Planet 9

(FAQ in Process)

Derived from motorsport, PDK, available for the 911 Turbo for the first time, achieves one thing above all else: it provides the perfect balance between uncompromisingly dynamic performance and exceptional levels of comfort. It’s purely about point of view. The driver’s especially.

The optional PDK with both manual and automatic modes enables extremely fast gear changes with no interruption in the power flow. For improved acceleration and significantly lower fuel consumption – without having to dispense with the advantages of an automatic.

The driver experiences a sportier, even more dynamic drive with more agility. Depending on driving style, gear changes range from exceptionally comfortable to exceptionally sporty.

Manual gear changes are performed using the PDK’s ergonomically designed gear lever or the switches on the steering wheel: nudge forwards to change up, pull back to change down. The logic behind the optional three-spoke sports steering wheel with gearshift paddles comes from motorsport: pull to the right to shift up, pull to the left to shift down.

PDK has been specially tuned to the characteristics of the new 911 Turbo models. It has seven gears at its disposal. Gears 1 to 6 have a sports ratio, with the top speed being reached in 6th gear. The 7th gear has a long ratio and helps to reduce fuel consumption even further.

PDK is essentially two half-gearboxes in one and thus requires two clutches – designed as a double wet clutch transmission.

This double clutch provides an alternating, non positive connection between the two half-gearboxes and the engine by means of two separate input shafts (input shaft 1 is nested inside the hollowed-out input shaft 2).

The flow of power from the engine is only ever transmitted through one half-gearbox and one clutch at a time, while the next gear is preselected in the second half-gearbox. During a gear change, therefore, a conventional shift no longer takes place. Instead, one clutch simply opens and the other closes at the same time. Gear changes can therefore take place within milliseconds.

Clutch 1 controls the first half-gearbox, which contains the odd gears (1, 3, 5, 7) and reverse. Clutch 2 controls the second, which contains the even gears (2, 4, 6).

The optional Sport Chrono Package Turbo with dynamic engine mount system provides PDK with two additional functions, ‘Launch Control’ and ‘motorsport-derived gearshift strategy’.

PDK – sporty, comfortable and efficient. Characteristics that have been given some thought elsewhere too: in the specification for the new 911 Turbo models.

This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.

The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.

In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.

A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.

For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.

Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM

This optional package is a valuable addition for trackday use. Available in conjunction with the CDR-24 CD radio, it includes a swivel-mounted analog and digital timer unit which is centrally located on the dashboard. All functions are easily accessible via the control stalk for the on-board computer. Analog dials measure hours, minutes and seconds, while a separate digital field displays whole seconds, tenths and one hundredths of a second. A second digital display runs in parallel in the instrument cluster. Click this Link to visit the FAQ entry for Sport Chrono.