Porsche Cayman vs Porsche Cayman - Fifth Gear 

I just ADORE the Cayman. Utterly gorgeous lines. Great to see the two gearboxes are so close to each other in outright performance.

All this video proved is people who like manual with buy manual, and people who like automatics (anything with a "Drive" setting) will buy automatics.

Who cares about tenths of a second. Unless you are in an actual race it is irrelevant. Manual requires skill and practice and dedication to get your heeltoes just right when entering a corner. So much more fun and satisfyingly and waaaay more connected to the machine.

That didn't prove the manual was faster on a track, all it proved was Markus hit the breaks too early letting Jason pass him.

I'd take the manual in a heartbeat even though the PDK shifts faster

Most Cayman drivers in UK will spend their time driving round the likes of Surbiton with big rev-jumps down to 2nd or even 1st for sharp corners, or crawling along in stop-go traffic on the M25 car park. Which gearbox wins then, I wonder? Does the odd trip to a track, or to the Highlands or Alps really justify choosing the manual? Serious question.

In the race, the better driver won not the better gearbox. Gronholm is a rally driver while Plato is a race track driver.

over a lap with a car in the way... time them running the lap separately. ridiculous comparison.

still want the manual... sorry.. I don't care PDK is faster but I drive for the feeling and not for lap times. :)

If this was supposed to be a comparison, why didn't they switch cars? Why did one car have 19" wheels and the other 20"? Oh, I guess this is about just entertainment and not actual numbers.

I'll take the manual. After all it is a sports car. I feel the automatic takes the soul out of it, even though they call it a "double clutch"

i would still take manual over PDK. it is quicker yes, it is more advanced yes. but it all about pure driving feel and involvement between a car and a driver. i just hope manual gear box never go away completely.

For me the choice is : manual in a sportscar and automatic in a fast saloon car.

That was fun! A bit of humour goes a long way...

I love the idea for such a head to head. But the different rims and tires ruins it by a large bit

The advantage point for the one with manual gear box has 20 inch wheels, which can make a factor for getting better lap time. I like 20 inch wheels even on 2.7L

Cleaning your car manually won't be faster than any drive-thru car wash. But somehow, you will become better at cleaning your car. Hope this makes sense.

In Top Gear, they usually make sure the guest on the show wins any race. It's the gentlemanly thing to do.

1:41 Somebody forgot a grammar check: Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe and not Porsche DoppelkuRpplungsgetriebe

When picking out our 911, we went back and forth on manual vs. PDK. Driving the PDK felt boring to us. Like the specialness of the car was gone.

Somehow the white on of them just look so much better

lol! the Porsche Cayman wins!!! haha suck that Porsche Cayman fanboys! you just got owned!

Easy way to settle this, have one of each! Drive PDK weekdays to work, drive manual on weekends!

0:39 haha pause for Jason the ultimate car salesman =)

I work at a Porsche certified collision center... The PDK is faster and I believe it's more fun. The way it shifts is fantastic. I was 100% for manuals before i drove Porsche's with the PDK, Audi's with DSG... etc. They're no competition. I'd have the PDK all day every day.

In cities, the PDK makes too much sense, it's the ultimate weapon at the traffic lights, mwhahahaa

Good luck finding a manual. There is one thing to think about, and that is the reporting ability of the engine computer. It registers the amount of time the engine has seen at full throttle and it also counts the number of times the car has been over-revved. And the buyer of a used Cayman manual with any knowledge is going to take the car to the dealer and get a complete readout on how the car has been driven. The PDK? It has this computer too, but it NEVER exceeds the redline, thus making the car more valuable down the road. Truth be told, while the manual gives you more involvement, the PDK is still faster, the track session in this video is bullshit.

what size rims would one run on a Cayman? assuming 2-3 track days a month...

Such an entertaining episode

On the secondary market no one wants to by Porsche without manual gear box. Buying any Porsche with anything resembling automatic for the rear wheels - is a bad investment.

If the PDK had won, I would still get the manual. Been driving manual for 45 years and I'll get an auto when I physically can't drive manual. Then of course I probably shouldn't drive at all. I've got some years yet.

Can’t do a touge style race on an open track like that. Also that looked like one lap not two. Gotta love the editing

If you wanted more accurate results you should have used cars with the same wheels and both people should drive both cars because of the difference in their skills.

very few customers will choose the manual, and that's unfortunately for us in 15 years when we can afford these cars

Yep. They made it all about racing. You can build these cars for your own racing team. I just don't know why sell to the general public the cars which 95% of people drive daily, some drive fast often, but still don't take it to the race track. It's not even as much about speed as it's about 0-60. And who races at a stop light on a regular basis other than some immature ponks. I'm not that qualified to talk about cars, but have a good guess that a true car fanatic would much more appreciate a manual, naturally aspirated, RWD like a DBS lets say vs an automatic, turbocharged, AWD like a GT-R - as much as people say it's one of the best cars ever made, and I'm sure it is, I'm purely speaking for the thrill of being in control of your machine, hearing the loud V8 or V10 or in this case a V12, purr, and drift that beast around the corner, VS a car so computerized that it basically drives itself and gets a better 0-60. Again I'm not too qualified to speak on the subject, nor am I speaking on behalf of others. Just saying it's a shame that the whole industry is revolving with 0 regard for the voice of the driver, just with a personal racing lap agenta.

Pity you didn't involve the aircraft in the background. It is a Comet/Nimrod. I spent time in these!! Chasing submarines, coast watch, naval warfare, etc. As a coincidence, I now have a GT Silver GT4.

Great programme

Anyone know what kind of watch Jason is wearing?

This test should have used the Cayman S. Not so many people buy the standard Cayman.

"I must win him!"

The Cayman, when equipped with a turbo will destroy a 911. It's a shame that no one builds a reasonably priced kit. I should make one.

PDK is basically Porsche's Volkswagen DSG. I don't mind having PDK on a 911 Turbo/Turbo S, but on the Cayman/Boxster? No, not even a chance.

Good Year Eagle for the PDK and Pirelli tyres for the manual.. and I think a size bigger. Why not the exact same....?

i know the pdk is faster, but manual every time.

Advantage for PDK, Stronic or dual clutch is no worries with others driving your car. They can just keep it in drive or sport. With a manual you worry about others screwing up your clutch. I have a DSG GTI with 245,000 km on it and it drives like it did when new. Anyway.....

I ALWAYS have my phone and/or coffee/beer in one hand so the auto is a must!

Double clutch gives you seamless shifts and quicker acceleration but doesn't give the exact amount of engine braking you need.

I love drive to Manual,just for the fact that I handle the Clutch. Slowing down on Clutch and Motor. Instead of Breaking... Also be able to feel ur Revs on the Gearstick... I guess im Old Skool. I remember back in the Days,my 70CC Kreidler Motorbike Clutch Plates were suddenly totally gone/waisted . I still managed to get the Bike up to 75Km/h with a passenger while driving home. So ,Yeah I am a Clutch Fan(atic).

At the end of the day it's all opinion as to which one is "better". People are going to buy the one that they like more despite how it performs. I like the pdk system so that's the one I'd get even if it ended up being slower on paper and/or on the track. Luck for me, they're pretty even so its not a sacrifice to go with the one I like.

That guy ever keep his hands on the wheel or eyes down road. Jesus. Can only imagine how drives on the road ways. Cell phone, food in hand , knee steering all the way to the quicky mart...

Manuals are fun but I can see why car manufacturers are moving away from manual and into semi automatics. It's because acceleration keeps getting quicker but human reaction remains constant so if you're accelerating, one hand needs to be off of the wheel to move the shifter and one foot pressing the clutch. This creates more of a split second distraction and would increase the chances for an accident, hence the lawsuits. With semis you don't need to worry about the clutch and you can keep BOTH hands on the wheel so there's more concentration on the road. So the semis are meant for safety.

"Porsche Doppelkupplung", not "Doppelkurpplung"

PDK any day!!!

almost every supercar uses a dual clutch now. yes manuals are funner to drive and easier to maintain but there evolution has really reached its peak. besides maybe fly by wire clutch pedal which ive never seen or heard of. anyone heard of that

What year are these caymans? 2009?

Well, I think the average person will race from red light to red light lol

I fkin dig Plato's style of reviews!

The bigger wheels on the manual car contributes to the slower acceleration.

For everyday driving, especially in London, PDK is the choice.

Plato knows the track already so thats to his advantage. Stick him in the SEMI-AUTO I bet he would still win that race around rthe track..ooohh yeeaahh

i wish he had reviewed the aircraft in the background, looks awesome.

Are the rims and tires different??

He only got the PDK and lost because you can tell plato is so much better on tarmac, if he had had the manual if would have been a bloodbath

I own an Audi TT - Mk2. I think the Porsche Cayman will be on my shopping list relatively soon, even if the Audi is just a tad more powerful. Porsche is just too sexy of a car and sounds better. However, I would wish to see a Porsche Cayman Vs. an Audi TT. (Not TTRS)

Are you guys daft? You put the rally-car driver that's been race-shifting manual his whole life into the PDK car, and the old useless bloke in the stick shifter? You realize you gave the manual absolutely no chance? It would have at least been close if you hadn't mucked it up.

I didnt see this guy switch gears not even once in the drag race in the manual transmission. All I saw him doing was yelling like a little girl and looking at the other driver.

Amazing cars, pretty funny how you have to pay $185 for colored porsche crests though

Gronholm kicks ass.

why compare one on 19 and the other on 20 inch wheels???

As long as they keep making both transmissions I don't care which one is faster in a drag race.

By the way..the rally driving chap let him by...honestly...it is obvious to anyone with eyes!

Name of the plane? Xd

Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers driving the PDK version?

I haven't even watched the video yet… but they are equipped with 2 completely different tires Pirelli Pzero's and crap Eagle F1's common!!

The racer looks like he sniffs glue

Pdk/sports or plus mode wins on any track races..

Had the two cars been fitted with the same wheels and tires and the drivers switched cars for comparison, the circuit test might have been a closer race. The extra 30kg weight for the PDK does make a slight difference. I assume both cars had an equal fuel load? Sorry guys but the cat and mouse play was too obvious. Lap times with data providing corner entry / exit speeds with top speed on the fastest straight would have been more satisfying. The gear ratios of the manual car may have suited this circuit better. Not one of my favorite episodes. None-the-less I do like Fifth Gear.

If I simply wanted to go fast, I would buy a fast car with paddle shifters and pay a pro driver to drive me around. I want fun cars. That's why I want a stick shift convertible.

Finn to Winn!

wtf why is there a military De Haviland comet behind you?

I like this guy. He is fun

They should have done the real world test as well,sitting in traffic. I know which one wins there. I probably spend 3 minutes a month pasting mine and 12 hrs sitting in traffic where a auto wins hands down.

Manual is WAY better, I don't know why countries like the USA many people prefer to drive PDK.....I'd rather drive a manual car. You don't need skills to drive a manual, 52% of the cars in the world are manual. Let's keep it that way.

A sportscar for the road is about driver involvement, hence the answer will always be MANUAL.

Do you know that 19 inch rims vs 20 inch rims make a difference in acceleration too? The gap in the drag race might be smaller if both cars had 20 inch rims

Doppelkupplungsgetriebe is Love, Doppelkupplungsgetriebe is Life

wish they had swopped cars then run the test again, to eliminate driver error etc

39000?The price is so cheap. In China, the basic price is more than US115,000. Is it crazy?

Gronholm drives best on the dirt and loose surfaces, not so much on tarmac. Jason ought to get a driver that is proficient on tarmac to drive the PDK car

PLEAAAAAAAAAAAAASE!!!!!!!!!!!!! NEXT TIME!!!! USE THE SAME WHEEL SIZE!!!!

even plato is very good proffesional driver a two times wrc champion wins either on the pdk or mt if he takes it serious

5.6 secs? How'd you feel when a Golf R flies by?

I'd take either

That didn't settle anything.

drift challenge?

PDK is amazing and way better than manual. It has lightning fast changes that need to be experienced to be believed. But if you want, the auto function can be overridden and it's great fun flipping the paddles, if you want to take manual control. Also PDK is available with Chrono/launch control for ultra fast acceleration times - Boxster S/CaymanS are faster than the M3 when they have PDK/chrono/launch.

i much prefer the 1km to the 1/4 mile

So the difference is the skills of the driver cause they pretty much go the same...

The manual might do even better if the guy driving it would focus on driving technique and stop looking over at the other guy. And what's with the flick of the turn signal or whatever at 4:53? Does Mr. manual think he's suddenly got paddle shifters? As for the two, I prefere manual, but the seamless shifting is intoxicating...like an F1 car. I dunno.

yes advertising, I will put up a video or slideshow each Thursday,Sunday and Tuesday check it out each week for 3 new videos if you don't want to hey its your choice.