I'm thinking about ordering a 997S and want to get a few opinions. First, it has to be a tiptronic for a few reasons...1) wife can't drive manual - so a tip is the only way I can get the purchase approved 2) We have a single file driveway and I'm tired of having to jockey cars myself all the time (see #1 above).

So, that's settled. Anyone have any thoughts on the 997S with Tip and the power kit? I know the Tip hurts the performance because of weight, etc. (I've had 2 996's with tip). Do you think the power kit will help make up for that or is it not worth the $16K when you get a Tip?

Second, how much of a discount should I expect if I order now for a Feb/March delivery?

 

997 S X51 and a Tip--that's my club coupe. Performance is great (from what I can tell from 200 miles\1 week. To compare, I had a 996 Turbo tip and I don't miss the Turbo.

I was very pleased with how quickly the X51 launches and it has no lull at least up to 5500 RPM's (which so far is the highest I've rev'd and that was partially accidental).

You will want Sport Chrono--radically changes the Tip's shift maps, and in Sport/manual you can hit the Rev limiter, and sports mode even under moderate acceleration in auto mode holds in lower gears longer vs. standard tips that upshift to 5th very quickly in auto mode.

I'll let the collective masses decide if X51 is worth $16,900--but that decision is independent of transmission choice. If anything more horsepower and low end torque is MORE desireable with an automatic transmission since the gearing in the Tip is spaced further apart. I wouldn't let the Tip be the cause of why you don't get X51. The only bad thing is cost--Tip is $3420 + $16,900--you're over $20K on those two options, but it's only money and you can make more

 

We have a base coupe with Tiptronic for the same reason, and I hate the transmission. My same gripes would apply to an S with or without X51:

-Starts in 2nd gear
-There's an annoying flat spot between 2k and 3k RPM when starting in 2nd (actually, this may not apply to the S and/or X51)
-Manually selecing 1st at anything more than a dead stop results in a nasty 'thunk'
-Gearing is awful
-Takes over a second for the transmission to respond to the steering wheel buttons in day-to-day driving
-Slooooww shifts when driven at less than straight-to-jail speeds
-Upshifts as quickly as possible when driven in traffic, leaving the motor lugging at under 2k RPM in every gear
-No way to manually change gears with the stick
-You never have 100% manual control; it will shift at redline

It's the worst modern automatic I've experienced. Oh, and the transmission failed at 80mph on the freeway, which was quite exciting. 6k miles on the car; required 10 days in a smelly Neon while in the shop.

I love everything else about the car. Do yourself and your wife a favor: Teach her how to drive a stick. The 997's clutch and shifter are sublime (especially with the sport/short shift option). You'll both enjoy the car more, and you'll save $3.5k. It's the route I wish I had taken.

 

Have you had all those problems after the transmission was replaced? Mine's a tip and it's wonderful. Downshifts very agressively when driven hard. Responds immediately to the steering wheel buttons when downshifting for passing.

Looks like you got 2 lemons.

Sorry to hear that. Better luck next time.

 

Both transmissions behaved identically.

Yes, the buttons respond quickly with aggressive up and downshifts when driven hard. However, in the daily grind, they are as I mentioned above...slow to respond, followed by long slurring shifts. In stark contrast to the excellent brakes, telepathic steering, flat cornering, etc. that never changes.

The transmission in the Cayenne/Touareg is a good example of being both quick and smooth in all types of driving. And it's a 6-speed.

Excellence summed it up nicely, "...the latest 911 Tip is competent, but its compromise in terms of response and driver involvement is out of keeping with the 997's abilities."

 

Not quite...

Come pay a visit on the Cayenne side of the house

Still, once you understand the "quirks" of the Tip on the Cayenne, it does perform!

As for the 997, I would go X-51 option the whole way!!!

 

Alan: Do you have the sport chrono on your car?

 

Proponents of manual trannys always site "driver involvement". This trumps even performance as far as they're concerned. Case in point is Ferrari's F1 tranny, Audi's DSG, BMW's SMG etc. and Porsche's "forthcoming" iteration. Notwithstanding the fact that sequential manual gearboxes 1) have no torque convertor power loss 2) can shift faster and better than any human being can 3) allows the driver to keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times 4) makes for a safer, faster car etc. I've seen longtime manual tranny owners on this site lament the introduction of these new trannys. Seems their attitude is that they have spent a lot of time mastering every nuance of a manual clutch and it's "unfair" that these trannys level the playing field without requiring the learning curve.

Now the tip has nothing in common with these trannys so I'm not making that argument. I'm just saying that some manual tranny people could just never accomadate themselves to even a manifestly superior technology that is "less engaging."

 

I had a 996 with Tip as part of my "contract" with my former wife. It was H O R R I B L E. So I trained her to drive stick which meant a new 996 with a "proper" shift, which was great. I think the effort in training her would be worthwhile.

As to DSG/SMG/F1/Cambiacorsa etc. vs. stick shift, a journalist described the difference between them as being like the difference between tying your own shoe laces vs velcro fasteners.

 

....except that it's better and faster....

The insistance on a manual clutch is purely a matter of conciet.

 

Never drove a Tip but Do have SMG in my M3. Perfect shifts andexact rev matching at a millionth of a second are extremely FUN sometimes. When DSG comes out with Porsche I'd consider it. Only reason I don't like Tip in Porsche is it sucks valuable HP away. Since you;re getting the Powerkit, the TIP should be AS GOOD AS AND EVEN FASTER than a 997S with manual and no X51. Sounds GOOD to me!

Get the heated seats since the wife is involved. Women really appraciate it when it's nighttime and the car's cold (or cool, where you are). Also, if things get tense for any reason I sneakily flip the seat warmer switch on my wife's seat; calms her right down.

 

I slip mine a Prozac or three!
(just kidding)