Can you really have fun driving a Tiptronic Porsche?
 

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.

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

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!

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...

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.

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!

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1381469723.jpg

http://986forum.com/forums/uploads01...1381469734.jpg

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

You may miss the shifter, but you'll never miss a shift! :D
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!

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.

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!

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.

Love my Tip :D

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

A 986 with paddle shifters? Great looking setup! :D

TO

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!

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

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.

Can you get them with the silver buttons that activate the KERS and DRS? ;)

TO

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".

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.

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

I don't think the move to automatic Porsches like the GT3 are entirely about sales.
That car has a limited production and in good times (like now) for the wealthy Porsche have no problem selling those small numbers. Dr. P's decision to go with a PDK only GT3 seems to be more about pace. The rear engine Porsche has been taken to its performance limit, it needs the quicker gear changes to squeeze every split second it can muster. Ditto for the four wheel steering which would not be necessary on a shorter car like the Cayman/Boxster but the swollen proportions of the Carrera have created those weirly abrubpt handling quirks.

People say that the an automatic GT3 will open up the car to more buyers but It seems like a stretch to me. If you're not into sports cars I doubt you're going to spend $150K on a GT3 (PDK or not) over a Panamera, Jag or Aston. I would think a big plush grand touring like the 991 Turbo would be a more likely choice than the GT3.

The other thing is engine maintenance/longevity. With that much power I think Porsche's engineers have deduced that keeping the gear shifting out of the hands of the deep-pocketed but not really experienced driver will result in much more reliable Porsches. Or conversely, as Porsche have themselves complained "some people only buy this car to use it on the track, that's not what we intended, this isn't a racing car, it's a racing car for the street". In other words it only costs like a racing car and if people are going to punish it on the track then PDK will make that harder. It's a win win for Porsche on possible reliablity. Some of the track junkies complain that the GT3 should be manual but track junkies are only a small part of the small part of Carrera buyers. If anything the manual transmission super sports car was on borrowed time, Ferrari dumped the the lever long ago. The bottom line is that as these sports cars need to go faster to outdo the other brand, the less they will allow the drivrer to mess up. With the engine in the rear, the Carrera is already on the back foot agains the midengine cars like the 458 and R8. Case in point, Porsche reclaims the N-Ring lap record and it wasn't a rear engine car that did it and by the margin that the 918 Spyder laid down, I doubt it will ever be anything but midengine going forward. That's was a game-change momment for the brand.

Poser soccer mom-ish? Ouch. Your opinion to which you're entitled. I mean it must be tough for to find situations where a Boxster driver can sound tough, right? I mean it is the Porsche for girls, right? Even with a manual?

Frankly, I similarly devalue the opinions of those that buy used, non-classic cars. It's only money, right? Just make more (if you need to) and build your own car, if what you like isn't on the lot. Why waste all that time and effort looking for someone else's throw-away, or sloppy seconds, thirds, or fourths? ;)

I mean hey, if you don't like something, that's fine. Personally, I think that there is no uglier feature than the fried egg lights on 986, 996, etc., and I have yet to see conversion kits that allow 987, 997, etc., the option of retrofitting them. Actually, I spend all my extra time NOT looking at used cars trying to find a positive thread about the fried egg lights, and haven't yet.

Disclaimer: I have not driven a manual Porsche or one with fried egg lights, but willingly drive all tips and pdks. By choice, by choice.

Say Anything -- by choice - YouTube

For those scoring at home: I should say I'm also joking/sarcastic in my words above, much like I'm sure the other poster was joking/sarcastic.

^Dude fried eggs are the coolest... The last Porsche to take the overall at LeMans over a decade ago had them and not the beetle lights.

[QUOTE=986_inquiry;369844]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



Gee 986, sure sure don't feel like a soccer mom driving my tip! Maybe because I am having too much fun??? Do you think denigrating you by calling you a name would make you run out an buy at TIP? You have fun driving a manual and a lot of us have fun driving a TIP. End of story.

AKL:cheers:

Hey, it's your choice, man. Enjoy 'em fried or over-easy (de-ambered) -- I'm not a registered Republican so I really don't care what other people choose in terms of headlights -- it really doesn't affect me -- even if Alex Jones says it does. :rolleyes:

Personally, I don't check the LeMans results before making a car purchase or what all the monks in Belgium are doing before buying a beer, but admittedly, I am a much more simple being who can't even find time for soccer (pardon my ignorance, too, but what little I know of soccer... why does a mom need an SUV? Has shin guard technology progressed so much that that all the space of an SUV is required? Do parents provide their own goals? When did soccer necessitate an SUV and who really plays this "sport" -- if you call it that? I (with my soccer-wife) took my 4-year-old daughter to soccer once. Registered her and everything. After watching the swarm move up and down the field, I really don't understand the appeal (or how this is a sport for kids) After 1 game, we didn't go back -- even at 4, my daughter knew that she didn't want my Wife (or me) to ever have that nasty "soccer-stigma" associated with our parenthood for swarm-related, non-directed activities that the kids really don't understand, especially since no one wins or loses.) :p

I think it at the time the term soccer mom was coined, soccer, or more correctly football, was resurgent as a favored organized sport of suburban families. The term was whipped up by one of these political pollsters. I've personally seen these surveys and they're pretty amusing. NASCAR dads, Soccer mom, joe six packs, etc.
It really has nothing to do with soccer or the van. That's just what people in that specific demographic like to do with their kid-hauler, and they target political (aka corruption) TV ads accordingly.

The Boxster, regardless of year, is definitely a low production car compared to many, and I'm not sure that the older ones are really soccer mom material - they are definitely in the camp of enthusiasts.

I think we may have become spoiled with PDK/DSG and how good it has gotten recently. I drove a C55 AMG fairly recently - 5 speed auto. The response was really very bad in manual mode. I was quite surprised. It's great how far cars have come recently though, especially the 8 Speed autos in the BMWs.

Bah give him a break... he is just back from a $2,320 clutch change job, got stuck in heavy traffic, his knee, heal and wrist hurts bad, and then he saw this succer-mum freely passing in the emergency lane with her super aftermarket paddle'd steering wheel mimicking the revs of an F1 car with her lips

That, is enough to make anyone jealous believe me ;)

I love mine. I drive very often in the manual mode though. Incidentally, Fifth Gear just did a story on the cayman pdk vs the standard. The pdk did very well against the standard. Neck and neck very often. It seemed it could simply be the driver and not the transmission.

Do you mean the episode they did 4 years ago, or was there one more recently again?

I recorded it about a month ago and watched it recently.
I don't recall the car year or the year they showed the episode. I just remember taking away them comparing the transmissions.

I have friends that only buy Mercs, a 30+ year tradition but I've yet to drive a a single modern Merc that I thought was remotely worth buying at full boat. That brand is the epitome of a brand having so many models that they can no longer maintain quality to the standards they were once known for. I'm not sure why Porsche gets all the abuse, there are far worse. And I don't if its just me but having a Merc just doesn't get the sort of attention it once did. In that respect Porsche has all other German brands beat....if that's important to the buyer. I just find it interesting that in the midst of all this mind-boggling over-production Porsche has still managed to hold onto a bit of that novelty. I can't remember how many time someone said "wow you have a Porsche". Whereas I've never heard that said to my friends that have Audis, Bimmers, Range Rovers, etc.

I like to tell my friends that if weren't for the Boxster I probably would have moved on away from Porsche long ago. My cars can't just be garage queens, I don't have the space or time for it. I need a car that can be driven year round, isn't going to leave me stranded, nor comes with costly engine rebuilds as a part of standard long haul ownership. The Boxster has checked all those boxes.

Do your think it would be fun driving a current formula 1 car? Well, for the same reason that Porsche has made only the PDK available in the new GT3 - computers can shift and match revs more quickly and accurately than any human, they don't have manual transmissions either.

Don't get me wrong - I own and prefer a manual transmission. Ultimate lap times/performance don't matter to me and frankly, I have always considered the skill of being able to properly use a manual transmission, including double-clutching downshifts, etc. to be one of the things that defined being a good performance driver. I take pride in my abilities at matching revs and driving a manual transmission smoothly and quickly - that it is I and not a computer that is accurately blipping the throttle on downshifts. And even though this skill is clearly on the way to becoming a 'lost art', I suspect that I will always take pride in it.

I guess it is somewhat akin to the prevalence now of autotune for singers - they no longer need to sing on key as a computer can make the adjustments for them prior to the sound being amplified, or recorded. So, if perfect pitch no longer requires any skill, who cares if anyone has it? Some artists do. And some audiences. I, for one, would far rather listen to a recordning of Frank Sinatra, occasional errors and all, singing a song, than an auto-tuned and computer-corrected Michael Buble singing the same song. IMO, the former is true artistry - flubs and human foibles and all, whereas the latter is a homogenized and sterile imitation of artistry.

Now. does Micheal Buble enjoy singing before thousands of screaming and adoring fans without worrying about singing in tune? Count on it!

Brad

I test drove an Boxster S with tiptronic today, 987. I was actually very surprised - it's a pretty good transmission and very sporty; in auto it held the gear when I was really on it, and it seemed to shift pretty well with the buttons. You have to time it correctly, but in general it was not as slow as I was fearing - actually pretty usable as a fun shifting transmission.

It was a 2005 S - would a base 2007 Cayman have the same transmission? Sporty and hold gears, etc?

Can you really have fun driving a Tiptroni Porsche
 

I do! Several times a week

I've got an '00 Boxster S with Tiptronic, and love it. Sure, I would've preferred a full manual tranny, but I got the car from a very good friend for only $4000.00, regularly maintained by Porsche mechanics. At 121,000 miles, it runs like a champ.
I've seen 125mph indicated on the highway in 4th gear/5500rm, still pulling hard.

I ran a Carfax on it, and retail came bach at $10,790

Absolutely, YES!

Agreed! My thumb is faster and with less work than a manual. I don't use it on the track so don't need a manual. I stopped using a manual trans 30 years ago and have been happy with the choice ever since, so is my left leg.
I drive in manual mode 100% of the time.

I drove my brother's E46 M3 with an auto once and was shocked at how awful it was.