The Porsche 911 is one of the most well-rounded sports cars you can buy. But what about its drifting capabilities? German for Doppelkupplungsgetreibe, basically a dual-clutch gearbox in English, a PDK in a Porsche uses two clutches to shift gears almost instantly. And as the video below shows, you can still clutch kick a Porsche …
The Porsche 911 is one of the most well-rounded sports cars you can buy. But what about its drifting capabilities? German for Doppelkupplungsgetreibe, basically a dual-clutch gearbox in English, a PDK in a Porsche uses two clutches to shift gears almost instantly. And as the video below shows, you can still clutch kick a Porsche with a PDK transmission.
Drift is a type of driving technique that race car drivers use when they make corner turns. While they’re moving forward, the driver intentionally oversteers, allowing the car to shift on either of the side axles. While this is happening, only the back wheels lose traction. A driver who is totally familiar with the art of drifting is able to keep control of the car the whole time while executing the corner turn. Since Japanese race car drivers such as Kunimitsu Takahashi introduced drifting in the 1970s, this power management technique has risen to the level of competitivemotorsport that is recognized worldwide. Competitions are held regularly each year, and the quality of the drift is usually judged by angle, line, style, speed, and show factor according to Porsche Newsroom.
In the video above, drift pro driver Odi Bakchis demonstrates the drift technique using the handbrake. Attack the corner, he tells us, turn the car in, grab the hand brake and enter into the drift. You can also initiate the drift by clutch kicking: Push in the clutch and release it rapidly, lighting up the back wheels and sliding the car. In addition, Bakchis tells us,when the car is sideways, allow yourself to modulate the throttle. Keep the car in control so that it stays on course, but don’t oversteer.
About the Porsche PDK
Porsche Newsroom reports the benefits of a double-clutch transmission. First of all, the gears are distributed between two separate clutches in the PDK. The odd shifts are connected to clutch I and the even gears are connected to clutch II, so that you can make fully automatic gear changes without traction interruption. The gear shifts actually take place through computer-aided electrohydraulics, and there is a combination of manual and automatic shifting involved.
The introduction of the first Porsche PDK with a semiautomatic Sportomatic transmission back in 1967 was met with great skepticism in the professional racing world, Porsche Newsroom tells us. It was inconceivable that you would have an automatic transmission in a real race car. Supposedly, the PDK was to bring comfort to driving — but the idea of comfort in a race car was equally unappealing for true race car professionals. So the PDK had to win its audience over back in the day.
Advantages of a PDK
However, after several generations of PDKs have come into being, and after the rise of drifting as competitive motorsport, the PDK was not just acceptable. It became recognized as essential for drifting to those who knew how to use it to their advantage. In other words, what it means for a driver in the Porsche to have a PDK is that they can keep their foot on the gas and accelerate from 0 to 100 miles in a few seconds. And when drifting is concerned, you want to be able to get the car up to speed and control it as quickly as possible. Plus, since there’s no traction interruption on the front wheels, the driver can maintain maximum control as they make the corner.
First available in 2008 with just the seven-speed PDK that came in the 911 Carrera and the 911 Carrera S, the Panamera now only comes in the eight-speed PDK II since 2016. According to Porsche Newsroom, Porsche drivers will keep moving towards adopting automated transmissions in the future.
It’s also expected that the Porsche PDK be a favorite among professional drifters as long as drift competitions enjoy their popularity on a global scale—and that the Porsche PDK, now with its eight gears, will continue to be a favorite among competitors and spectators alike. So unlike the initial entrance of the Porsche PDK on the racing scene back in 1967, nobody is expecting today’s Porsche PDK car to be going away soon.
While Porsche's official guidelines suggest a 120,000-mile or 12-year interval, our research indicates that a more frequent service schedule will significantly prolong the lifespan of your PDK gearbox. Remember, just as your engine oil requires regular changes, so does your PDK.
I will say without any hesitation the Porsche 7-speed PDK is the Ultimate Transmission. Especially for a Sports car. Under Full-Power it shifts at RED-Line and if in Sports Mode it Shifts HARD !!! Driving around normal it does exactly what one would expect.
The PDK transmission was originally developed for racing; therefore, the lightning-fast shift times and quick acceleration are part of its DNA. It's also more versatile than your average manual. You can change gears manually using the sports steering wheel or drive in automatic mode for optimal comfort.
The Porsche PDK's ability to shift in less than 100 milliseconds (less than 0.1 seconds), coupled with the wet clutch system's small degree of slip, means that normal driving changes are smooth and efficient, reducing CO2 emissions and improving fuel efficiency as well as performance.
Porsche dealers will not rebuild PDK's and essentially limit the work they do to fluid and filter change. Anything else and they replace the PDK which is a $30k to $36k proposition. ATLSpeedwerks do not consider PDK failure rates to be unusually high but they do happen.
To be fair, Porsche dealerships do replace valve bodies on the PDK but there is little information on this available to the general public. The good news here is that we have been able to repair the PDK transmissions now on 911's, Boxster, and Caymans.
The Dodson PDK upgrade is rated and tested at 1200hp or so and we are already working on stage 2. The engines have been run at 1000 and internals tested to support 1000 crank hp (about 20% more than the Mezger). We also have a few motor upgrade cars running. Hope that helps.
Manual. Compared to manual transmissions, the PDK offers faster shifts, reactions, acceleration, and lap times. The PDK transmission was originally developed for racing, but it also offers many more advantages as well.
The answer lies in knowing the difference between the two transmissions. Yes, they are both automatics meaning there is no clutch pedal. The PDK is very sporty and quick to shift but a Tiptronic is also well known for its reliability and minimal maintenance.
I have both manual and PDK cars. A lot of my driving is in traffic and I much prefer the PDK for that purpose. Also like it for track, lightning fast. However, for a drive on back roads or lightly travelled roads the manual is more fun.
PDKs overheat when they shift too much in stop-and-go traffic. If stuck in traffic, switch to sport mode and that will help by reducing the number of shifts. Also, don't miss the service intervals. If properly used and serviced, they are super reliable.
How does the PDK transmission work? First of all, let's explain where the PDK letters come from. It is a German acronym for “Porsche-Doppelkupplungsgetriebe”, which translates to Porsche double-clutch transmission. So, it's the Porsche version of the dual-clutch gearbox!
2008: first PDK for sports cars in the 911 Carrera
Right from the beginning, the PDK was able to shift gears up to 60% faster than an automatic gearbox. It facilitated gear shifts without any interruptions in propulsive power and reduced fuel consumption.
For instance PDK service is called for every 40k miles OR 48 months, whichever comes around first. If you look at the service intervals on your display in the vehicle, that's why it lists both the mileage and a month/year for your next service intervals. Fluids degrade from time too, not just mileage/use.
A: The lowest recorded sale price was $177,250 for a 2022 Porsche 992 GT3 on Jun 21 2023. Q: What is the average sale price of a Porsche 911 GT3 - PDK - 992? A: The average price of a Porsche 911 GT3 - PDK - 992 is $249,499. Q: When was the Porsche 911 GT3 - PDK - 992 produced?
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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