DJ23

I can't believe were on this topic again. As I've stated on this forum before and I'll say it again, yes I do have the tip. Love the way it drives. No it will not give you the same visceral experience as the manual, but hey, it's still a 911, my first Porsche, and I'm not looking back. Do I wish there was a sixth gear to the tip, heck yes. That would be nice. But I have a lot of fun with the five that I have. Now if I were a bachelor and living by myself would I have gotten the manual, you betcha. But seeing my wife having fun driving it is worth the price of admission.

Take Care

Jay

LVDell

FYI....Germany buys more TIPs than the US. Check the official PAG statistics. I was shocked as well but that's the way it is.

JFScheck

Funny because while doing "Heel Toe" drills in the car with HH we were talking about how much better sticks are over automatic.

Yea, HH gets some money from the Porsche folks...

No Dual Clutch set up? - Go with a Auto - or our Porsche folks would like us to believe.

Le Chef

99.9% of the pop don't drive Porsche's.
99.9% of pop don't go to the track.

I've been loaned a 987 and 996 with Tip from my dealer and it's as bad as having sex with a carboard condom. (And let's not talk about sheepskin here!) If that's your idea of a thrill then I'm happy for you but would like to point out there's a little more thrill to be had.

I can't imagine how much of the challenge of track driving you lose with a Tip but it must be like the difference between driving the 'Ring on Playstation vs the real thing.

If (trying to be fair) you live in Sao Paulo or Tokyo and drive to work (madness!) or are physically incapable (war vets) then I agree a Porsche + Tip is better than no Porsche at all.

If you are capable of driving stick and don't live and commute in megametropolis then why would you ever bother with Tip???

Coochas

Now I'm not the biggest fan of R&T, however, I give them kudos for writing the following 1-pager on the 997TT Tip vs 6-Speed. Naturally, a manufacturer that comes out with a 'faster' automatic than 6-speed was the inspiration for the article.
There are three main points to the article (the way I see it anyhow):

1. Explains why tip is faster off the line
2. Shows the accel times for both are NOT that different in their tests
3. States they 'prefer' the 6-Speed

I think point 3 is probably the key. Let's say that Nurburgring times were identical for the two,....or even if the Tip managed to be a bit faster....I think most of us would still prefer to drive a stick. For many, a manual is part of the driving experience and fun factor,...and let's face it, it is a sacred paradigm among enthusiasts. It was not long ago (i.e. before the new turbo was available) that MANY folks stated that Porsche's figures for the Tip being faster were an obvious mistake. This is why paradigms are tough to break.

Now,...let's see that PDK transmission....I'm curious !!

Oh yeah, here's the thumb:

Coochas

Wrong type of box.

Edgy01

I didn't order mine with the 6-speed because it was easier. I ordered it because I'm much smoother with the manual. I can control the engine speed directly myself, rather than having a series of computers trying to guess what I want to do just then.

tim martin

i might have some perspective here...i have an 997 6 speed and just purchased a audi a3 3.2 with dsg for work. the audi is a gas to drive... paddle shifts, quick and effortless but leave it it auto for around town. this transmsission is fantastic! per audi shifts in 0.8 seconds...i believe it. that being said i will always a stick for my sports car...but this new dsg tranny is great!!

mglobe

If a tip is your thing, no problem, but I just find the manual to be more fun to drive. Even if I could get around faster with a tip I would still prefer to drive a stick.

ELUSIVE

Automatic Porsche is the worlds best example of an oxymoron!

W211

That is correct. I think nowadays more Europeans prefer the SMG/Tiptronics than the US. For example the 6 speed M5 is only available in North America.

arenared

Until they develop some bluetooth implant connected to my brain, an automatic will NEVER be able to think/anticipate what I want it to do. If I have to tell it what to do, then why is it automatic? I'll "stick" with a manual. With that said, there are plenty of reasons that people will choose an automatic such as spouses, traffic conditions, medical reasons, etc., and that is fine with me.

My opinion is the HH comments are to cover Porsche's lack of PDK offering. Did Porsche really develop the Tiptronic? The one I saw pulled out of a 996 TT had MB logos cast in the case.

arenared

Is that really true or a typo? Seems like an eternity to me.

roberga

If all I did was commute in my car a tip may be fine. There is nothing the tip brings to the track that is of value.0 to 60 in turbo... who cares? Lap times are what count and the slushbox is not the place for that technology.

dstrimbu

I think 0.8 sec is off by about an order of magnitude... that's 800ms.

The BMW SMG shifts in 80ms in Sport Mode / Level 6. I drove my buddy Steve's M3 yesterday, out Novato Blvd in San Rafael, CA from 101 to the Cheese Factory and back. I was _very_ impressed. We scared the living sh_t out of some cows, too...

When Porsche has a DSG, we'll see. I love the fact that the SMG will roll backward on a hill... it's a servo-controlled manual trans without a clutch pedal. Strange concept at first, becomes incredibly intuitive in minutes. And if you must, the auto mode is... well, full freaking Automatic. Best of both worlds.

-d