Are automatics on a 996 any good?

What do you think about automatic gears on a 996? 1-100km/hr, how much slower is the automatic compared to manual? And do they make the car generally more reliable or less reliable?

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On paper around 0,8 second slower. But I guess a lot of people will not be able to make the manual reach its full potential on a standstill launch. So probably they will be faster in a tiptronic. However be aware that a tiptronic weighs +100lbs more then the manual gearbox and a lot of that extra weight needs to be spinned around. This makes the car accelerate somewhat slower. Also the extra weight influences the handling of the car. You will notice that when you drive the car side by side to compare. The manual feels much more agile and revs a bit faster. For my feeling the gear ratios of the 6 speed manual also cover much better the power band of the engine.

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Yeah they�re great cars. In fact they�re the same as a manual with the exception of the transmission. If you�re going to race it, probably (definitely) best to go manual. If you�re looking for an incredible looking car that handles amazingly and you can drive everyday and take to the track occasionally - it�s a great choice. I prefer manual, but it also gets annoying driving in traffic.

I love the tip in my 03 C2! I drive it 80+ miles a day, mixed stop-and-go and highway. I've owned 4 other Porsches, all manual and I don't regret the tip one bit! If you can, test drive a manual and a tip to see which you prefer. On maintenance, tip, once every 90K you change the fluid/filter, about $300. No clutch/flywheel to replace, sometimes quite often if you track the car.

It just ain't right and shouldn't be allowed...

Arsene, would you rather make love to a real beautiful woman or a machine? I'll wait.

The Tiptronic can provide a thrilling sports car experience just like the stick -- it just takes some practice. (and then there are some additional benefits).

If I could, I would love to have a PDK in my 996 instead of a 6 speed. And I have invested a lot, LWFW, Sachs Stage II sprung clutch disc and a Numeric shifter and cables. Still would prefer a PDK

I have never driven a TIP 911....I have had a 997 C4S PDK, 991 GT3 PDK and now TurboS PDK and they are fantastic but a prefer the manual in my 996/997 on the track....not the fastest car but certainly the most fun.

Got a tip cuz it was the one I could afford. my last porsche was a 6 speed. If my 996 was a once in a while driver, I would suggest 6spd.

Topicstarter asked if there are any performance differences. Not if a Tippie is better or worse for driving. As that is more a personal and subjective analysis. The manual accellerates somewhat faster and handles better. It is more fun to drive. My advice for Tip owners is to do the shift paddle conversion and drive it in the manual mode whenever you are not cruising or commuting. The car will stay in its most sportive (real) mapping. So no sluggish throttle response and shifts are faster and more crisp. Closer to the real deal.

I have both.My Tip is my daily driver and I do put it on the track some, The Tip is faster on the track and easyer in traffic for a daily car. The 6 speed is more fun. I would recommend the 6 speed for the weekend warrior/track days, and the Tip for Daily driver.

I can weigh in on this as I have some thoughts from my recent 996 Tip purchase: So I've always been a manual gear box kinda guy - I grew up in the UK. I've owned a bunch of cars, including a 1976 911 2.7S, and driven a decent amount of manual porsche variants. I bought a 996 Tiptronic as I wanted more of a GT car and something that was easy in traffic - I drive to work everyday and I'm getting old and lazy to be honest :-D As automatics go, for an older design, it's amazing. I have a 1999 996 and the Tiptronic is a great auto box. Like really great for what it is. On long journeys it's very comfortable - overtaking at highway speeds is excellent for instance - you kick down and it goes hard with little delay. In traffic and around town it's so easy. Advantages: You know it's never been over revved, and you dont have expensive clutch replacements. However... and this is a big thing - you dont get to really play with the revs. With the manual 6 speed box you might get to sit in 2nd gear close to where the power comes in hard around 4k - then floor it. Instant rush. With the tiptronic the ratios are such that I find it hard to hold it in the power band without it changing up. You can of course use the steering wheel buttons, but I've never really got the hang of those - other Tip owners I've spoken to said they dont use them either. You floor it in the Tiptronic and it will kick down and go hard... but it's not the same. Something is different. I'd need more time in a manual again to get a like for like comparison but you get the idea. (if anyone is in South Australia/Adelaide and has a manual 996, PM me - maybe we can do a drive swap :-) ). Anyway - the Tiptronic is great, and get one if you know why you want it over a manual. No regrets from me. I'm just now thinking I'd like a 70/80s Carrera with a manual box in it again, as well :-)

After riding in a friends 2016C4S I will say that the PDK is the bomb and blows the TipS away. As far as the TipS in the 996, it's fine for me. It is similar in feel to the TipS I had in one of my 993's. A bit slow to shift but I have too many aches and pains to really enjoy a 6 speed anymore.

Daily driver, maybe. PDK for sure. I use my car to 'drive' and escape. Manual all the way!

Its nice to see that people think the Tip is pretty good...I always pointed people away from TIP but I have learned something...don't judge without driving yourself....I will need to drive one now.

Just the tip. Performs pretty good on track for such old tech

Can the Tip be shifted (manual style) from the stick or only buttons on the wheel? My old 300Srt was fun in "slap stick" mode...

is there a significant delay from pushing the tip button till it changes a gear? If it shifts very quickly then paddle conversion is good idea, if it delays, there is no point of doing it.

Very fast shifts. From my understanding a tiptronic isn�t slower than manual because of shift speed but because of drivetrain parasitic loss of power. So overall you end up with less whp than 6 speed car but shifts are still pretty crispy

Hello, I just bought this 2001 Carrera 4 a couple of weeks ago and it has a Tiptronic S transmission. I live in Los Angeles, CA and I have always had manual transmission vehicles in the passed but when this car came up for sale from a neighbor, I had no regrets about buying an automatic. As others have pointed out in this post, no clutch repairs, and these transmission are pretty much built proof as I was told this week from my dealers service manager (Jim Curtin @ Porsche of South Bay whom previously worked at Dodge) he said to me when I asked if there any problems with these transmissions he replied that they use these transmission in the dodge full size vans. He explained that when he started working at Porsche he asked the mechanics if they leaked at the electronic side switch like the so many Dodge vans were plagued with, and he was told by the mechanics that when Porsche started using these transmission they have a slight tilt in there location on the body and they never leak, and they have no issue with them ever leaking! I'm happy to have an automatic living here. I too am getting old and lazy! Eric

I’m a dyed in the wool manual guy but I considered a 997.1 PDK after a friend had one in his 981. Not unhappy having gotten a 6MT but, I’m coming around. Beautiful car, hartmn. TC

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Buttons only on the wheel. You slot it over into M and then use the buttons. EDIT: Apparently the box in the 996.2 will allow you to do that! Which is cool :-) Interestingly it will normally pull away in second in Auto mode.

I've put about 7K on mine since I purchased it in July of this year. It's an 03 C2. My first auto in a Porsche, it took some getting used to. I needed to learn how long it was from hitting the button on the wheel and then having the actual shift complete. Once I learned that I really like it over a manual. On the 996.2's, you can also shift manually with it in D. Then it stays in M for about 5 seconds then automatically goes back to D mode. So even if I'm putting along in D, then decide I want to accelerate quickly I just hit the downshift, then upshift manually, done, without the lag of just hitting the pedal and waiting... All you tip'ers that don't use the buttons, I encourage you to try them!

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Oh I didnt know that! That's a worthwhile advantage over the 996.1 Tiptronic.

The mk2 tiptronic is Based on the 722.6 Mercedes transmission. More reliable as the mk1 ZF. Just do an extra fluid/filter service in between. When you track the car you should do it more regulary. The mk2 tiptronic control unit has also a more advanced mapping with 250 shift patterns compared to the 5 of the mk1

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How do I know if I have a MK1 or MK2? My starts in second and still allows me to use the buttons in D. it�s a 2001 so which is it? A MK1 or MK2? What�s the year cut off MK1 and MK2?

"Tips and Tricks" for enjoying your 996. NEVER use the "D" mode, FORGET it is even there !! Use "M" only..Install the Paddle Shifters, but leave the Tip switches also. You will stay connected to your car just like you were in a manual trans car. Use the paddles for spirited driving or track driving, and use the Tip switches for cruising or in traffic. The paddles require two hands at 9 and 3 for aggressive driving, the Tip switches can be used with one hand (either side) for cruising or in traffic. Using "D" mode WILL disconnected you from the engine and give up "control" to the TCU. I always drive my car in "M" even in heavy traffic and do not find it a burden to click the Tip switch to change gears, ever.. The Tip does not have the lightning fast shift of the PDK, but unless you go up to a 997.2, it is what it is...

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I think you're missing out a bit by leaving it in "D" all the time. I find driving spiritedly in the hills (yes, Adelaide Hills) much more fun in "M", you really only need 2nd and 3rd, drop to 2nd whilst braking before a corner, then blast through and back up to 3rd once you get to redline. I leave my right thumb on the top of the button, rocking it up to shift up and down to, well, shift down, you don't need to move your thumb at all, just rock it in place. This is a RHD car. I find in "D" mode it shifts up too aggressively for maximum fun, like it's trying to save fuel. Light throttle has it in 5th at 60km/h.

This one comes up a lot.... I love manual transmission cars, but my 996 is a TIP. Love it, blast to drive, and completely enjoyable. Zero regrets. (My DD is a 6 speed manual transmission car)

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I find myself reaching for a paddle for a downshift all the time. But then I remember I have to rev match and do it myself, which isn�t the end of the world. This car�s manual is pretty good. This car with a dual clutch would be sublime. Sorry for the thread jack. I would say say there is a significant performance difference between the Tiptronic and manual...to me when I�m driving one of these cars. Whether or not it is significant of a difference enough will only be answered once you�ve driven one with the Tip yourself. It�s just like driving a 996 with a torque converter automatic of that era. Some people might confuse you by saying it�s not that bad or that it shifts fast enough if you know how to drive it, etc. The Tiptronic, as robust and reliable as it may be, as far as its behavior is concerned, is nothing special at all amongst torque converter automatic transmissions. edit* Think about it like this: if the Tiptronic provided the driving experience Porsche drivers are looking for, do you think they would�ve developed the PDK? I don�t think so.

Here's my Tip. No problem keeping up with manuals on track, and ultra reliable.

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I'm fairly certain that the transmissions changed along with the rest of the car, so if you have a 01 or older, it's a MK1 (996.1), 02 to 05, MK2 (996.2).

I love driving my '01 tip (daily driver) but you cant leave it in drive and need to use the automanual to get most out of it. Stick is fun until you get stuck in traffic or drive in the city. Tip is just as fun, feels as fast and is reliable.

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Perhaps not. The later MB transmissions allowed the use of the tip buttons in "D" to temporarily gain manual control, as @hartmn indicates he is able to do, the earlier ZF unit did not (mine's a '98, so the buttons do nothing unless I'm in "M").

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What do You mean box in 996.2 will let you do that? Shift from the gear lever?

Crimony, You are correct and thank you catching on to my comment because my 04/2001 manufactured Porsche C4 does in fact allow the use of the buttons on the steering wheel to shift up and down while in drive. Being a new owner of the vehicle I haven�t figured it all out yet but the other I was driving it and was manipulating the gears via the buttons while in drive and trying figure out if I could shift it via the gear shift **** too. Thank you for your post as you are correct. Eric

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No, can't do that. . Have to use the steering wheel buttons. Project for next spring is to put the paddle shifters on, that should ma,e shifting more fun.

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I meant you can shift with the buttons without moving to M. On the first version you have to slot it over to M and then use the buttons :-)

I've never managed to reliably make the thing work where you jab the throttle and it will hold the gear or something. Does anyone know what I'm talking about LOL ?

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Yea, I know what your talking about. The 996.1 will if you full throttle it for a bit then hit the brakes hard it will hold the gear so you can exit the turn faster by staying the most aggressive map in the "D"mode. The 996.1 has only 5 TCU maps, the 996.2 has 250 TCU maps. I only use 1 map and that's the "M" map !!! lol