Kaefer

I use one of these in my Cayman:


It helps tremendously, along with lower air pressure in the tires.

Ben Z

I’ll do better than that. Here’s a whole bunch of them, take your pick. Or ask any trucker to give you a demonstration. Hint though: maybe not start out combattive like you do on an internet forum. Some of those truckers are pretty big dudes 😉 Why do it? Well the OP said he’s got back problems and thinking about getting an automatic. With this tool in his belt he can save his money, if his back gets sore fall back on not using the clutch. I don’t always do it, in fact rarely, but my back is in good shape.
https://m.youtube.com/results?search...gears+in+a+car

Petza914

Thanks for the search links. I see that it can be done and how it's done, but still don't agree with it as a way of regularly driving, like as a solution to someone with a back problem, for a couple reasons:

1. Almost every one of the videos where someone was demonstrating the technique missed at least 1 up shift or downshift where there was gear grinding. The technique has a narrow margin for rpm error, and any gear grinding is bad, even if only once in a while - it creates wear and can chop off a tooth that can get lodged in the other gears and do significant damage
2. The technique, as described, requires light pressure on the shifter when exiting a gear and until the next gear engages. On the way into a gear they show holding light pressure until the RPMs match and the shifter slips in. This type of pressure is exactly what wears syncho rings and why you shouldn't even rest your hand on the shifter when just riding along.

JAGMAN1

Ever try yoga? Seriously, if you're able, it'll make all the different types of seats more comfortable.

larrytrk

Adaptive sport seats and PDK, solved my back issues!

GoldenGorilla

Where is the panamera love here? So much more sporty than the Macan or Cayenne. The seating is more luxurious than the 997, but the center of gravity is much lower than the SUVs. There do seem to be some issues with specific engines/years, but like with the 911s, the Turbos seems to be really stout. A little homework should be done. And the prices for these are very reasonable for serious autobahn crushing comfort.

The TPC is on my short list for this reason and I would definitely considethe Adative Sport Seat

Petza914

Sorry, just have never been able to warm up to the looks of either generation Panamera, even though I'm sure it's an excellent driver. The latest redesign should have used the bodywork from the Taycan concept car, but paired it with the standard ICE and hybrid powerplant options - then I might actually have a TT one parked in my garage.

jimfuerst

I guess a lot of us on this list have low back issues....me too...I bought this on Amazon and use it in multiple cars.

MrTickles

I also have sporadic back issues. Strangely some of the family sedans have been the most painful cars for me but the 997 doesn’t seem to bother me.

All I can say to help is 1) have a good seating position 2)Yoga 3) leg workouts. The issue with your lower back is there is not much muscle there and the strength of your legs and abs is a big determinant of the stress relief to that area of your body.

Below is a video on seating position.

https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...ving-position/

jamesinger

I wasn't going to comment because it is so personal but 5 years ago I got rear ended by someone in a full size jeep going over 70 and I was at a full stop in a Mitsubishi EVO.
The accident changed my life for sure and it really messed up my back permanently I am assuming at this point.
PT Exercise is the only thing that really truly helped with my injury after a couple years of passive PT. This book was a big help after I lost the free active PT privilege:
https://smile.amazon.com/Pilates-Fra...s=books&sr=1-9
In any case, out of psychological need, I built another EVO within a couple of months after my accident. At the time, I had a daily driver which was a 2006 Civic sedan. About a year later, while still in passive PT 2-3 times a week, I got T-Boned by a confused grandma who drove into oncoming traffic! I didn't get too badly hurt but I was really shaken by it all and got punched in the face with airbags. After that accident, I started to daily my second EVO but after a year of trying to tough it out, I realized I needed to get out of a car with a fixed back bucket as a daily driver. Also, I was not physically able to go to the track, so the EVO was just for driving up and down Angeles Crest once or twice a month while I did have a daily driver. Otherwise, my EVO had become a really big garage decoration. As a result, I sold the EVO and got an Audi Avant Prestige S-Line with the adaptive sports seats. The seats were great but the car was a real snoozer with tiptronic and the 2.0T. After a couple years driving a really nice comfortable (but boring as hell) Avant, I decided to get something more fun and started searching for a 911 specifically. I checked out a bunch of different 911s and drove some with everything from the so-called sofa seats to the light weight buckets in GT3s. What I found was that the 18 way seats were better than the seats in my Avant. I also felt the 18 ways were better than the manual versions of the same seats in my cousin's GT3 because of the adjustability.
The reason for me the seats are so good, and key for long drives is my back is like a stopwatch that starts out OK at this point and counts down to pain that can last days and sometimes weeks. If I pay attention to whats going on, I can live pretty normally but if I do not, I will be on my *** for days at a time, and a few times for over a week. So, I need to move around a lot to stop my back from hurting on drives of over an hour. I do not know how much the Avant seats were adjustable but driving to my parents house up by Tahoe from LA and back, I would find myself moving the seat up, down, back, forward, lumbar in, lumbar out, lumbar up, lumbar down, sitting back, sitting up, and etc. after a couple hours, I would just keep adjusting. I also had the memory settings all for me in different positions for moving around easily in LA traffic jams. However, after 4 hours or so, nothing really helped and I was just in pain, so I would usually cut the drive in half and get a hotel. With my 18 ways in my 911, I can do all that and a bit more + the seats are just better, so when I have driven to San Diego or to the Bay Area from LA, I have a better range of adjustability but I also notice that I do not need to adjust the seats so much as well. I have not driven to my parents with my 911 yet but if I do, I will not get a hotel. I am positive I can make the full drive there with the 18 way seats.
Last, my wife also has a bad back from a separate unrelated accident, and my 911 came with both seats as 18 ways. I notice that on drives of over an hour, she adjusts a bit but typically she can find a seating position that is comfortable for her. Her back is fused from her T11 to her L1. My C Spine and upper T spine have bulging discs throughout from my accident. So, different injuries but we can both get comfortable in the 18 ways on longer drives. Also, she is way smaller than me, so we are pretty different size-wise as well.
I do think these seats are a revelation. BTW, I did also notice that when my cousin sold his GT3 for a 718 GTS, he optioned 18 ways.

HLCinCOU

Update from my previous post: I just did a weeklong road trip in the 997.2 and can say the adaptive sport seat comfort seat (I think that's what it's called...it's the one with ventilation and all manner of adjustments including the crucial lumbar support) is as comfortable as anything I've driven for long periods of time. The first day I did spend a bit of time dialing in the lumbar and position. But once I had it nailed...well, I did 1600 miles and my back didn't complain. Well, at least not any more than it complains every day for no reason.

Of course there's not really any helping the fact you're driving on a firm suspension; Tennessee roads will bump you around regardless of your seat. And after a few days I did notice that inserting myself into the car isn't exactly effortless. But those things are pretty much unavoidable if you want to drive a sports car.

HLCinCOU

First...so jealous. I've always wanted to float some gears, but somehow have never been willing to actually try to do it. My shiftwork isn't that great in the first place and I just haven't been willing to risk tearing stuff up to learn it. Certainly it's not gonna happen in the 911. In retrospect I should have worked on it at the tail end of my 11 years with the '98 Eclipse which was pretty well worth nothing by then.

Second...I'm not sure that's a real answer for OP's back issues. Yeah, it's a thing you can do...but even you yourself say you don't do it all the time.

Petza914

Adaptive sport seats have the winged shoulder supports and hard backs, but I don't think you can get them ventilated and the ventilated seats only come on the comfort seat design.

HLCinCOU

Ah, my mistake. Must be the comfort seats I'm describing. They're fantastic. Thanks for the correction. Edited previous post.

Bruce In Philly

2009 C2S 137K miles

I have mild degenerative disk disease in lower back .... the old Porsche seats they made forever in my 2000 Boxster S were fabulous. The new super duper fifty switches weighs a ton seats in my 2009 C2S suck. I think I am the only one who hates them. At about 1 hour, the pains started like clockwork. I moved them all over the place. Then after about a year or two of ownership, the pains just miraculously stopped. I don't know why. I just came back from a 3K mile trip... no discomfort at all. Hmmm.....

Peace
Bruce in Philly