pete000

I have to chime in here. I agree the Tip is a bit boring. But on the other side when you have to use your 911 in heavy traffic such as here in CA. I also find it a bit more relaxing when running errands and long trips. It definitely has a huge advantage there. I do like the fact that Porsche made it able to heal and toe down shift. This makes the tip a bit more fun to drive when doing spirited stints. I will say it is a pretty good compromise, but I have to admit. It will probably be the last one I ever buy. One thing I hate is it starts out in second gear when in auto mode. This was fixed in 92 and later cars.

Jacks911

And ... talking about traffic, try saving your clutch on the hills in San Francisco at a traffic stop. The Tip was great there - left in 3 rd gear it starts in 1st "automatically" and with the great flat torque of the 964 and the converter, sloging through up hill traffic was easy. In Seattle, noted for some of the worst traffic in the US ( not as bad as LA, SF or Chicago in my experience ) the Tip makes driving a Porsche more practical (yes I know people buy Volvo's to be Practical). And here is another plus. On an 1100 mile trip from San Francisco to Seattle up Hwy 101 & Top down most of the way (Heavy rain in Oregon) I averaged 24.5 mpg with 2 adults and Full trunk & back seat.

So no it is not for track racing, like a 962 for example, but it is a great choice for some of us.

Tipping in Seattle, Jack

Weissach

Remember that "Tiptronic" is a fancy word for an automatic. What were you expecting? It's a simple automatic transmission like every other automobile has. When is an automatic ever funner than a stick shift??

Jay Gratton

My father spent a weekend in a 993 tip, and he is a driving instructor and he said he could turn a fast time in the tip then if it had been a stick. However, (there is always however with me) I still enjoy the challenge of a clutch and bringing it all together. Best wishes Gents - Jay Gratton

ian c - u.k

well .......... it was developed in race cars , so there must be something in it !!

never actually driven a tip car , but i can easily get used to driving a full automatic by straitening out my left leg so i cannot use it , but anything with paddle controls just totally confuses me and has me stamping on the floor with my left !!!

tried left-foot-brakeing in a paddle shift once .................. slightly too fast into a corner , needed to scrub speed and changedown at same time , exited corner in 5th gear , at 5mph , left leg going like mad

johnfm

Tip 'box will always disappoiny you if you leave it in 'D'. Using the manual shift, or putting in '3' it is fine and quite a bit of fun.

Weissach

Do you mean, "trying" to drive the auto as if it were a stick shift(LOL). Why not just get the real thing...

Jacks911

"It's a simple automatic transmission like every other automobile has."

Wrong! If you knew more about your Porsche history and engineering you would know that a lot went into developing this box. At the time it was introduced it was far superior to any "simple automatic" available. The word "simple" should apply to any stick shift. In todays world of computer assisted systems the Tiptronic is still one of the best driving performance devices. We all use electric Starters, spark advance is a computer DME function, Anti lock breaks and AWD systems provide safety & performance. I agree that driving a 356 is fun without most of that stuff. I can enjoy both old and modern Porsche's for their unique atributes.

If it was sporting enough for the 962 and most F1 rides since the 90's, these technology shifting boxes (automatics), first introduced in production by Porsche as the Tiptronic in 1990 are sporting enough for me. It is a matter of choice not performance.

Tipsy in Seattle Jack

Ruairidh

In urban stop-start traffic for one. I guess it depends on the owners mix of driving. I haven't driven a tip much but I don't recall finding the 993 tip I drove anywhere near as bad as Arjan suggests, definitely not "not comfortable".

cjansen

Definitely have to drive it in '3' or +/- tip mode to appreciate. To me it is a no brainer- 95% performance 100% of the time without working at it is hard to beat. I'm very satisfied with the automatic, but understand some folks need a more technical experience.

Craig '92 C2 Targa Tip

Weissach

Uh, you must be kidding. It's got a torque converter, just like every other automatic. Yes, it was advanced for it's day. But every manufacturer today has some version of it. Every automatic today is computer assisted.

So, in it's day it had some special features(selectable gears via switches, sport-modes). But, most Toyotas today have this. So, by today standards(are you living in todays world?) it's just another "simple" automatic.

Todays high tech automatics have at least five gears(some new Mercedes have seven gears!). They have far smarter and faster software that really change the automatics behavior.

cjansen

Interesting about faster software and the change it provides. How much faster is this software in todays 'high tech' automatics? How do you know and how does it change the automatics behavior?

Weissach

If you have to ask...

pete000

The early Porsche tiptronic helped pave the way to todays ultra sopisicated smart automatics. As for shifting the F1 guys today just point and shoot. I heard an interview a few years back and when asked about these new transmissions where you just pull a trigger to shift does it that make the car easier to drive and are you happy with it. He mentioned the only thing better would not to have to shift at all!

Arjan B.

Whoooo, lot's of different opinions here. I did not say that tip tronic is a bad system, I said tip tronic is not a thing for me. I don't like to dive it in a 911. For sure, in stuck traffic it's great, in the hills of SF it is a demand. Sorry if I hurt people who drive a tip tronic, that was not what I want.

If you use the tip cars in a daily drive in normal road use, it is a great system. But.......... the area where I live has not that much stuck traffic or hills. We can put the pedal to the floor once in a while, no problem, and in 5 minutes I am in Germany to make a drive to the autbahn.

Again, I think a sportscar needs stick shift. Others may have different opinions, but that is their good right.

nice weekend you all!