pjjameso

Ordering a '08 C4S and am leaning towards the tip as im going to use it as a daily commuter. Traffic is stop and go in No Va, am i making a huge mistake? What about resale value?

mglobe

Better put on some nomex.

My opinion. Yes, you are making a mistake if you buy a Tip. You'll be missing out on one of if not the best manual gearbox on the road, and you'll lose the sense of involvement with the car that you get from that gearbox. Mine is a daily driver that I use in Houston traffic. Shifting has never ever bothered me. jmho.

RonCT

This is not scientific at all, but it feels to me like when I see "underpriced" used 997 product, they have tip transmissions. May be supply and demand, where perhaps more people in the market want manual. I wonder what the new car purchase ratio is -- I can honestly say I've seen dozens of 997 product, but still haven't seen one that is a tip.

My 997S is a daily driver in season and there's no issue with having a clutch...

I suppose it's fair to ask why you are even considering a C4 if you aren't in the snow belt and plan to drive it in the winter. No reason to spend the extra money for a heavier car with less storage and a more complicated drivetrain.

Diamond Blue 4S tip

Ron, I ordered a tip on my 03 C4S and have never regretted it. My wife has an 03 Boxster S with m6 and I enjoy driving it occassionally, but I still enjoy my tip. I would suggest that you drive each one and make your decision based on what you like best. That said, I suspect your resale value will probably end up being about $5k less with a tip. Good luck with the decision.

Arlington

I just made that very decision, and in No VA too. Having spent the last 3 years with an SL500's 7 speed automatic, even with manual mode, I missed the fun and engagement of shifting enough to make up for the traffic. So I ordered the 6M. I'm familiar with the Tip and while it has a very nice manual mode, it's just not the same as having that clutch. But it was a hard decision with the traffic around here, so I think whoever said you should drive them both and decide on your own was exactly right.

rdstemler

Have had both. The Tip is OK, but I wouldn't pay extra for it. If you track, get the 6 speed. The Tip is missing a gear on the track. You never use first and I seldom got into 5th. That leaves you a 3 speed. With a 6 speed you have 4 gears in the same area and can better match your revs/gearing with the sweet spot of the engine.

You never miss a downshift with the Tip and it will upshift for you as you unwind at the apex more smoothly then you could do it yourself!

Off the track, it's your choice. I like it fine for city driving!

I'd like to see them come out with the next generation to further cloud the issue!

DMB14

I deal with a clutch everyday in NoVa traffic. It's no big deal. I would definitely not get a Tip.

500

The tip has come a long way since its inception and the software is greatly improved. I would order it with sports chrono for sure and if you want to narrow the performance gap between a 6 speed car then also get X 51.

I have a 6 speed (hell all my past 911s, turbos etc have been manual) and when traffic is light it's great, but in stop and go it's real a pain in the ***! My next 911 will be an auto (hopefully DSG) and if X51 is still an option I will get that as well.

PAULSPEED

Hi,
I been to places where a guy said he did not drive his
Porsche because there was to much shifting. At the race
track, I will shift about 30 times a lap. I will run
about 90 laps a day. The guys usally sit around at
the end of the day resting their foot. You will enjoy
either car because it is a Porsche!!!
Paul

Edgy01

I see a lot more tips in cabrios than in coupes.

YA911Fan

Sounds like it's time to get a commuting car in addition to a properly configured Porsche (read with stick). Piling tedious commuting miles on a Porsche or any sports car for that matter doesn't make much sense, imo. Why compromise?

500

I don't use my 997 to commute but nevertheless it's still a hassle in stop and go traffic rowing the gears and in and out with the clutch over and over again...

Dave in Oregon

More fun to drive, more control in the twisties, easy to shift compared to some of the older 911's (read lighter clutch pedal, softer engage points). Resale will suffer since very few potential Porsche buyers look for an automatic tranmission. I drove a Tiptronic 996 C4S in Germany and HATED it ! Only time I actually enjoyed it was on the Autobahn going 275 KPH (no need to shift !)

ChipAZ

To each is own I guess. I love my Tip although I miss the 6 speed I had in my 996. You have to educate it though. The dealer told me to floor it making it start in 1st whenever possible when I first got it. Now I can get it to shift up and down when I want it too. I'm happy at almost 3000 miles

9974G

I'm of the philosophy that you buy a 911 (or any sports car, for that matter) as a second car to be used for pleasure. Driving it to and from work on a daily basis just doesn't make sense to me, and so I have a daily driver that's automatic (and Japanese ).

I've noticed that when I drive my 997 the way I enjoy it, I average around ~15MPG. When I drive it for good gas mileage (mostly highway, keep it at ~2K PRM), I get ~21-22MPG...but I only get about ~50% of the fun out of it). Oh, and in stop&go traffic, I still get crap mileage & little more driving enjoyment than my daily driver.

My daily driver is now over 11 years old and in need of replacement soon. I'm deciding between a few candidates to buy sometime next year. All the candidates are automatics.

Edit: BTW, my 997 has MT