Does anyone else think the 6-speed is not necessary? - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

blue2000s · 02-15-2007, 07:48 AM

Wow, total agreement. Is that a 986forum first?

Perfectlap · 02-15-2007, 08:15 AM

Necessary? Well to reduce the engine wear and promote longevity I think you'll find the lower RPMs you run the longer the engine will last.
Whenver I upchange to 6th gear on the highway the revs come down. May or not be the best for the fuel consumption but its easier on the engine life me thinks.
When I commuting in city traffic I keep the at 3rd and 4th to strike a good balance.

I also try to short shift in the winter as much as possible before the oil temp is in the safe zone.

blue2000s · 02-15-2007, 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perfectlap

Whenver I upchange to 6th gear on the highway the revs come down. May or not be the best for the fuel consumption but its easier on the engine life me thinks.
When I commuting in city traffic I keep the at 3rd and 4th to strike a good balance.

That's the same thing all the other posts have noted if you read them.

porsche986spyder · 02-15-2007, 08:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue2000s

That's the same thing all the other posts have noted if you read them.

Ditto! What those last to guys just said.

FrayAdjacent · 02-15-2007, 08:52 AM

My previous car was a 6 speed manual. I had wanted the 5 speed, but took what they had on the lot. I liked it, but yes, the gears were pretty closely spaced. First gear went by VERY quick, and people that supercharged that type of car lamented that first gear became all but useless, as all it would do is spin the tires.

6th gear was also probably not the greatest ratio, as when travelling at freeway speeds (75mph or so), the engine was at or higher than 4000rpm!

Anyway, I like the gearing of my 5 speed Boxster. It works out well. For my commute, I almost never get to 5th gear since the highest speed limit between here and there is 45mph. And I've already found that she does great on the highway! (trip to Dallas and back rated 30.2mpg!)

Perfectlap · 02-15-2007, 09:01 AM

well I don't care about marketing, if I had the option of a 5 or 6 speed gear box I would take the 6 speed for the highway/touring which is where most of my miles accrued. When the momentum has me at 75-80, I try to keep the revs as low as possible.

For track or AutoX as someone noted, the revs stay in the powerband with only 3rd, beyond 2nd for Autox well then its not really an Autox anymore.

eslai · 02-15-2007, 09:32 AM

Probably not a necessary thing, I agree.

However, to the original poster, I'd have to say that I don't see how having a sixth gear is any way related to having a torsen diff. It's not like you can only have one or the other--the six speed transmission has a differential as well, just not a torque-biasing or otherwise slip-limiting one.

Am I missing something?

John Y · 02-15-2007, 09:50 AM

I think his point was that the LSD would have been a more valuable standard feature for the car than an extra gear, in his opinion.

blue2000s · 02-15-2007, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Y

I think his point was that the LSD would have been a more valuable standard feature for the car than an extra gear, in his opinion.

Yes, that's what I meant.

BuffaloBoxster · 02-15-2007, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue2000s

Wow, total agreement. Is that a 986forum first?

Not in total agreement.. Even in the 5-speed the ratios are designed for track speeds. 2nd in my base 986 is good for 72 MPH at redline. On the track, your acceleration will be compromised at higher speeds if the gears are spaced further apart.

I've also thought that changing the final drive would be a great bang-for-the-buck performance upgrade, but I don't recall ever seeing one for the Box.

Gary Gaukler · 02-15-2007, 10:05 AM

The usefulness of the Boxster's six gears and 5th gear in particular really depends on how/where you drive the car. I agree that in the US, where you really ought not to exceed 90mph or so on a public highway, 5th is fairly useless. I shift 4-6.

But the car was not developed exclusively for the US. When trying to accelerate to Autobahn speeds - e.g. past 115mph - 5th gear makes a lot of sense to me. The same can be said for track driving. Even at TWS, which is a fairly slow track, you will run out of 4th gear before the end of the straight.

Gary

1JB · 02-15-2007, 11:38 AM

The sixth gear makes it possible for Porsche to claim higher mpg on the highway. If you put it in 6th gear at 55 and lug around you'll get the claimed mpg.

blue2000s · 02-15-2007, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1JB

The sixth gear makes it possible for Porsche to claim higher mpg on the highway. If you put it in 6th gear at 55 and lug around you'll get the claimed mpg.

The ratio of 6th is fine, it's the existence of 5th that I'm questioning.

1JB · 02-16-2007, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blue2000s

The ratio of 6th is fine, it's the existence of 5th that I'm questioning.

I haven't had a problem with the ratios of 4-5-6. I don't think you're saying you go right from 4th to 6th. If you are your highway driving conditions are very different than mine. 5th seems very well suited for the routing traffic on the highways where I drive. Plenty of torque and room for swings from 65 - 100 without shifting. The only usefulness I get out of 6th is racing along at ridiculously high speeds or taking a break and just cruising along just like all the other drivers. I get plenty of use out of 5th on the highway. Driving off highway to and from work on windy roads I rarely get into 4th.

In the end as someone else said I think it all comes down to your traffic and road conditions.

Chills · 02-16-2007, 08:58 AM

The top gear on the 5-speed and the 6-speed are EXACTLY the same gear ratio. Check your owner's manuals, that's where I found this.

I like having 6 gears, but honestly, I rarely use 5th. 1-3 for city driving, 4th on the on-ramp, and pop up to 6th when I'm on the freeway. I sometimes will downshift to 5th so I can accelerate quickly to pass someone. That's when the gear gets used the most.

Bavarian Motorist · 02-15-2007, 11:56 AM

I want 1-5 to be closely geared, and 6th to be some MAJOR economy gear that is hardly good for anything.

That's how it is in the corvette.

I think the 5 speed is geared to keep 5th gear a "usable" gear, when in reality it's not.

For example...100mph in 5th gear will put me around 4k rpm. That's too much. I don't wanna be past 3500-3700 @ 100mph.

Perfectlap · 02-15-2007, 12:08 PM

if you dropped 5th gear the "dropp off" from 4th to 6th would be weird and I think would alter the shifting experience.
It would also result in more gear changes which is fun(but not with this gear box!)
but would reduce the life of the gear box. Anything that reduces the life lifespan of anything Porsche is not something I'm lining up to pay for.
EDIT.

Bavarian Motorist · 02-15-2007, 12:16 PM

I don't even like going into 5th gear. It feels like such an unnatural motion, lol.

Is this just me?

AUDIOGUY · 02-15-2007, 04:07 PM

I have a sixth gear??? Funny, I rarely get out of 3rd on my way home from work. I use sixth about 1 a month maybe...

I definatley like first and second. My buddys 911 C4s has a shorter first, or so it seems. Maybe the rev limiter kicks in earlier on a 911. Any thoughts?