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Key to PTM and PSM’s ability to shine is the new C4’s superb chassis. We don’t get a chance to sample a C4 on 18s nor one with base suspension, but the PASM electronically variable dampers — standard on the C4S, a $1,990 option on the C4 — continue to improve. The shock valving feels like the result of countless hours spent chasing brilliance built upon knowledge gleaned from previous setups. We’re sure it is. The system is more transparent, too, no longer feeling artificial as it adjusts valving for road conditions and driver inputs. In addition to serious sporting abilities, PASM provides comfort and composure on poorly surfaced roads. Outside the former airbase lay former East German roads not yet brought up to West German standards. In its Normal setting, PASM isn’t cushy here, but it does offer impressive compliance given the 19-inch tires. As for PASM in Sport? First impressions suggest it’s better than before, but still too stiff for imperfect roads. On smoother sections or the track, Sport’s superior body control and greater predictability are welcome. This is my first experience with Porsche’s dual-clutch PDK transmission and, after reading all of the glowing reports, expectations are high. Mostly, they are met. PDK sets itself apart from other manumatics as soon as you drive off. VW’s similar DSG system has a tough time deciding when you want to go — sometimes letting the clutch out only after you add quite a bit of throttle. The result is a clumsy take-off. If the extra years it took Porsche AG to bring PDK to the market were required to yield its perfect departures, then those years were well spent. This is subtle engineering excellence, and it is seductive. Shifts are similarly impressive. Upshifts and downshifts are seamless in the Comfort mode. Around town, PDK heads up the gears quickly, striving for ultimate fuel economy and low emissions. Tiptronic did, too, but the difference is PDK responds to demands for more power quickly, never leaving you flat-footed when you need fleet feet. Still, there is a slight delay. It’s not much, but, at times, we find ourselves locking PDK into its Manual mode to stay in second, such as between traffic lights. Opposite the Comfort setting, at least in cars with the optional Sport Chrono Plus package, is Sport Plus, which will hold low gears for you. It’s eerily intelligent on backroads, dropping a gear seemingly before you lift or begin to turn into a corner. If such a thing as the perfect automatic for a sports car exists, PDK in Sport Plus is as close as I’ve come to finding it. That said, Sport Plus must be activated by a button for a reason. Three, actually: 1) it’s too aggressive around town, 2) it won’t shift into seventh, and 3) its tug-your-head-back upshifts. Drivers who practice and appreciate utterly smooth manual shifting may find Sport Plus’ jolting upshifts irksome. But they are not, as previously reported, the result of a marketing decision. A Weissach engineer tells us these abrupt cog swaps cut a fraction of a second per shift. On the road, he admits, that’s academic. But, for track drivers and autocrossers —who will also appreciate PDK’s ability to shift without a throttle lift and launch-control possibilities —any time shaved on shifts is a boon. As for added stress on motor mounts and axles? He says the torque hit, which can be as high as 480 lb-ft against the 3.6’s peak torque rating of 287 lb-ft, has been accounted for in the drivetrain. And, since such a torque hit can upset the rear end under lateral acceleration, Weissach has made sure Sport Plus upshifts are smooth if the car is cornering as determined by PSM. Between Sport Plus and Comfort lies a Sport setting. The perfect PDK compromise? Perhaps, but a day and a half simply isn’t enough to know. It is, however, enough to tell us we do not like PDK’s push-for-upshifts and pull-for-downshifts configuration. We find ourselves wanting to push for downshifts as our torsos tilt forward under braking, then pull for upshifts under hard acceleration, as is done with so many sporting paddle-shifters. As it turns out, the subject was a hot debate within Weissach, with racers and test drivers facing off against marketing. The latter won. We suspect, however, that familiarity will solve this “problem.” The buttons themselves certainly work well. Rocking either hand slightly is all it takes to get an upshift, while the downshift buttons behind the spokes are easy for fingers to find. The setup is so ergonomic, in fact, my shuffle steering ends up taking a subconscious backseat so I can keep my hands by the buttons. Crossed arms, however, are bad with airbags. PDK’s console-mounted shifter is the alternative, but isn’t one manumatic advantage the ability to keep both hands on the wheel? If so, are tall, fixed paddles the best solution? | |
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