Can you really have fun driving a Tiptronic Porsche?

[rondocap]

OK, this isn't a manual versus tiptronic thread - but rather a question for a car driven for fun. Here's my issue:

I, as you may remember - had a manual 986 Boxster that I ended up selling. I really enjoyed it, but due to work I was not really driving it much, and the car was going to need some rather expensive maintenance work that I wanted to do. (New glass top, IMS upgrade, etc..)

So I ended up getting a 12' Manual autobahn GTI. It's a lot of fun, and actually a lot easier to drive than the Porsche. For some reason, my Boxster's clutch had a very high point for getting on the gas with the clutch, and it was always a bit finicky which would lead to some stalls and uncomfortable driving. Amazing how much better the 2012 GTI clutch and gearbox feel vs the 2001 Boxster.

Anyway, I miss the feel of the Boxster. I can't have 2 manual cars for many reasons - so I was looking at the tiptronic cars. Perhaps a 986, but most likely a 2006 987 as that has the glass window, and upgraded IMS so I won't have to spend anything.

So here's my question: Can I still have fun driving sportily a tiptronic, (Not PDK) Boxster, base model? I remember my Boxster had really long gears, 3rd gear would go all the way up to 100mph - which meant I did not have to shift as much when really moving. So I figure the tiptronic would be OK here, and I could always retrofit the Chrono sports pack for faster shifts.

Any idea, or should I just wait until I can get a 2009+ PDK car? I really kind of like the idea of the tiptronic, and they're obviously much cheaper than the PDK cars.

[TRPLBLK04]

Never had a Tip till this one.........its a blast!

[BTfd2e93]

cant comment on 987 .... mine is a 986 ... but the tip is great.

i know how u feel ... as i got a tip because I also have a MT car .... so taking into account constant comparison between to 2 ... i'd say the tip is one of the best auto cars I've driven. Its very responsive for an auto .... i still have loads of fun in the box .... sometimes opting to drive it over the other cos its easy & fun!

[bglz42]

I never thought I would own a tip. But now, might not ever go back to manual in a Porsche. It's a fantastic transmission...

[pjv]

I bought a Tip so that my wife could drive it, since she won't drive a manual. But she has never driven it anyway and I wish I had bought a manual. It is still a great car, but in auto mode it is fairly boring and changes too early in my opinion. So I drive it most of the time in 'manual' mode, which is a lot more enjoyable - but still not as much fun as a manual shift. The tip-shift buttons on the steering wheel can be a nuisance at times, they should have put paddles on the steering column, again my opinion. The choice comes down to whether you need the auto for specific reasons, such as heavy traffic, or whether you like changing gears yourself.

[Nine8Six]

In all honesty, I don't think I am going to go back to the manual gearbox cars ever after all the fun that I had using the tiptronic. Mine shift flawlessly without any slipping or RPM increase between gears. It is a straight and crisp shift. As fast as the manual or possibly faster not 100% sure. Also the tiptronic ECU "quickly" adapts to my driving style whether I push the car or drive it onto busy street. It's almost instant. Really good fun indeed and of course, no knee pains in traffic jams or $2000 job to change the clutch

So much fun that I got the 320mm steering wheel with F1 style paddles. They are not on the column but it does the job extremely well!!!

No-more manual gearbox anymore for me ever. Finito!

[TeamOxford]

Originally Posted by Nine8Six

So much fun that I got the 320mm steering wheel with F1 style paddles. They are not on the column but it does the job extremely well!!!

A 986 with paddle shifters? Great looking setup!

TO

[Nine8Six]

Oh hang on mate, those are the "fifi" ricer-girl set-up. Some other guy here got aftermarket Ferrari-style carbon fiber paddles. Those are mounted on the column.

Not only they "look" like the real deal, they are fixed, he doesn't lose them, and they don't hide his RMP gauge on corner entries

Not sure what went wrong with Porsche to mount those on their car's steering wheels in all honesty. Pretty weird if you ask me but there you go, that's what we have!

in this case, a RAID 320mm steering wheel. It weights 20kilos I think (as in SOLID and comfy). Just that alone is worth every penny spent - fifi ricer-girl paddles is only extra!

[jcb986]

My 2000S with Tip shifts beautifully. Did a full service on it at 67k and it only cost me about $125. Much cheaper than a manual. Now I was also wanting a manual, but I found the clutch to stiff and the grabbing point to high up. I drove several different models with low and high miles and they all felt the same. Love my TIP.

[Perfectlap]

Has any actually had to repair these Tip transmissions yet? Ditto for anyone with 09+ PDK with (high mileage obviously).

[NewArt]

You may miss the shifter, but you'll never miss a shift!
I hear you pjv. My wife hasn't drive mine either.
There's a good thread about tip techniques (or tip tips, if you like) on these forums from people who track their cars. Do a search, it's interesting reading!

[Nine8Six]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Has any actually had to repair these Tip transmissions yet? Ditto for anyone with 09+ PDK with (high mileage obviously).

Lots of Tip around here and heard of a few failing yes. Normally it's far cheaper to get a replacement (2nd hand) than to get it fixed. You have to be somehow lucky to have one that actually works flawlessly. Many either slips between gears, rev'ing +200rpm, some others clunks a lot/randomly. But when you have one that actually works it can be a blast

The biggest problem with the 986 Tip is the "false neutral" when downshifting at higher speed than the tip can manage. Can be scary as hell and once the gear decide to slide in, it "clunck" really bad if not quick enough to upshift it.

Some are worst than others Every tip is unique for some strange reason

[cfos]

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Has any actually had to repair these Tip transmissions yet? Ditto for anyone with 09+ PDK with (high mileage obviously).

Not me. I DD'd my 2006 987 tip (even in the winter) for 3+ years. Bought it new and paid a total of $26 dollars for a burned out bulb in one tail. Dealer installation included. Total mileage around 26,000.

Had several check engine lights on my 2009 997.2S pdk. Though it was frustrating, didn't pay a penny for anything. When the battery went dead, dealer replaced it for free (out of warranty). Owned that car for 4+ years and it was a DD (until we moved to a higher elevation where the snow was too deep). Total mileage around 28,000.

Currently, my 981 pdk has been worry free. Had one problem where the iPod hook-up recessed behind the plastic part; however, dealer fixed it before I went 2 miles in the dealer-supplied drive back to work. Total mileage near 1100.

Granted, none of these cars were high mileage cars, but I don't buy into the gloom and doom of these transmissions [but I do buy my homes in this economy so take my words with a grain of sand as I'm sure to have invalidated my opinion] and find that they can be "fun".

[Topless]

I have driven several student's Tip 986, 996, 997 cars and was surprised how really excellent it was. The next generation PDK is nearly perfect IMO.

[rick3000]

I was in a Cayman tip, for a month after I was rear ended two years ago. I personally do not enjoy the tip in automatic mode, it never knows which gear it is supped to be in, so when you put your foot down it takes a second to figure itself out. That said, in manual mode with the paddle shifters I did have a fair bit of fun. I still prefer a manual, however if I lived in a traffic area, I would seriously consider an automatic/tip with paddle shifters.

It might be the best of both worlds for some people because you can still be in control of the gears, but other people in the family can drive it in automatic mode.

[recycledsixtie]

I echo Rick3000 in that if I lived in a high traffic area a tip or PDK would be the answer. So far where I live the traffic is not too bad and I like the manual. Tip = more maintenance $$$ if it goes wrong. PDK = more maintenance $$$ but no ims....

If it was me then PDK/no ims is worth waiting for if you must go auto trans. Plus maybe a warranty!

[mountainman]

I have a 986 tiptronic and a 996 tiptronic (both chosen so the wife would be comfortable driving them) and a 987 6 speed. I enjoy driving all of them. I have been driving cars for about 60 years (mostly sports cars) and I will have to admit that the manual shift does feel more natural since that is what I have had the most time in. That said, I do most of my driving on mountain roads and generally use the tiptronic in manual mode anyway so I don't feel compromised in any way.

[haz]

Love my Tip

[psquared39]

Tip in manual mode every day, love it... don't remember the last time I drove it in auto... Shifts flawless...

[986_inquiry]

when my manual 986 died I bought a manual 987. I can't imagine buying a Porsche with an automatic, just seems so poser soccer mom-ish

Yes I know the new GT3 isn't available as a manual which just seems so wrong to me. I find it hard to believe manual GT3 sales were so poor in previous years that Porsche felt they could offer automatic only

That said the only automatic Porsche I've driven was a Cayenne. It was a awful experience that I would only want to wish on a soccer mom. Shifts were slow and sluggish, only a Camry driver could appreciate a tiptronic Cayenne