tom0511

Hi guys. I'm buying an 07 Carrera S and my manufacturing date doesn't start till October. I'm set with the color and all the other options. My only undecided issue is wether to get a tiptronic or opt for the six speed manual with sport shifter. I've read a couple of comments you guys have posted and most of you have really trashed the tip. The reason I'm considering the tip is because the traffic conditions where i live are terrible and believe it or not the resale value favors the tip. Can any of you who own a tip really give me an honest assesment of how it is owning one. my dealer says that unless i drive like a pro performance wise i'll probably be getting the same in terms of performance. Is this true?

Eggplant Cab

LOL tom. Do a search on the topic. You'll find a plethora of opinions. I suggest you test drive a tip and manual the way you intend to drive your own car. That's the best advice I can think of.
I went to a Porsche PDE to test the car in manual and tip (call ahead to make sure they have one available). But that's me because I don't trust any one else's opinion on these matters. GOod luck

rdstemler

On my O2C2 I noticed a difference at the track. My car was fractionaly slower. Weight/ gearing was probably the reason as the cars I was comparing to were C2s, but manual trans.

In stop-n-go traffic the Tip was very enjoyable. My clutch leg was always rested.

I seldom used first gear. I did use the manual button alot. It is an "automatic", however. If you need to shift to feel like you are really driving......DO NOT get one. If you have a "boss" that may help you in a decision process, the Tip may make it easier for her to drive. Could be a plus!

For a non track car, I would consider it again, but would not want to pay extra for it!

Le Chef

I had a 996 tip, hated it, quicckly changed my car for one with stick shift. My suggestion is buy an automatic clunker for commuting and keep the Porker stickshift for driving

Tedder Bear

Considered the tip, especially here in the NE. But decided on the manual and have been very pleased. Yes, there are times when the left leg is a little tired, but the many other fun driving times make me quickly forget the inconvienance of a manual in heavy traffic.

Edgy01

I can't think of a better car equipped as a 6-speed than a 911,--but as Eggplant suggessts, you need to test drive the Tip to see whether the why they implement it is satisfactory to you. Several have commented that they later wish they had gotten the 6-speed. It's all a personal chioce. I would never even considered the Tip simply because I'm smoother in my shifting than any Tip made so far, but they are coming along. Another thing to test drive would be a Tip with the Sport Chrono setup,--the shifts are mapped more aggressively.

pl

what if i can't drive a 6sp??
how hard to learn?

Dariof

Very easy to learn. Go to a large parking lot when there are no cars around...you'll get the hang of it in no time.

I have a Tip but the manual's sure are fun. Nothing like downshifting into a corner, letting up on the clutch and accelerating through....

Snoopy

It's easy. I didn't know how to drive 6sp prior to getting this car. My brother had a 6sp that I practiced on his car before the Porsche showed up. The 997 gear box is very easy to work with.

Leader

We have both. My 997S is a six-speed; my wife's 987S has a Tip. Living in Los Angeles, there are times when we take her car simply based upon how much "traffic" we're likely to encounter.
Both transmissions have their pros and cons. If I could have only one, in most "stuck-in-traffic" situations I'd opt for the Tiptronic. For pure open-road driving pleasure, there's nothing quite like rowing through those gears with a six-speed.
How's that for a "non answer?"
I guess the solution is to buy one of each.

THPorsche

how can I drive it to a large empty parking lot?

If you are lucky enough to drive your Porsche everyday to work and get stuck in traffic, yes I think you should get a tip. When we were ordering the 06 Cab, my sales told my wife "No professional driver can shift quicker than the tip"...

Alan Smithee

Is the traffic you encounter really so bad that you won't mind being saddled with an automatic transmission in all driving conditions? Because even in brutal LA traffic I have no problem with a modern manual transmission (unforgiving clutches in Porsches past are a different story), and if you do enjoy a manual when the road is clear ahead, you will be disappointed with the automatic. As I've stated ad nauseum on this forum, the shifts are slow, the gearing is poor (5 speeds only), the 2nd gear start is annoying, and the interface (steering wheel buttons instead of paddles; lack of console gear selection) is cumbersome. You will absolutely not be getting the same in terms of performance with the automatic, but as others have stated, try both first.

And don't let resale sway you; even if automatics are an easy sell in your area, it's an expensive option, and with DSG/PDK on the way, 997 automatics will not likely be favorable to used car buyers, say, 5+ years from now.

ringmeister

I can't imagine having a Porsche with anything but a manual. Automatics are for sedans and SUVs.

Ian C

OK I'll apologise in advance for upsetting anyone with a tip - but IMHO you just have to go for the manual. It's a Porsche and part of the experience is that you have to change gear yourself.It's a sports car.
The tiptontric is just an automatic with a couple of buttons to make it feel something more but it's nothing like a Ferrrari F1 shift, for example, which actually is a manual gearbox actuated by paddles
If you were buying something like a Jaguar XK or a Merc SL500 then take it with the automatic box by all means - but a 911 should be a manual.

ELUSIVE

MANUAL!!!!!!