I have always questioned the need for the "wart" on the dash. Not being a track guy I rarely, if ever, even look at the damn thing but still undeniably get a kick in the *** from the unquestionable "bump" in acceleration that occurs after setting the sport button. I almost always turn off the suspension button immediately. Don't get off on the stiff suspension at all. Does Porsche offer the sport option w/o the wart?

 

Disagree, Chef, at least with a manual trans... there are plenty of times that I want wheelspin in the C4S but do not want to ground loop the bitch...

There's a corner that I make every day - it allows a launch from a dead stop to a 50mph limit thru approx 110 degrees. With Sport Mode off and PSM on, my throttle gets chopped completely by PSM just at the apex of the corner.

With Sport Mode on and PSM on, I don't get the electronic nanny's panties in a wad.

There is a diff <but it's not limited slip>...

-don

 

Ouch, Le Chef. Kinda surprised at the 'tude there. Some of us well healed enough to buy these cars are old enough--even if marathoners--that we don't want to depress even a Porsche clutch over 100 times on our drives into a major metro area. So...maybe Tip has its place.

I was suprised that a number of the reviews of the new Turbo also feature respected race drivers telling folks to "leave it in Auto, it is faster that way." Maybe a ploy to impress the press, but equally impressive that the Turbo Tip (if I remember correctly) is FASTER than the manual. Driving skills aside.

 

I wonder how many purchasers would actually order the Tiptronic over the manual transmission if they could simply choose one, rather than pay for the $3,420 option? Talk is cheap, but we all know what talks and what walks (or maybe shifts, in this case).

 

I would pay the $3420 for stick shift and leave the Tip at no cost for those who want it. It's a free choice after all as to how you spend your money. Just don't ask me to agree that Tip is any fun for driving. I also don't care if Tip is faster: the point is enjoyment - the visceral connection with the car - not having some adults only XBox do it for you.

In the stick version the clutch is light enough for a Honda Civic and the gearbox easy. 2 hours in traffic is not a problem. I just don't see why if you have a left leg that can push a clutch pedal (and for people like MDrums that's a different story) that you would bother with a gearbox that's second best at best. DSG, SMG, F1, Cambiocorsa, and many automatics embarass Tip. Porsche can do better and in this respect is a long way from it's so called values. If that offends the sensitive amongst us, apologies.

As to PSM, why not just turn the thing off? It's easy enough to drive with it off and get the back out under control. An hour on a skid pan will teach you about when to apply opposite lock and a day at the track will work wonders for your skills. Spending your $920 on track time will be money better spent than on SC.

 

I have a Tip and as most of you know by now it is because I have a above knee full prosthetic leg and can not push a clutch pedal any longer. If I had my choise I'd get the 6 speed manual over the Tip. I say this because the 6 Speed will allow for better gear selection and good ole fun and the change to learn to heel and tow at my DE events. Other than that I am doing well with the Tip and have now found it's limits at DE's.
For 90% of the 997 drivers out there they will be faster in a Tip than a 6 speed if they have not had proper training and many years of DE's or racing experiance. At some tracks like Barber in Birmingham the Tip is geared perfectly for that track and is faster than the 6 speed.

 

EPA fuel economy numbers will be worse for one. And you may want a more relaxed throttle response with some drivers (i.e. your wife or kid). I do enjoy the selectability and think Sports Chrno should be standard (at least the "sport" part--you can keep the chrono).

As for the main question--Sports Chrono is money well spent with a Tip for all the reasons noted previously.

 

LeChef--you make a great point about the clutch on 997. I drove a 964 and 996 before. thought the clutch on my 964 was a bear commuting, but the 997 is very nice. i will now, in fact, be buying a manual.

i agree--that it is about driving pleasure and that connection to the car.

 

There shouldnt be ANY issues at all with th e car in full-time chrono. I ask the same question about my BMW concerning the mapping of the tranny. In S, its a completely different car. Why even bother with "D".

 

Absolutely - tranny choice should be personal. I drive (currently) stick but I do not consider tip inferior. It may actually perform better. The manual owners who criticize/chastise the tip may have problems of their own.

On-topic. SC is a must IMO, especially as it does more with a tip. In normal driving I like to turn SC on and PASM back to Normal.

 

My 2-cents:

I have a '07 C4S with Tip. I drive from Santa Cruz to the Si Valley via Hwy 17 and 85 and 101 with a fair amount of stop and go.

Alternatively, I can go up the coast and rock and roll in the canyons.

The car sticks like glue and I am not wearing myself out with the clutch and shifter.


The C4S with tip is the ultimate all-arounder and daily driver-

BTW: I get up to 24 mpg if traffic is moving and I cruise at 65 .


When I win the lottery I will get a GT3 for track days.

Regards,

UJ

 

I am a Tip 4S owner. Tip is as Le Chef said ****. In my opinion get the sport chrono, at least you'll have a chance to make it a less smelly ****.

Its a choice you can make I agree with everyone here but Porsche should have given a better choice long time ago.

 

Again, thanks to those who helped me with the sport chrono info - subsequent to your answers we restricted the search to cars with SC and found a fantastically optioned C2S with CPO in SoCal (by the way, if anyone knows a top quality detailer in/around San Francisco please PM me).

As for transmission choices, well like everything else everyone is entitled to an opinion, but one POV is not any more valid then another. We've had SMG, DSG, manuals and automanuals and they each have strengths and weaknesses; from where I sit I am as engaged and focussed on driving and using all my faculties in all of them. As long as the car itself is responsive, has tactile handling and feedback, and provides the ability to change and use gears, I can feel fully connected and in control and enjoy a good drive with the same gusto. Sure diddling with the stick and feeling the clutch and gear changes is fun in the right circumstances and it certainly keeps you busy, but for where I live now and the driving/parking conditions I face most of the time it is simply not enjoyable and I sold the stick after realizing that I just didn't want to drive it in the city. Service is also generally simpler with an auto, I hate to think of some of the BS we had to go through with BMW and a manual tranny M car.

Anyway, I'm not going to worry about impressing anyone, I'm sure I'll get crap for having a tip from those who feel the need to be macho about it and/or want to **** in my Cheerios, but the car is still amazing and I'm looking forward to enjoying it on all great and no so great drives around the SF Bay area.

One last thing tip owners - in Sport mode is the car supposed to start in first gear?

 

Hi,
On a three day track weekend I shifted the tip over 2,730 times.
Remeber that shifting with tip does not let you skip gears. The
temperature was above 100 F on Saturday and most of
my friends with manuals were sitting out runs. They told
me that they were saving their tires. Maybe they were.
Paul

 

Pick up my new C4S this weekend with tip and I find this post very inspiring. The more I drive with the Tip the more I learn how to use it. It's a ongoing process.

I didn't get the chrono because I wanted the Targa. You just can't have everything unless you order one.