2013 PORSCHE 911 GT3 clutch

Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK).
It ’s the year 1984. Porsche unveils the
962 and a turbocharged flat­six engine
capable of producing 500 kW (680 hp).
It ’s a racing car intended to push through
existing limits and write its own motor ­
sport histor y.
Now ­legendar y victories were to follow
in Le Mans 1986 and 1987, introducing
Derek Bell, Hans ­Joachim Stuck and
Al Holbert in a C version of the 962.
A secret of its success was the double ­
clutch transmission that Porsche had
Motorsport history can be written in 60 years.
Or in milliseconds.
been continually refining since the 1960s.
In the Porsche 962C, it enabled extreme ­
ly fast gear changes, shaving off seconds
in motorsport and minutes in the 24 ­hour
race.
The subsequent transfer from the race ­
track to series production was equally
successful. Today, Porsche Doppel­
kupplung (PDK) is set ting standards on
the road, with gear changes that take
place in milliseconds and with no inter ­
ruption in the flow of power to provide
faster acceleration and low fuel con­
sumption. And yet our engineers still were not

satisfied – at least, not with the develop ­
ment of the new 911 GT3. So they
pushed the limits once again. Their goal
was to produce a transmission with gear
ratios specific to the 911 GT3 and with
a 50 % reduction in shift throw on the
even crisper and more dynamic gearshift
paddles. The result was a PDK perfectly
tuned to match the 3.8 ­litre engine. This
is the first time that it has been fit ted in
a 911 GT3, and it comes as standard. Goal achieved. Racing feel included,

with seven performance ­oriented gears
where even 7th gear has a sports ratio
engineered for maximum speed. Manual
operation of the 911 GT3 ­specific gear
selector is based on the established
motorsport principle: back to shift up,
forward to shift down.
Thrust I 25

Thrust I 27
This is how it works. PDK is essentially
t wo gearboxes in one and thus requires
t wo clutches. This double clutch
arrangement provides an alternating,
non­positive connection between the
t wo half gearboxes and the engine by
means of t wo separate input shafts.
During a gear change, therefore,
one clutch simply opens and the other
closes at the same time, enabling
gear changes to take place within
milliseconds. Highly responsive and especially sport y – just as you would
expect of the 911
GT3.
That in itself has consequences, not least
for acceleration, for overall performance
and for fuel economy. Positive conse ­
quences in fact. Driving feels even more
dynamic and agilit y is increased.
What about the gear changes them ­
selves? You’ll feel them and you’ll hear
them. Just like before, or indeed more
than ever. The electronic gearbox control logic of the Intelligent Shift Program (ISP)
offers more immediate and faster traction
­
induced upshifts and throttle ­blip down ­
shifts on overrun. In PDK SPORT mode,
downshifts under braking are more
aggressive while, under acceleration, the
shift points are raised even further. So
changing up a gear becomes a physical
experience – and an emotive one.
Shift fast without a moment ’s hesitation.
Just like the professionals.
For fuel consumption, CO
2 emissions and efficiency class, please refer to page 91.

60 I Pit stop
Motorsport.
Competing for every hundredth of a
second and calling on over 60 years of
experience – that ’s Porsche Motorsport.
But what ’s our motivation? Everyone
who drives us forward with 100 % passion
and expertise – from the driver to the
engineer. On all racetracks in the world.
Everyone who shares the same dream,
a dream that has been a realit y for
generations: Ferry Porsche’s dream of
a car that ought to be just as capable
of winning as it is suitable for everyday
use. And has so far led to more than 30,000 racing victories. Take, for exam
­
ple, the Porsche 956 – one of the most
successful race cars of all time. Not
to forget the other cars that promise
the very same potential, such as the
911 GT3 RSR or the 911 GT3 Cup.
Two racing machines that have proven a
success in circuit and endurance events.
As successful as the entire brand, Porsche
Motorsport has so far built more than
3,000 race cars, over 1,000 of which are
still in use today. They appear at the
lowest amateur levels and line up at the very pinnacle of the sport, competing

in US GT races and in over 19 one ­make
championships, including the Porsche
Carrera Cup Germany and the Porsche
Mobil 1 Supercup. New destinations
await, not least the 24 Hours of Le Mans
in 2014. A protot ype newly conceived
from the ground up is set to take to the
grid with a view to extending the run
of 16 outright wins at the Sarthe circuit.
For Porsche, however, what matters even
more than a place on the winners’ podi ­
um is how much experience is gained, as well as the ideas and visions that the
race inspires. All findings from the race
­
track are transferred into series produc ­
tion as design and test principles. Our
exhaust turbocharging or double ­clutch
transmission technologies are t wo exam ­
ples. This proximit y bet ween the race ­
track and the road is unique. It lets every
Porsche customer take part in the race –
directly or indirectly. It lets the customer
feel what drives us. Yesterday, today
and tomorrow: Spirit. Vision. Principle.
For all those who are not thinking about the 7:30 early flight to London.
And are thinking instead about lap times on the Nürburgring.