They are kinda right about the 996 in terms of the ability to rebuild the M96 with Porsche parts. Even now any failure on the PDK means dropping in a whole new transmission.

Enjoyed reading your comparison as I have a 996 C4S. One thing to keep in mind for PDK vs manual is that manual will likely be preferred if you plan on keeping your car till classic status. A manual will always be easy to service. A PDK needs to be replaced and the cost of the unit will increase with age. My prediction is that the new cars are too complex to be economically feasible to drive regularly once they’re 20+ years old. The 996/997 don’t have this issue, so they’re the best and last modern classic 911.