Roger,

Glad to welcome you to Planet-9 - The Forum for Porsche Owners for Whom Horsepower Isn't Everything..

I suspect you'll learn to love the car, even the PDK. Once you get familiar with the PDK, and you learn about the different modes it can be used in (hopefully your new purchase has "Sport-Chrono" with the fun "Sport" and "Sport-Plus" buttons), you won't miss shifting your own at all. I don't - but I'm likely older than you by a few decades and I have a wonky clutch knee due to a '65 Jag XKE I owned with a bear-trap clutch (even then, and I was in my 20's - my leg would start to quiver at a traffic light if I left it in gear and held the clutch down.. now I doubt if I could drive that car..)

The Boxster isn't the absolute best handling car in the world, but it's damn close and its handling is easy to take advantage of making it more likely you'll use it. It certainly won't win any 0-60 stop-light gran-prix against even something as plebian (and ugly) as a Tesla, but it's not embarrassing, and it makes such delightful noises when it's trying. Come to any twisty road, I'll slow to a crawl to let traffic ahead of me clear the fun parts, then it's pedal to the metal and lets see what this puppy can do around corners.

I regularly run away from almost any car in any traffic with mine, most people are driving asleep I think.. without much effort I'm multiple car lengths ahead of anyone at a light, including the Teslas. The sound of the engine and the perfect match of the gearing really encourages the inner bad-boy in me who likes getting way ahead of sleeping drivers.

It's not the most beautiful car in the world, but it gets more favorable comments than any other car I've owned, and I've owned a lot of what are considered really beautiful designs - like the XKE. Personally I love how it looks from every angle, which is unusual - usually every car has a bad angle somewhere (the Jag had one - see if you can figure out what it was..) The comments are about daily or multiple times daily if I park where people are walking around. And that's for a 14-year-old car (which no one believes when I tell them that..)

It's certainly not the most expensive car Porsche makes - really pretty much the opposite - and there are some real bargains on used ones. I bought mine 4 years ago for less than a used Honda Accord would have cost. People don't believe it when I tell them that, so I've stopped telling them. And it's pleasing to me it's gone up in value rather than down in the years I've owned it, by roughly 50%.

Not that I look at it as an investment - I suspect it will probably be the last fun toy car I'll own - which brings me to - USE THE CAR - don't keep it for the next owner. Right now mine is getting more use than my Cayenne, which is a workhorse - if I had to name what's my "daily" driver - it would be the Boxster. Given the choice of which car to use for almost any situation - the Boxster leaves the garage.

You did well getting the one you did. The Porsche CPO is outstanding if you have a good dealer (the dealer really is the "decider" as to what's covered, or how easily things will be covered. I learned that with my first Cayenne - the selling dealer didn't want to fix anything under CPO. Another dealer not too far away would fix anything I asked them to. If you have issues - look for a different dealer. Any Porsche dealer should honor the CPO warranty.

BTW - we don't call the transmission an "automatic" (although it really is..) we generally refer to it as a PDK transmission designed by Porsche for their race cars. It has no torque converter and the preselect gear change is about instantaneous making it better than any standard "automatic" gearbox - even ones put in cars by Porsche.

And again - welcome to Planet-9!

 

Congratulations! (on the lift in the garage) I've never accepted going from a drive on rack or post lift to none. haha. Oh and beautiful car too.

 

Heya, Roger - Welcome to P9. Great intro and great call. No disrespect to the 986, but the 981 is a huge evolution per performance and reliability (no IMS, no bore scoring as of yet in the 9A1 engine) and is arguably one of the best cars coming out of Zuffenhausen. You made a fantastic choice. Yes, especially if you have a lift in your garage, working on the car is very doable. Although I'm a die-hard MT guy, I surely wish for it sometimes when regularly stuck in traffic here in Boston and the PDK is arguably superb. Wishing you many safe and fun miles. Welcome.

 

Thanks guys for the warm welcome!
Over the last couple of weeks I have been reading lots of interesting content here on the site and I have to say the videos created by Jeff Richardson @jjrichar are amazing and extremely helpful in getting an understanding of the car.
As I prefer to wrench on my cars myself (half the enjoyment) I was a bit disappointed that some work (even changing the battery) require registering with the computer which requires a PIWIS 2 setup. There is great info here on how to do that but requires an interface that only seems to be available from Chinese suppliers.

As Boris mentioned, yes I love my lift and wish I bought it 30 years ago.

As Don mentioned, yes the car drives like it is on a rail! I see an E-type on your avatar. I have an E-type series 1 on my wish list but values have gone crazy in recent years with only basket-cases or garage queens available.

On the PDK...so far I have found that putting the stick in manual then using the shift blocks on the steering wheel keep the trans from reverting out of manual until I want it to. I have to think twice if push or pull but I am sure that will become second nature soon.
The center gauge is dark at times but the dealer told me that was a known issue and i confirmed that others on this site have discussed that issue with new gauge faces or turning the lights on.

Thanks again,
Roger

 

Welcome and I envy you for the car and the lift!!!!! Glad "your boss" gave you the nod

 

Lifts are a game changer, nice ride too.

 

Thanks. Since a few of you mentioned it here is a picture of my setup.
My other 2 hobby cars are 1978 Alfa Romeo Spider and 1990 Corvette ZR-1 (the Lotus motor option, 4-cam, 4 valve 400HP, 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds 180mph which in 1990 wasn't too shabby!)
My new Boxster is like the best of both those cars and none of the downsides - Alfa, small, lightweight, handles great but no power, the Corvette, gobs of power but large and heavy.

 

Nice stable you have going there, Roger, and the Boxster is a great addition. Enjoy! And welcome!

 

Congrats on your new car, I hope it brings lots of smiles to your face - and I am sure it will!

I have had three smaller and lighter sports cars previously and they were all great fun too.
The Boxster has more of a big car feeling, if that makes sense, more storage space, it gets more attention and the I love the engine sound. @deilenberger sums it up nicely.

All in all owning a car is about the experience and buying one is often predominantly an emotional decision. We proud ourselves that we are rational beings but we also know how to have fun.

 

Welcome. As a manual performance car enthusiast, I still find situations where I would prefer a stick, but most of the time, the PDK is just so good, I have no regrets with having it instead.
Also, you don't need to program the car for a battery change if you are replacing like with like.
Have fun!

 

Here's Porsche's own story of the PDK, for inspiration

Faster gear change: the history of the PDK

Fourty years ago, Rainer Wüst was responsible for the development of the Porsche dual-clutch transmission (PDK). The pioneering work was crowned decades later by a project that left its mark on Porsche history.

newsroom.porsche.com

 

Also, you don't need to program the car for a battery change if you are replacing like with like

Thanks Chefphil. I think I read somewhere that charging algorithm is adjusted based on battery specs so what you say makes sense.

 

Here's Porsche's own story of the PDK, for inspiration

norfrode, thanks for posting that article.
I found this very interesting: "Because the gears in the PDK are divided between two sub-transmissions, each with its own clutch and only one of which is ever engaged at any one time, the new gear can already be engaged in the second sub-transmission. Thus, the gear is changed simply by closing the now-active clutch while simultaneously opening the previously active one."

Does anyone know where I can read more about how the PDK is constructed and functions?

Thanks,
Roger

 

norfrode, thanks for posting that article.
I found this very interesting: "Because the gears in the PDK are divided between two sub-transmissions, each with its own clutch and only one of which is ever engaged at any one time, the new gear can already be engaged in the second sub-transmission. Thus, the gear is changed simply by closing the now-active clutch while simultaneously opening the previously active one."

Does anyone know where I can read more about how the PDK is constructed and functions?

Thanks,
Roger

There is a book that was written as an introduction for the 987.2 cars to dealership mechanics. It has quite a detailed explanation of how the PDK works.

This is the title of it:

You might find it online at: https://cardiagn.com/all-boxster-cayman-models-model-year-2009-service-information/ - there are ways to download it - but -the "Download" links shown on the page are all Google AdWords ads leading you not to where you want to be. DO NOT CLICK ON THOSE..

You can read it online, or - if you have a company double-sided printer, print the thing. It's almost 200 pages, but it's also great info.

Or - if one were a clever lad and wanted to have a PDF copy of the thing, they might consider clicking on the PRINT icon on the viewing screen, if they're using Windows/Chrome - they might select to print it to a PDF. Jeepers.. wonder if that might work?

The PDK stuff starts around page 66 or so I think..

Have fun!

 

I just googled it, I hope you can find the level of detail you are looking for.
Nice with the response time and also how well the PDK selects the right gear.

Personally I opted for paddles and do use them sometimes, it helps me rev it a bit more when I want to and gives me more feeling of control. Not sure if I am better than the PDK though.

I also use the cruise control a lot when going on the highway.

 

Find someone with a PIWIS near you and they can turn on the instrument lights. You will love the PDK, it’s almost always right. My only complaint is on long downhills it loves to keep it in a lower gear at a higher rpm which can be annoying. But nothing a flick of the paddle can’t fix.

 

Thats its compression braking. A tap of the throttle turns it off.

 

Find someone with a PIWIS near you and they can turn on the instrument lights.

Good idea. I joined PCA a few days ago which links me with my local Pittsburgh club, ARPCA. Once I get to know some people I will ask around to see if anyone has a PIWIS.

 

There is a book that was written as an introduction for the 987.2 cars to dealership mechanics. It has quite a detailed explanation of how the PDK works.

Thanks Don, that is exactly what I was looking for. Lots of great technical info and diagrams. This was particularly interesting: 2 chambers for 2 different types of oil, hydraulic oil for the clutch circuit and "gear wheel oil" for the gear section. Which have 2 different maintenance schedules and of course need a PIWIS when servicing.
And like you suspected, click "print" then "save as pdf" works to save an offline copy.

 

I was researching cars with highest power-to-weight and the Boxster ranked pretty high.

I've been driving my 2008 Cayman S since new as an only vehicle and have no desire to switch to anything else, but power-to-weight ratio isn't among the top 5 high-scoring attributes relative to other vehicles of similar cost.

For example, a fairly pedestrian 2014 Corvette z06 is about $40k, weighs 3300 pounds, and pumps out more than 450 HP and 450 foot-pounds. The C7 ZR1—in line with Porsche's GT prices—has 750 horses pushing 3300 pounds. These cars knock the Porche GT3 and GT4 cars silly with respect to torque.

A year 2020 Ford Mustang Shelby delivers 760 horses to a portly 4200 for $80k. A pedestrian V8 model is "only" 460 horses for that weight, but can be had brand new for about $40k.

A 2018 Mercedes C63 AMG delivers 470 horses to a portly 3900 pounds for $50k. And that car has a really nice interior!

Again, I would prefer the Porsche over anything non-Porsche mentioned above, it's just that if you're shopping for power-to-weight ratio, you're looking in the wrong place.

 

Power to weight works very well in a straight line. But for the twisties, nothing beats a light weight car. It’s the weight alone that provides a good part of the feel.

 

Power to weight works very well in a straight line. But for the twisties, nothing beats a light weight car. It’s the weight alone that provide a good part of the feel.

Exactly. That is what sold me on the Boxster. My '78 Alfa Romeo Spider is very lightweight and fun to drive but lacks power. My Corvette has 400HP but feels large and heavy. The Boxster has adequate power and drives like it is riding on a rail. Great responsiveness. If fits me better if that makes sense. Feels very solid. I haven't been able to detect any chassis flex going over bumps - feels solid. While power to weight put it on my radar, it was only after driving the car that sold me. Now if I can only do something about that noise from the passenger seat "slow down, slow down" (haha)
Thanks for everyone's thoughts.

 

On the PDK...so far I have found that putting the stick in manual then using the shift blocks on the steering wheel keep the trans from reverting out of manual until I want it to. I have to think twice if push or pull but I am sure that will become second nature soon.

Regarding the shift buttons on the steering wheel, I either read it or someone told me long ago- the direction for downshifting is akin to pulling back on the reins on a horse. Never got confused with that nugget living in my head. It's also aligned with the acceleration vector of the car- push forward to upshift, back to downshift. Same holds true for the shift knob in the center console.

I'm sure someone will correct me, but I believe Porsche switched the direction of the shifting action after the 981 series.

 

Regarding the shift buttons on the steering wheel, I either read it or someone told me long ago- the direction for downshifting is akin to pulling back on the reins on a horse. Never got confused with that nugget living in my head. It's also aligned with the acceleration vector of the car- push forward to upshift, back to downshift. Same holds true for the shift knob in the center console.

I'm sure someone will correct me, but I believe Porsche switched the direction of the shifting action after the 981 series.

You are correct. They changed the direction for the center console shifter on the new 718 models forward to pull back to shift UP a gear which is the opposite of the 981 models. They now work just like the GT cars with PDK, which have always been push forward to go down a gear and pull to go up. Not sure why they ever made the 987/981 models differently than the same year GT PDK cars in the first place?

 

Upgrade to a paddle shift steering wheel. I think you can even use Macan steering wheel as a replacement.

 

Welcome and congrats on the gorgeous 981. You'll soon come to love the PDK as I have. I got to ride some hot laps with a Porsche pro driver in a PDK 911, and even he told me how he can't beat PDK lap times in a manual. He advised me to let the "PDK do it's magic". I still find myself in manual mode on most twisty roads to hold the gears a bit longer.

 

I find the push/pull just fine once you are acclimated to it - You can give it a quick tap up easier than pull it back to up shift and usually downshifting you are slowing down anyway so a bit more time to pull back,,,, anyway it will not be a big deal I would say. The PDK is faster than you so speed-wise you are losing very little other than manual shifting enjoyment.

Welcome - based on your garage - you are going to love your 981 - for various reasons.

 

Regarding the shift buttons on the steering wheel, I either read it or someone told me long ago- the direction for downshifting is akin to pulling back on the reins on a horse. Never got confused with that nugget living in my head. It's also aligned with the acceleration vector of the car- push forward to upshift, back to downshift. Same holds true for the shift knob in the center console.

Thanks DJRob, I can remember that!

Upgrade to a paddle shift steering wheel. I think you can even use Macan steering wheel as a replacement.

I have heard of steering wheel changes a lot on the forum. Is there a specific model I would look for that fits my car?

 

Thanks DJRob, I can remember that!


I have heard of steering wheel changes a lot on the forum. Is there a specific model I would look for that fits my car?

Unfortunately, I don't know.

 

Wow! What a treasure trove of info this thread is!
My ‘13 Boxster S has given me 2&1/2 years of completely trouble free pleasure. I love the PDK and it is one of my favorite features of this amazing car.
If the car you purchased doesn’t have the X73 suspension this is highly recommended here. I have the base suspension and I have the X73 kit but haven’t put it on yet. It was only $1,700 and from all accounts here it’s a big upgrade. My 981 also has Sports chrono which is also another reasonably priced upgrade as it is basically just software, the clock and a switch to add to the car. Many motoring miles of fun to you fellow Porschephile! They really are imho, on balance the best made mass produced autos ever.