It was inevitable that the media would get hold of this information. The new Porsche 997 Carrera S my2009, with its new direct injection 385hp engine, and PDK twin-clutch, seven speed transmission, has clocked seven minutes and 50 seconds on the North ring of the Nurburgring. The time was captured by the PASM system in Sport position and with new tyres, probably semi-slick road.

The interesting comparison is with the new Carrera S with manual tranmission which doesn’t go beyond 7.58, and the previous Carrera S at 355hp which stops at 8.02. The PDK has demonstrated its effectiveness even on the track, where shift time has been reduced by 60% compared to the old Tiptronic.

The only doubt is about the PDK controls: why are they keeping the uncomfortable buttons on the wheel, rather than the paddles, used by everyone? Perhaps on the future GT3 and GT2 we will find an answer to this question, with something more focused on a sporty drive.

Via | Edmunds.com

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