RoadTest Porsche 911 Carrera S PDK vs. Lotus Evora S IPS
(Un)missedTwo very different approaches to the two-pedal 2+2 face off on the back roads and front straights of South Carolina.
:: By jack Baruth shifts :: Photos by Jamey Price
ho could possibly want a fast car with An automatic transmission? The answer is simple: the people who actually buy them. The devoted patrons of the various sporting marques may be bitterly divided on matters of cylinder count, forced induction, and engine location, but they are increasingly speaking with a single voice when it comes time to select a gearbox. Blame the traffic, blame the smartphones, blame the reflected glamour of Formula 1’s carbon-fiber paddle shifters, but don’t kid yourself. Given the choice, drivers are abandoning the traditional “standard shift” en masse.
40 Road & Track • April 2013 W www.roadandtrack.com 41 Porsche and Lotus are both strongly associated with mandatory manuals, but both companies have history with think-outside-the-box transmissions. The 1968 911 Sportomatic mated an au- Five years ago, most automated-clutch tomatic clutch and a torque converter transmissions required the predictable to Porsche’s existing four-speed manual, confines of a racetrack to justify their out- with predictably lukewarm results. The rageous prices and often terrifying service market’s response was tepid, but Porsche intervals. On fast roads, they fell apart, offered the Sportomatic as a special-order pounding their owners with incompre- option until the 3.2-liter Carrera arrived hensible shifting decisions and punishing in 1983. clutch action. In traffic, they were tem- Seven years prior to the Sportomatic’s peramental, to say the least. debut, a fellow named Howard Hobbs de- No longer. This is version 2.0. All bugs veloped what he called the Mechamatic fixed, all promises fulfilled. The Porsche’s transmission. His son David fitted it to a (optional) steering-wheel-mounted metal Lotus Elite and went on to win 15 out of shift paddles are finally in the correct po- the 18 races in which he campaigned the sition, much to the delight of anyone who car, including the Nürburgring 1000-kilo- suffered through the different but equally meter event. As a racing transmission, the worthless wheel-mounted switches used Mechamatic was almost unbeatable. It in Porsches over the past 22 years. Flick had planetary gears connected by multiple the left paddle once, twice, 10 times. Or clutches, with no torque converter to sap just hold it down for a while; it doesn’t mat- power and generate heat. On the street, ter. The 911’s gearbox computer interprets :: No matter what we prefer—or how loudly and often we decry the current state of affairs– however, it acquired the nickname “Jerk- your intent, not your execution, and deliv- the manual transmission is becoming an endangered species. The upside is that sports-car matic” for harsh, unpredictable shifting. ers flawless shifts down to the end of the manufacturers have that much more incentive to perfect a capable, engaging automatic. The sole mass-production Mechamatic braking zone. (Even when that happens, we won’t stop griping.) application, the 1960s Ford Cortina, was In midcorner, the 911 demonstrates un- not a success. Still, the writing was on the flappable front-end grip. Still, this is where wall: Even a half-baked automatic could a bit of nostalgia might enter the mind of be an advantage in competition. the experienced Porsche driver. The origi- Nearly 50 years later, Porsche’s dual- nal 911 was famous for the way in which clutch, two-pedal PDK gearbox is far bet- the unpowered steering rack sent a com- ter than half-baked. No torque-converter plete picture of the road through the car’s automatic can match its efficiency; no big, toothpick-thin steering wheel. When straight-cut crash box can shift as quickly. the 964-chassis car added hydraulic assist, Combined with the current 911, it might much of that truthfulness was preserved. be the best grand-touring answer money Even the last 997-chassis cars felt alive un- can buy. To find out, we put it head-to- der your hands. There was a subtle buzz, a head against the brilliant, but far simpler, predictability in the way resistance built un- Lotus Evora S IPS on the roads surround- der cornering pressure. Much of Porsche’s ing South Carolina’s Caesars Head State fanatical following can be traced to the Park. Later, we subjected the two ma- dialogue its cars initiate with their owners’ chines to the unblinking eye of the stop- hands, a flirtation at the touch points that watch at Carolina Motorsports Park. Only winds up underpinning some extremely one car could come out on top, but the satisfying long-term relationships. choice was far from automatic. All gone now, sadly. There’s no motion, no buzz, no vibration in the wheel, none of the organic tightness that made corner nd Points 370.0 entry such a delight. Just dependable grip 2 Porsche 911 Carrera S PDK and accurate response, thanks to elec- tric power steering, which substitutes a Somewhere up the mountain, I flick software simulacrum for the way the old the right-hand paddle into fourth gear. cars built fluid pressure or took up slack The big, raspy six punches me along the in the steering rack’s pinion. It frees up a narrow two-lane so hard that the sun little horsepower and can help save a few peeking through the tree cover becomes pounds, but the price is too high. a strobe light in the door mirrors. The As I chase the 911 down the side of wall of rock ahead swells with auto-zoom Caesars Head in the Evora S, I’m sur- intensity before I step on the hot but un- prised again and again by how much mid- fazed ceramic brakes for the 50th time corner ground I can gain on it. The 911 in 20 minutes, and that’s when I realize: fills my windshield, looking big and fat, Porsche’s really done it. The PDK is now ef- the same way Corvettes look from behind fectively flawless. the wheel of an air-cooled 911. Then the
42 www.roadandtrack.com 43 :: With a shockingly good automatic transmission and accurate :: Once inside the Evora’s sparse interior–no small feat thanks to (if numb) electric steering, the 911 Carrera S is the supermodel wide sills and an asphalt-scraping stance–you’re in fingertip control of of sports cars: flawless, distant, and effortlessly making you look an agile, responsive, happy-making machine. It shows just how good better than you are. Toyota’s V-6 can be.
road straightens, and while I’m fussing Porsche absurdly sideways at some very On the 250-mile drive from our test Thankfully, the Sturm matches the you’re looking for an intimate connection Lotus, but the moving parts are left com- with my corner exit, the 911 just rockets implausible speeds and bring it back al- route to our hotel, the PDK offers a Hydra- Drang. The 911 knocks down the quarter- between man and machine, keep reading. pletely Toyota-stock. out, its steamroller 305-section rear tires most effortlessly. Lift-throttle oversteer, Matic’s worth of pleasant, almost invisible mile in 11.9 seconds at 116.7 mph against Lotus may be willing to trust Toyota, but traction-control stutter-stepping away once the last sensation some 911 pilots shifting. The 928 keeps popping back into the Evora’s 12.7 and 110.4 mph. Around from the moment I press the flimsy “D” and raising a tiny cloud of dust each time. experienced, has been tamed into a party my head. The feeling of that wonderful the racetrack, the 911 worked its trac- st Points 370.7 button on the sparse center console, there That’s classic rear-engine behavior. The trick. The next generation will probably big Porsche is here, just updated for the tion and power advantages to pull out 1 Lotus Evora S IPS are concerns. In heavy traffic, where the gap widens on every straight. Despite a have a button that does it for you so you modern age: flawless interior detailing, a 4.8-second lead. Here, as on the open torque-converter-equipped gearbox should weight advantage and a supercharger, the can take a call from your broker while an integrated telematics system that has road, PDK proved its worth, delivering “I think that we may safely trust,” excel, it frustrates. “I hate this transmis- Evora can’t match the Porsche. your passengers cower under the body- finally drawn at least level with much of perfect shifts again and again without get- Henry David Thoreau once wrote, “a good sion,” barked one editor, right as the Evora When we trade cars at the bottom of color-matched seatbelts. the German competition, and an optional ting hot or bothered. deal more than we do.” The engineering charmlessly clunked through a needless the hill and head back up, I shed the Evora This isn’t the first time Porsche has fo- Burmester sound system that will let you This isn’t the first 911 to feature a PDK team at Lotus cannot be accused of that upshift in a fast-food parking lot. within a few corners, quickly finding faith cused on combining blinding speed with feel Vladimir Ashkenazy’s fingers on the transmission (the previous iteration had soft cowardice. Since its introduction, the Still, it’s hard to think too much about in the fade-free brakes and the massive bi- absolute ease of use. The company’s origi- keyboard as he pounds through a Rach- it from 2009 onward) but it’s the first in standard Evora has used an unmodified drive-through discontent when you’re nary grip of the front end. When I push nal attempt at this formula was the front- maninoff concerto. which the self-shifter seems the obvious Toyota V-6 straight out of your mother’s tucked into the Evora’s cabin. This is how a too far, the nose lets go progressively, al- engined, water-cooled, V-8-powered 928, Of course, many owners will prefer just choice. The available seven-speed manual Camry. The Evora S added a supercharger GT car should feel: spacious enough to ac- lowing me to cover each mistake as if I’d built from 1978 to 1995. That car—which listening to the new-generation waterbox- might offer more involvement, but involve- but left engine internals stock. Now we commodate your six-foot-two, 240-pound meant to do it. Couldn’t be any easier. was usually sold with an automatic trans- er. Our tester’s Sport Plus mode, accessed ment isn’t this Porsche’s reason for being. have the Evora S IPS (for Intelligent Preci- narrator, but still satisfyingly snug. If the Anybody can go fast in this car, and the mission—was intended to replace the through one of the car’s dozen fiddly little Nor, sadly, is the kind of nervy excitement sion Shift), which adds the six-speed au- 911 derives its interior aesthetic from mildly talented can go very fast. 911. Porsche’s customer base never fully console buttons, opens up the optional that came standard on even the cheapest tomatic transaxle commonly paired with the massive Panamera sedan, the Evora Around Carolina Motorsports Park, accepted it, forcing the brand to abandon sport exhaust’s baffles and permits the en- air-cooled Porsche. The Carrera S may flat- the V-6 in Toyota applications. The gear- is a Lotus Elise painted with leather. The we learn that it’s possible to throw the the concept and refine the 911 instead. gine to bellow its way down the road. ter its driver, but it fails to fascinate him. If box-management software is provided by car’s entire instrumentation is located in a
44 Road & Track • April 2013 www.roadandtrack.com 45 The twin-hooded pod behind the small steering passenger in each car, watching the other Results wheel. There’s no integration between the editors operate them. The 911 is driven dashboard and the aftermarket (though with a lot of shoulder motion, a lot of Performance factory-installed) Pioneer sound system. upper-torso shifting. Given a wide cabin, Performance points based on a Lotus Evora Porsche 911 proportional scale (normalization). Most of the Evora’s functions are handled a narrow road, and a lack of feedback, the S IPS Carrera S PDK by pressing one of a handful of identical al- drivers are subconsciously trying to ad- 0–60-mph time 30 pts 25.1 30.0 loy buttons, each of which is tucked behind dress the situation with body movement. 0–1/4-mile time 30 pts 28.1 30.0 the wheel and emblazoned with incompre- Once seated in the Lotus, however, they re- hensible hieroglyphics. (Is that the glove- lax into the deep buckets and let their eyes Slalom 30 pts 29.4 30.0 box release? Traction-control disconnect? and hands direct the proceedings. Where Skidpad 30 pts 28.0 30.0 Hazard lights?) the Porsche impresses, the Evora connects. Braking, 60–0 mph 30 pts 30.0 29.1 It’s tempting to dismiss the Evora as a At Carolina Motorsports Park, the Evora Braking, 80–0 mph 30 pts 30.0 29.6 long-wheelbase Elise, an unpalatable at- reiterated that connection for each of our Fuel economy, EPA 20 pts 20.0 18.8 tempt to turn a sports car into a 2+2, but drivers. The track has a little trick to take those notions recede after a few hours SUBTOTAL 200 pts 190.6 197.5 the confidence out of new arrivals: Turn behind the wheel. The Evora rides well, Two is faster than Turn One by quite a bit, Subjective it’s acceptably quiet, and the comfort you but Turn Three only looks faster than Turn Subjective ratings based on points awarded by editors in each of 12 categories and scored based on a proportional scale. You’re being propelled toward the apex, and all
Driving excitement 20 pts 20.0 10.6 your sense, all your experience, tells you Engine 20 pts 13.5 20.0 to slow down. The Evora seems to whisper, Gearbox 20 pts 8.2 20.0 “We can do it. Keep it flat.” Steering 20 pts 20.0 13.4 Brakes 20 pts 20.0 20.0 feel after climbing over the wide sill and Two. They’re identical in radius, but you settling into the outstanding seats proves approach Three at a much higher speed. Ride 20 pts 20.0 17.2 enduring. Of course, there’s wind noise You may come into Three with doubts Handling 20 pts 20.0 19.4 from an imperfect seal somewhere. You about the Lotus as a racetrack proposi- Exterior styling 15 pts 15.0 8.6 expect that. If Lotus ever became a full- tion—it’s down on power, it desperately Interior styling 15 pts 15.0 13.7 scale car company, it would have to create needs wider tires, the “Intelligent Preci- Seats 10 pts 10.0 10.0 a machine that simulated such flaws, lest sion Shift” is neither terribly intelligent nor former Esprit owners think they’d acciden- particularly precise—but at that moment, Ergonomics/controls 10 pts 10.0 9.6 tally purchased a Scion. it all comes together. The supercharged en- Luggage space 10 pts 8.4 10.0 As with all Lotuses, it takes a twisty gine is strong enough, and it’s urgent when SUBTOTAL 200 pts 180.1 172.5 road to bring out the Evora’s magic. The firmly locked into a gear. You’re being pro- front suspension is surprisingly soft, but pelled toward the apex, and all your sense, Points Standings that compliance is welcome when you’re all your experience, tells you to slow down. Points based on a proportional scale, independent of price. really pushing. Driving a mid-engine car The Evora seems to whisper, “We can do it. quickly takes a sympathetic hand; after Keep it flat.” Total Points (400 pts) 370.7 370.0 all, with most of the weight between the As you exit Three, you may be a little Final Standings axles, there’s always a risk that a small rota- sideways and short of breath, but you won’t 1 2 tion will become a big one. The Evora has worry or wonder about the Evora’s talents Lotus Evora Porsche 911 S IPS Carrera S PDK a tightrope walker’s delicacy in the way it any more. This is no jumped-up sedan, no loads its tires. As we climb and descend the 500-hp brick, no blunt instrument con- Standings, Price dependent Carolina mountains, the Porsche is point- quering the clock with sheer force. It’s the Points based on a proportional scale; and-shoot, but the Lotus playfully encour- purest, simplest answer to a complex ques- points range based on percentage of top price. ages you to try for that last bit of midcorner tion. This is why we buy a sports car, or a 200.0 183.5 speed. The Evora is fast, but it needs you to grand tourer, or any combination of the Price as tested $96,580 $144,350 get the best out of it. above. It’s the real deal. This is a fingertip machine. You use The IPS transmission, on the other Price-sensitive total points 570.7 553.5 your fingertips to operate the fiddly little hand, isn’t. It’s competent enough but lacks Price-sensitive 1 2 buttons, to move the wispy control stalks, the PDK’s facility for cutting lap times and standings Lotus Evora Porsche 911 to drive the car hard. It’s not an Elise, but losing pursuers on a twisty back road. An S IPS Carrera S PDK compared with everything else on the Evora S PDK would truly be the best of both market, it has a singular purity of touch worlds—it would combine the world’s best and feedback. You enter the corner by automatic with the car we love more. Of flexing your wrists, and you leave it by let- course, we’d like a manual-shift Evora S even ting them relax. In the 911, one issues or- better, and we suspect drivers who aren’t ders and observes their inevitable fulfill- facing the Chicago Loop or New York’s Lin- ment; in the Evora, there’s a conversation coln Tunnel would, too. going on, one in which both participants Alas, we’re here to compare self-shifters. are expected to understand subtlety. Even with a less-than-perfect automatic, the As obvious as the Evora’s superior- Lotus still wins. The 911 PDK is a great two- ity over the Porsche is from the driver’s pedal car, but the Evora IPS is simply a great seat, it’s even more apparent when I ride car, with or without a third pedal.
46 Road & Track • April 2013