Tytus

I own a tip tt and have used it all winter but the snow falls in the east are nothing like the Sierras. I have lived there and if the roads are not plowed recently enough or you get into one of those storms that accumulates snow quickly you could have a problem. Low ground clearance is the issue.

The good part is that you don't get salted roads the bad is that they sand the roads and this will damage the car where the snow exits the wheel well. Get a clear shield put on at the fenders and a clear bra and you should be fine.

The tip is a blast on the track, especially with the paddle shift steering wheel from Carnewal, it was one of the first things I did after AI got the car. Look up my previous posts and you will see some information on it.

The only other recommendation I can make is get a 2003 or newer tip to avoid the transmission controller update problem if you track the car or drive it very aggressively for an extended period. What happens is the controller gets confused after a DE stint and will try shifting at low RPMs. You can find info on that issue if you search. I had to replace the controller as my car is MY 2001. I had an extended warranty that covered it but it is possibly a $2500 item to correct on a older car. The newer cars are already programmed properly and do not have this issue.

I would get the car though and just watch the weather, it is a blast year round...that is exactly the reason I got it...DD, Track Rat and Winter Beater.

I recommend the Blizzaks for winter use, mine are 3 years old and work flawlessly, maybe 10,000 miles of driving on them and still going strong.

Good luck,

Tytus

BoxheadTim

Thanks for everybody's input so far.

Low ground clearance is most likely going to be an issue at times that I didn't initially think of. A couple of my colleagues drive regular cars as opposed to SUVs in winter, but I don't think any of them have as little ground clearance as a 996TT has. That said, the main roads are likely to be plowed OK (I don't think I've seen more than 4-5" on one of them in one of the apocalyptic storms we're had a couple of years back) but our office is off a side road off another side road and I've seen 6-8" snow on there. I think I've seen more once, but we were all in a hurry to leave . One of working up at Lake Tahoe rather than down in the Valley.

I've had a few more discussions with the wife and one thing that we hadn't initially considered was that she said she didn't want to drive something like a 996TT unless it was an emergency because she didn't feel comfortable doing that and was afraid of damaging the car.

So I might go back to the drawing board and see if I can find an AWD car with an automatic that I like, she doesn't mind driving and that does leave enough money in the toy kitty to buy something that says "911" on the back (and I'm not talking about an old Crown Vic).

John McM

I've had my '93 Turbo 3.6 for 11 years. My 5' 3.5", early 50s wife, has driven it once, and not willingly.

We went to buy her a RAV4 as her new vehicle and the seller pulled out at the last minute. Since I wasn't in country she had no option but to drive the 996 TT tip. Again, not keen at first, then I heard nothing. 3,000 miles later and it's not an issue. Actually I think we may fight to get into it first.

The big difference is my attitude to the car. It has close to 100,000 miles on the odometer and each alloy is scuffed. I told her to drive the wheels off it and take it everywhere, like a 'normal' car. She's done just that, commenting that she enjoys the second glances from people surprised that she's the driver.

boursachi

guys i apologize to hijack the thread but since we have a few 996tt tip owners here ..

i am taking care of my cousin's 996tt
and today, i shifted down using the steering wheel and the car went from 5th to 4th .. obviously

however, i noticed that the gear level was still in D
and not moved to the side, in M

this does not happen in my 996 C2 cab

hence the question: is the 996tt supposed to downshift using the steering wheel without having to move the gear level to M?

would make sense for practicality, but figured i would ask to make sure the electronics are in check

THANKS

Twinturbofan

I have had 3 911s with tiptronic, currently an 03 twin turbo. They are basically bullet proof, including using on 4-5 track days per year. I paid for 1.5 hours labor for a transmission service, plus $150 for fluid, $70 for a filter and $20 for a new pan gasket. A few cautions: you need a special tool to fill the trans (you can actually make your own), the filter has two little **** that need to sit in recesses when installed or the pan will not fit back on properly (don't ask how I know), and most important, make sure it is not leaking. Although a leak from pan gasket or trans cooler can be easliy remedied, there are two other gaskets in the transmission that are not available anywhere. Porsche will tell you the trans has to be replaced if either are leaking but there are shops that can actually hand make new ones. This is an expensive proposition. My advice, if there is any sign of fluid on bottom of trans, clean thoroughly and then drive car for 100 miles or so then recheck and be absolutely sure you know where the fluid is leaking from prior to purchase.