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40 Posts
Informative and engaging review. Doesn't hurt that the comparison is done using a GT3 
Manual vs PDK brand new YouTube video
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1,003 Posts
So two things:
1. That's PEC LA. I'd recognize that track anywhere.
2. I get what he's saying about manuals. My previous car had one. But when I was test driving, I was just so twitchy about the manual. And in the 718...I just didn't love the shifts compared to my R32. I know that sounds insane, but there was something about the way the shifter and clutch felt that I just didn't love. Meanwhile, when I'm driving on a fun road in a spirited manner I just have one less thing to worry about. I can worry a about car placement and what the next turn is. I've been driving manuals for 20 years and with PDK I don't really miss it. I suppose if I truly had just a weekend car I'd consider it, but even then...I do like PDK.
1. That's PEC LA. I'd recognize that track anywhere.
2. I get what he's saying about manuals. My previous car had one. But when I was test driving, I was just so twitchy about the manual. And in the 718...I just didn't love the shifts compared to my R32. I know that sounds insane, but there was something about the way the shifter and clutch felt that I just didn't love. Meanwhile, when I'm driving on a fun road in a spirited manner I just have one less thing to worry about. I can worry a about car placement and what the next turn is. I've been driving manuals for 20 years and with PDK I don't really miss it. I suppose if I truly had just a weekend car I'd consider it, but even then...I do like PDK.
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199 Posts
I will never drive a manual again as the roads are just too busy and it is easier to let the car do the gear changing. PDK does encourage lazy driving and I leave it in D far too often.
The manual vs. PDK yapping is getting really old by now. People constantly out there trying to justify their choices. Claiming their choice is somehow "superior.
Who cares...just get what makes you happy. People should just STFU and go driving.
This video is nothing but clickbait, IMO.
Who cares...just get what makes you happy. People should just STFU and go driving.
This video is nothing but clickbait, IMO.
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469 Posts
Exactly, I have choosen PDK for the comfort, but it is still very good for spirited driving with paddles (based on my test drives as I have not yet taken delivery of my 718).
But if I had the money I would not have anything against having two 718 Boxters, one with PDK for everyday driving and one with a manual gearbox for when I was in the mood
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265 Posts
I don't see how we can ding him for making that video (and not just because I agree w/ him). "They're both amazing, but I prefer it this way because..." is also pretty much all the content on this forum that we contribute to.
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40 Posts
The reviewer did not claim either option to be superior. Given we are in a time where manuals are moving toward extinction (I agree with Grozk17) - the video is topical for our era. (Also despite being interested in the topic, I've never seen the data in that format)
Also; we can't drive all the time. Discussion about driving is part of the fun.
I’m going to reiterate that it is a stupid video and only serves as clickbait. First the discussion is about which is faster. That’s what the title says. Then he spends the first half of the video demonstrating/ proving the PDK is faster at launching. ( by the way no discussion of 5-30 or 30-60 times...)
If that was the end all would be fine. It’s factual and specific.
But then he goes off the rails. He sets up a straw man argument that the manual is better regardless of the results of the test. The only purpose of this straw man argument is to tell the viewer the manual is a better more engaging car. At this point he is promoting a personal opinion but is still presented as a calculated factual comparison like the first half of the video.
“ If you care about the act of driving, get a manual...”
He is just pandering to the effete self anointed purist crowd who feel the need to justify their choices to the rest of us while proclaiming their aesthetic superiority.
He should have just come out and said it...cars with PDKs have no soul...LOL.
So ultimately the video wasn’t even primarily about what it purported to be about. For your average Joe Youtuber it would be “ yeah...whatever...next”. For someone who expects to be taken as an automotive journalist, I think it was shameful and shoddy.
There...that’s my discussion.
If that was the end all would be fine. It’s factual and specific.
But then he goes off the rails. He sets up a straw man argument that the manual is better regardless of the results of the test. The only purpose of this straw man argument is to tell the viewer the manual is a better more engaging car. At this point he is promoting a personal opinion but is still presented as a calculated factual comparison like the first half of the video.
“ If you care about the act of driving, get a manual...”
He is just pandering to the effete self anointed purist crowd who feel the need to justify their choices to the rest of us while proclaiming their aesthetic superiority.
He should have just come out and said it...cars with PDKs have no soul...LOL.
So ultimately the video wasn’t even primarily about what it purported to be about. For your average Joe Youtuber it would be “ yeah...whatever...next”. For someone who expects to be taken as an automotive journalist, I think it was shameful and shoddy.
There...that’s my discussion.
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720 Posts
That video was like reading an Op-Ed.
By someone I do not recognize.
And I have no idea about his qualifications.
I think he wants us to understand that he thinks three pedals is better than two. Got it. And I disagree.
I own five manual transmission cars. Two of them require me to shift with my left hand.
I enjoy all of them. But that doesn't mean a car with an automatic transmission is less engaging. It's just different.
If one wants real engagement, perhaps a car with a manual spark advance would be even more engaging?
And let's ditch the cold-idle speed control motor....it's a lot more engaging to deal with a choke handle (often called "strangler" on some of the early MGs I've driven....I'm not kidding).
While we're at it, let's get rid of that self-starter. Sticking a crank handle through the radiator, bringing the engine up to TDC, dithering with the choke, switching on the ignition and then finally bearing down heroically on the handle (hoping it won't backfire and break your arm) is one of life's truly engaging experiences. I drove a really pathetic TR3 to college for the first two years and got that experience every morning (unless I was prescient enough to park on a hill).
I have no problem with the fact that the blue 911 in the video has air-conditioning, electric windows, power steering, a radio, a heater and even a neutral position rev-nanny. For those seeking true driver engagement, my Lotus 7 doesn't have any of that stuff. It doesn't even have doors.
But I don't think my 7 is "better". It just suits me better (when I'm in the mood for a really engaging ride).
We have lots of choices in cars. Many of us here are basically lucky enough to pick what we want and enjoy it.
I'm delighted the dude in the video likes that three-pedal Porsche. I like my two-pedal Porsche just as much.
By someone I do not recognize.
And I have no idea about his qualifications.
I think he wants us to understand that he thinks three pedals is better than two. Got it. And I disagree.
I own five manual transmission cars. Two of them require me to shift with my left hand.
I enjoy all of them. But that doesn't mean a car with an automatic transmission is less engaging. It's just different.
If one wants real engagement, perhaps a car with a manual spark advance would be even more engaging?
And let's ditch the cold-idle speed control motor....it's a lot more engaging to deal with a choke handle (often called "strangler" on some of the early MGs I've driven....I'm not kidding).
While we're at it, let's get rid of that self-starter. Sticking a crank handle through the radiator, bringing the engine up to TDC, dithering with the choke, switching on the ignition and then finally bearing down heroically on the handle (hoping it won't backfire and break your arm) is one of life's truly engaging experiences. I drove a really pathetic TR3 to college for the first two years and got that experience every morning (unless I was prescient enough to park on a hill).
I have no problem with the fact that the blue 911 in the video has air-conditioning, electric windows, power steering, a radio, a heater and even a neutral position rev-nanny. For those seeking true driver engagement, my Lotus 7 doesn't have any of that stuff. It doesn't even have doors.
But I don't think my 7 is "better". It just suits me better (when I'm in the mood for a really engaging ride).
We have lots of choices in cars. Many of us here are basically lucky enough to pick what we want and enjoy it.
I'm delighted the dude in the video likes that three-pedal Porsche. I like my two-pedal Porsche just as much.
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