This lets drivers experience the dynamism of the sports car, such as on mountain roads with lots of bends or on circuit racetracks without spoiling shifting pleasure by requiring strenuous clutch work. The gear ratios were adapted to the modified engine characteristic. The longer gear ratios, which start with the third gear, enable good fuel economy without affecting the car's sportiness.

PDK has new operating logic and dual-mass flywheel

The top priority in further development of the PDK was on greater efficiency while maintaining high levels of sporty and comfort properties. For the driver, this is most apparent in the new shifting direction of the selector lever. As in the 911 GT3 and many Porsche race vehicles, pulling the lever back now means upshifting, while pressing it forward downshifts. For the first time, Porsche is using a dual-mass flywheel with a centrifugal pendulum for the PDK, as well as intelligent overrun cut-off and virtual gears. The centrifugal pendulum, which incidentally is also used with the manual transmission, is an adaptive vibration absorber that dampens drivetrain vibrations over a broad range of engine speeds. The effect: when driving slowly, the driver can drive in a higher gear with low revs without any jolts. This enhances drive comfort and also saves on fuel.

Better fuel economy: intelligent overrun cut-off and extended automatic stop-start system

Intelligent overrun cut-off occurs in such situations as when the driver releases the accelerator pedal on a motorway descent. Initially, the drive control system switches to what is referred to as a coasting mode with open clutches and the engine idling. If the car's speed continues to increase, intelligent overrun cut-off is activated which engages the clutch and shuts off the engine. The automatic stop-start system has also learned to interrupt the flow of fuel early when rolling to a stop. The new functions lead to noticeably improved fuel economy – automatically and without the driver noticing changes in the car's handling.

The virtual intermediate gears have the same fuel-saving effect; they have already proven themselves in the 911 Turbo. They are employed during smooth, constant driving to reduce revs at times when shifting to the next higher gear would drop revs below the engine's lower rev limit. To employ the virtual gears, the transmission controller engages adjacent gear levels, controls both clutches for defined slip and transmits the drive power in this way. When the driver accelerates, the Porsche Doppelkupplung downshifts to the suitable gear at lightning speed. Since the PDK has oil bath clutches, this innovative transmission function is wear-free.