Transmission 6 Sp or Tip and Why

My son posed a question which I could not answer, wondering if you gents could assist. What is the percentage of trannys out there on the 996 platform - rennlist only. 6 sp Tiptronic and why - traffic, ease of use ?

I like automatics as much as the next guy, but why would I get a sportscar with one? The reason I bought a sportscar is to get involved in the driving. Sure for a nice cruiser like a SL500, 745i, or your typical daily driver there is nothing like an auto, but I prefer to shift myself on sports cars. I am not even enamored by the paddle shift Ferraris. Sure you can driver fast with the F1 box, but to me it takes away the pleasure from driving such a fine auto.

Jetskied hit it on the head the 6Spd's add to the driving experience. I love running through the gears I don't think I would ever buy a Tip Porsche or any other sports car. I guess if you and your Porsche sit in bumper to bumper traffic 5 days a week. It would make sense to drive a Tip.

Second the guys above. Whats the point of a sportscar with auto trans?

Ditto. Now if were driving 30 minutes plus every day of the week in bumper to bumper traffic, I would seriously consider a tiptronic (thankfully I am not doing this anymore).

Funy you gents say that - I 100% agree, Once I mention that at a P-Car gathering and almost got jumped, everyone with a Tiptronic took offense to it. Not sure why, but me ME - A 6sp is the only way to go on a 911 or any true sports car for that matter.

For some folks, a Tip is the best choice for their situation. It doesn't make them any less of a driver or a person or the car any less of a sports car. If you haven't ever driven a tip, particularly a TT Tip, how could you have an informed opinion? In the right hands on the right track, a Tip can beat a 6-speed without the driver working up a sweat. Cheers,

Definitely the 6-speed. A Porsche is all about the driving experience and the manual shifting is an integral part of the experience. BTW, a quick 4-3-2 downshift with heel-toe blips makes me smile not sweat. If I were stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic all the time the answer might be different but then my car probably wouldn't be a 911.

Fred R. C4S - This poll was never meant to be a negative to any and all Tip Drivers, really, just a poll nothing more. As I ALWAYS Say " It's All RELATIVE" !

I would not like to see this thread sink to the level of a recent one on the TT board entitled, "Do Real Men Drive Tips?". A Tip is not my personal cup of tea at the present time, but I saw Hurley Haywood do some pretty impressive driving in a TT Tip at the the track. It's just a different experience. Perhaps it's a bit like beer, regular or lite? It's a matter of taste, not a measure of manhood. I suspect that if you got a large enough sample size, you might see as high as 20% Tips. But I doubt that the Rennlist group is truly representative of Porsche's overall market. This group is composed mostly of enthusiasts who's favorite flavor is 6MT. Let's see how the numbers play out. Cheers,

Fred not to get into any type of e fight here, but Porsche were originally an enthusiast car. With the 80's yuppies buying them up like crazy Porsche became more of a status symbol. It made obvious sense to add an automatic to reach a larger market of the affluent people who does not drive as hard and want a 911. The fact is that most enthusiast prefer to get the total experience of the car. Sure there is a market for the Tip and sure it is fast in the hands of Hurley, but its this is a poll of this forum. Just because the results does not agree with you, it does not mean it is directed towards your manhood. I agree for some people a Tip makes sense for them. Im also a fan of automatics in performance cars such as an E55. Many insult MB for not offering a manual like the M5, but I'm under the opinon that I buy a fast sedan to drive in comfort and have speed when I want to kick it up on the back roads. To me if I wanted the ultimate racecar fell I would have bought a sportscar rather than a super sedan. I just have a different opinon than you.

When I began looking for a P-car late last year I was considering a TIP, mostly because I hadn't driven a manual shift car in 15 years. Then one day my wife asked me why? I guess I had gotten so used to an automatic, I didn't know if I would want to "mess with" shifting all the time. I got a 6 speed and I am glad I did because I LOVE it! However, if I had to drive in bumper-to-bumper traffic every day (fortunately I do not), I too, would probably get a TIP. It would make the commute be much easier, IMO. When all is said and done whether you have a 6 speed or a TIP, it's still a Porsche, and � there is NO substitute!

FYI.....Porsche sells more Tips in Germany than the USA. Most would think that the US market is what the Tip what built for. Just not the case. Personally I drive the 6-speed and wouldn't even consider the Tip. But......if it was set up more like a F1 box with a sequential gearbox then I would most def buy it.

I love the driving involvement of my 6-speed. But....I'm also one of those unlucky folks with a 40-mile commute, often in bumper-to-bumper traffic. On days when I know I'll hit prime rush hour traffic I often leave the car in the garage and take my old Volvo with automatic transmission. The shifting doesn't bother me, it's just a waste of the car to sit there in traffic. Easier to relax in the big heavy sedan and just chug along. Hmm, maybe I need TWO p-cars, one 6-speed and one Tip.

My Benz is a tip...the wife can drive it, The Porsche is 6 speed, easy resale and the wife cant drive it! And most of all its a sports car...

I do the LI-NYC commute daily, no problem with a 6speed, just need coordination. Jetskied hit the target, porsche wanted yuppies to buy these cars as well as(sorry in advance) women in the US, that's the motivation for a tip from PAG, all bottom line$$$.

I reluctantly bought a tip because of Atlanta daily traffic, and I wanted to drive it 35 miles each way, to work. I wasn't overly pleased at first, but after having learned the correct methods for driving the car quickly, I'm glad I bought it. I can downshift with the buttons, the accelerator, or the brakes. No doubt I can drive it faster in the twisties than if it were a 6 sp, but I do have another P-car to get my shifting needs satisfied.

I've read on the TT forum that Porsche Tip is more of an automatic, despite being able to **** it manually than a truely clutchless manual such as BMW SMG or whatever is in a Ferrari...is that true ? As far as my choice of a 6 sp, I do complain about 1% of the time when I'm in a huge traffic jam but man isn't it a total blast when you nail down a perfect heel-toe downshift ???

Both my Porsches are manuals, and I prefer them that way because I feel it offers greater driver involvement and control. However, I would disagree that a tip is only a choice for "Yuppies" and "Poseurs". I have met a few enthusiasts that bring their tips to the track. While the tip does add weight and slow acceleration it does offer the advantage of allowing the driver to focus all their concentration on braking (no need to worry about multiple rev matched downshifts) prior to corner entry. I think the really difficult decision for enthusiast will come when Porsche finally introduces a true clutchless manual (SMG or DSG) type transmission. While these units still don't offer the driver involvment of a traditional manual transmission, they certainly offer advantages for track work.

Tiptronic is a true automatic, with a torque converter. It's a very good automatic, however, and is set up to shift more firmly (with less performance loss) than most automatics tuned for sedans. BMW's SMG, Ferrari's F-1, and Audi's DSG all have clutches. They are automatically (usually electrohydraulically) controlled, though. The driver has no clutch pedal. So they have the advantage of a true manual transmission of not robbing power through a torque converter. They also have the advantage of being able to shift faster than a human. The DSG system, hopefully soon available on Porsche, has an additional advantage over the other two: it has TWO clutches, and can shift gears while one clutch is still engaged, so that there is delivery of power even during the shift. I'm not an engineer, but that seems like a big performance plus to me. It may be impossible for us manual transmission guys to compete, just as a manual transmission F-1 car probably couldn't compete nowadays. Of course, the driving experience may still be more fun with the 6 speed.

There is no doubt that a F1 style manual will be faster than the traditional 6sp as it will match the revs, shift faster, and have direct power rather than some lost to the torque converter. For the track there is no doubt this is the best set up, but I defer to the experience rather than the best time. I mean is that I'm not a professional who races for money, so that a few ticks lost at the track is worth the fun IMO. Like I said befeore its a preferance thing. One note on the SMG,F1 type of tranny is that the ones I have driven is not something I care for. In full auto mode the shifts are rather abrupt and harsh that it is not comfortable in traffic. In full manual you loose some of that experience. So I tend to think its not worth it as the comfort level lost does not make it a good automatic for me. Now the DSG does sound interesting because with the dual clutches the abrupt harsh shifts could be controlled better and make it almost as smooth as an automatic. I think porsche has refuse to offer the SMG type because of this comfort level lost and are waiting to develope the DSG type perfect. They do have some knowledge with this set up as they did have a prototype race 962 with one.

Correct, it will also hold a gear prior to a corner (rather than make automatic upshifts) in manual mode. Some will say that the tips shift very quickly. However, I drove a a few tips at Porsche dealership sponsored autocross and always experienced a "lag" between the time I pushed the button and the time the transmission shifted.

The best way to shift quickly is with the brake, accelarator, or both at once. There was an interview with a racecar driver a few months ago that started my learning curve I have far from mastering his techniques, but I have learned to hit a 180 degree turn wide open until the last possible instant, hit the brake hard, while feathering the gas and come come out pulling hard

Sorry, I sent too quickly. The end of that sentence is: 2 gears down, from 4th to 2nd, and never using my hands for anything but steering. I am much much quicker through the gap than I've ever been in anything before.

I wonder how long it will be before this new technology is perfected and trickles down to the 997? Maybe in time for the 998? There was an article written in Feb 2004 Racecar Engineering and the technology sounds very promising. ZeroShift Transmission

I agree with Smshirk - the best way to use the tip is with the accelerator and brake. Changing gears with the buttons is too slow and is a further distraction. I can't wait for the PDK/DSG to be released for the 911. It will mean having your cake and eating it too.

There is NEVER a reason to owner a Porsche with tip! If you sit in traffic 24/7, suck it up and enjoy the gears (albeit only first and second , but ENJOY). Is driving a tip REALLY driving?

Nothing like driving a porsche with a standard transmission. Also, for someone who knows how to drive it when paired up with the same powered trip car I would put my money on the 6 speed anyday. No offense to the trip lovers. I drove both before I bought my 01 c4. There is nothing like that young mustang gearhead pulling up next to you and dropping down a couple gears and blowing his doors off. 01 c4 aero EVO supercharged fab bypass pipes fab headers porsche 997 shortshifter

Made the mistake of buying a corvette convertible with an automatic. Had many a sport car prior and after that vette, all with sticks. Hated that vette! A Caddy is a nice one for a auto???