PDK Transmission for Race Car Application

[Arnage]

I am looking to purchase a Cayman race car and am debating whether or not to purchase one with PDK. I am hoping some of you may have knowledgeable experience with this application and can share your thoughts.

[Cajundaddy]

Pretty awesome and bulletproof actually. You will want to add cooling. The 981/991 PDK is more advanced than the 987.2. I spent some quality time in a 991 GT3 RS PDK. Faak me!

[Tippy]

Well, I'll tell which one is faster. It's the one 'initialized' in your post.

The question to me would be, do I want to feel more connected to the car, or do I want to go fast as possible?

No experience with the PDK, but understand it's inner workings enough to know it's impossible to beat by a human being.

[Matt Monson]

Not all PDKs are created equal. They are NOT all awesome and bulletproof. There are two gearbox versions, one that cames with a mechanical LSD (They call it PTV these days) and one with an open differential. Avoid any racecar built around the open differential version. They have an odd issue where they lock up and lose reverse. There's all kinds of speculation about why and whether it is heat related and mechanical or electronic. Sometimes once they cool off reverse comes back. Sometimes you have to take it in and have the dealer reflash the ECU on the PDK to reset it. A hairy hassle no matter how you spin it.

The factory GT4 Clubsport and MR racecars are built around the latter gearbox. Those are good. Some of the cars that have been built privately knew to use that gearbox as well. I personally wouldn't consider any car that has an open diff PDK in it. You will spend a lot of time and money chasing your tail over gearbox issues if you do.

[Arnage]

Thanks Matt, that is the kind of information I was looking for on the PDK. I have raced air cooled P-cars and others with 4, 5 and 6-speed manual gearboxes for thirty years and have a hankering give the PDK a try before I retire from my passion.

[Matt Monson]

Have BGB build you one.