997-2 with PDK - Driving Impressions

[PeterC4]

Had the first part of the weekend with a 2009 C2S with PDK, courtesy of my dealer. The PDK is truly magnificent. I have actually become accustomed to the buttons on the steering wheel. They way they work is that you push to advance to then next gear, pull to come back to the previous gear. What's interesting is that the button fits right in the palm of your thumb. Pushing becomes very easy once you're used to it. From an operating point of view in auto mode, the shifts are imperceptible. Yet, push the peddle to the metal and the car launches forward in an instant. Using manual mode the shifts are blindingly fast. In "Sport Plus" mode (comes with PDK) the car goes into race mode and the throttle response is different and the car shifts into gears explosively. It's quite amazing, particulary with the 997-S's 385 HP. This car really moves.

PASM that comes standard in the S model is a must option if anyone is getting the base 997. PASM allows you to select two driving modes. In normal mode, the car's suspension does a wonderful job of smoothing out the bumps and make the ride...pleasant; softer than the base 997. It rides like a BMW 3 series with sport spuspension. In sport mode the car is firmer and that ride will be familiar to many porsche owners, although it's still is quite refined.

The car I'm testing has bluetooth and the media interface. No steering wheels controls or voice activation makes it awkward to use the bluetooth interface with your cell phone. Dealer cars in Canada are not ordered with voice activation unless a customer orders the car with that option. It may not be important to some, but for those drivers that need to call their office or their clients, Porsche still doesn't have it quite right. The new touch screen is good, but very awkward to dail a number from your Blackberry when you have a lot of contacts to sort through. The Bose stereo sound pretty good.

What I can't quite get over is the look of the 997.2 and its slightly cut-off rear lights. To me anyway, my 2004 C4S Cab looks better. But I'll give it up to get that fanatastic transmission and extra horsepower. Overall, a great car with a real modern day chassis. My wife loves it too.

[stickshiftnz]

When I first saw the 997.2 in photos earlier on, I too had my doubts about that tail light design. But after having seen it in the flesh, and getting a Porsche brochure with photos at the correct angles, I must say I'm OK with it now. But it looks better from the rear in some colours than others. While the older tail lamps kind'a plant the units firmly onto the bumper base, on the new car, the lines from the sides of the rear window coming straight down and bending under the tail lights I think makes it look a little spunky.

Looking at them from the rear, this is just my opinion but the red reflector strip on the C4/C4S models actually detract from those lines; I quite like the purity of not having the reflector there. But that's just me.

The rear lights that, so far, I do not like, are those on the new Cayman and Boxster. I'll wait to see it in the flesh, but there's something "un-German" about it. A little too organic (I'm thinking of the word, I hope that was it -- for blobs) for my liking.