Porsche Will Take Away The 718 Cayman GT4's Manual Gearbox For £2000
Although this will cause consternation amongst some of you, we’d like to go on record and say the worst thing about the 718 Porsche Spyder, Boxster GTS, Cayman GTS and GT4 is the manual gearbox used in each.
Not the shift itself, which is a thing of mechanical beauty, nor the sense of engagement it gives you. No, it’s the absurdly long ratios that are the problem - second gear in the GT4 tops out over 80mph, for Pete’s sake. What’s the point of an 8000rpm redline if you can’t reach it at legal speeds in any gear other than first?
With that in mind, the idea of one of these 4.0-litre 718s with a seven-speed PDK automatic gearbox is quite appealing. Such a thing was first announced a few weeks ago, and now, the dual-clutch option is available in the UK.
Since a Porsche PDK (or Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, to give it the full name) transmission is more complicated than a stick and three pedals, you are expected to cough up extra cash. For the Cayman GT4 and the Spyder, you need to shell out an extra £2000, while the option is £2303 on the GTS models.
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Along with the better ratios and the added convenience, you also get a sizeable uplift in performance. In the 718 Spyder and Cayman GT4, the 0-62mph time drops by half a second to 3.9 seconds. The GTS siblings get the same improvement, yielding a new figure of four seconds dead.
Sport Chrono pack is included with the new ‘box, which brings with it Launch Control and the motorsport-inspired ‘Sport Response’ button which gives “maximum engine and transmission performance” for 20 joyous seconds. In the 718 Spyder and Cayman GT4, you also get a tweaked version of the manual’s mechanical limited-slip differential and a 911 GT3-style gear selector.
PDK and its associated bits aren’t only new things on the menu for the cars. Race-Tex is replacing Alcantara (apparently it “offers greater support”), while any 718 Spyder buyers who like the look of the Cayman GT4’s 20-inch ‘Aurum’ can now spec the rims on their car. Finally, the 718 Spyder and Cayman GT4 colour palette has been expanded with the addition of ‘Python Green’.
If you were in the market for any of these cars, would you be tempted to go for PDK over manual?
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
So the PDK is now a £2000 option…..
(Clearly I didnt read the article I thought it was the Manual was the option and PDK was standard, found out its Manual standard and PDK is the option)
Other way around. Manual is standard, PDK is optional extra that costs more.
Part of me wonders if the tall gearing is to allow people to drive around town in first gear for maximum flat 6 noises.
I don’t get the absurd discussions about manuals vs auto/pdk (often from people who never will buy such a car brand new).
Everything else in a sports car should be quick and responsive but the shifting should be the slowest option available. I own a Cayman with PDK and I love this gearbox. The quick changes are a blast; and if I choose to, I can go in manual mode (and the gear doesn’t shift aut.)
Note: I spec. mean PDKs or Doppelkupplungsgetriebe of other brands. Automatics are another topic
Here’s the thing. You have perfectly described solid reasoning for having an automatic gearbox in a sports car. To you, a gearbox that you have to change gears yourself is a possible interference in optimal operation of the car. To you there is no reason to do something when a computer can do it for you.
A person interested in having a manual gearbox in a sports car wants everything to be as involving and tactile as possible, as this gives them joy when driving their car. For a person in this camp, a gearbox that changes gear for them is removing part of the involvement in the car, and as such is removing something that gives them joy when driving.
As you can see, the Manual vs Automatic debate is mostly about what a person wants from their car, rather than about which gearbox is superior overall. It’s just a shame most aren’t open minded enough to understand each viewpoint.