experienced sibling.

The technology

Porsche’s 7-speed dual clutch PDK is very similar to VW / Audi’s DSG, which means (as the name suggests) it has 2 clutches instead of 1 – one of which drives gears 1, 3, 5, and 7, while the other drives gears 2, 4 and 6. It also has 2 concentric input shafts. Therefore, when one clutch is engaged, the other pre-selects the gear you’re about to shift into – as a result of which it engages immediately as you change gears, and makes for an almost instantaneous shift.

A dual clutch gearbox such as this was first introduced in a road car in 2002 with Audi’s 3.2 TT DSG. It was first developed, however, for use in Porsche’s legendary 956 / 962 Le Mans racer of the 1980s. It was also subsequently used in Audi’s equally legendary Sport Quattro S1 rally car – so the adoption of dual clutch gearboxes in road cars is another clear case of racing improving the breed, albeit over two decades later.

Dual clutch gearboxes like the PDK and DSG have already proven their superiority over the Formula 1 derived single clutch sequential-manuals previously used by Ferrari and BMW – so much so that new models by both manufactures now feature dual clutch transmissions of their own. Not only do the dual clutch transmissions change gears quicker, but they’re smoother and more efficient as well.

But while transmissions such as these (both single and dual clutch) have clearly proven their worth in the world of racing where speed is the primary objective, the question we’re asking is whether the PDK is actually more satisfying on the road, as compared with its corporate cousin – the traditional, age old manual?

From the outside

The current generation 911 (997) looks very much like an evolution of the 1964 original – the family resemblance and lineage, with its unique silhouette, is unmistakable.

The 997 is in the fifth year of its life, and Porsche gave it a mid-cycle update late last year. While the sheet metal remains the same, the bumpers were redesigned and lights were given, now customary, LEDs to ensure the 997 still looks cutting edge. And, you have to say, the LEDs, both front and rear, do actually look quite striking.

I, for one, never tire of looking at a 911. The lines just seem to flow absolutely seamlessly along the length of the car, culminating at the business end of the 911 – the rear, which houses its signature flat-six engine. The current generation 911 is certainly more shapely than its immediate predecessor – the 996, which had a somewhat plain design compared with 911’s of old. This one, however, harks back to the curvaceous and absolutely stunning 993’s of the mid 90s.

And if I had to choose between the hard-top and cabriolet, I would say that the silhouette of the coupe looks a little more cohesive with its trademark C pillar – both cars are gorgeous though.