The first 997 I test drove was an 07 with short shifter option, and I felt immediately comfortable driving the car off the dealer lot. The shift was fast, precise, and the car wasn't even warmed up yet. This was a couple months back and I had fond memories of that car.

My 08 doesn't have the short shifter option, and I don't think I can shift as fast/smoothly as that 07. I figure the transmission is still new and needs time to break in, but I am already looking at retrofitting the short shifter in the near future.

Now assuming what I felt with the short shifter reflects everybody's experience, why would Porsche even have a "long" shifter as standard option? Yeah you might say Porsche just needed a way to ding the buyer with another option, but are there any advantages of having the "long" shifter that I might miss once going to the shorter option?

 

Nope...its all about the Benjamins....

 

The stock shifter works better in cold weather and is smoother.

 

Some people like rowing. I prefer to be on the water though when doing it.
Sport shifter rocks!

 

We're here for you.....and the B&M Special is still on through August!

List: $299
Our everyday price: $199
Special Rennlist sale (mention RennList): $179 ($20 refunded upon order)

 

I now have the sport/short shifter in my 997 and love it.

The reason it is not standard is the same reason
BOSE is not standard in a $100k car --- Options equals Profits.

 

I prefer the standard shifter to the short shifter. I don't like how the short-shift feels and shifts. I'm guessing that more drivers prefer the standard shifter to a short one.

 

I've had both. The current "long" shifter in the turbo is so smooth, I just don't care about the distance.

 

I like the standard ( long) shifter. It shift smoothly even when cold. I also do not need to shift faster. Faster shifts = faster synchro wear.

 

I think you hit the nail on the head with Porsche just wanting to ding for more options. Why isn't the Sport Exhaust standard, doesn't eveyone want that sound? Why not x51, doesn't everyone want more power? etc. etc.

 

Well I figure with the Bose premium, Sports Exhaust, and x51, there are probably additional costs associated with manufacturing process and parts (albeit not near what they're asking for them). But with sports shifter it's basically the same parts but different geometry.

Is it true that every Porsche drives differently? I might have to test drive another 6 speed and see if that 07 was just extra smooth.

 

I purchased a SSK for my 986 Boxster S. However, every time I drive the car the shifting feels so "right" I think to myself, - " why would I want to mess with perfection?" . So far I haven't installed the SSK. And Fahrer is correct, faster shifting = faster syncro wear.


Phil

 

ok I went ahead with the swap over the holidays. The result is just what I expected. The shift is fast, precise, just as a sports car should be. It's slightly notcher on 1st and 2nd, but not enough to cause any problems. Even my wife says I can shift better now, so she doesn't get motion sickness anymore. I don't know why the standard shifter even exists. This is leaps and bound better.

Here are some photos comparing the two shifters. The one with the blue block around the shifter is the SSK. It sits slightly higher than the stock unit. The swap was pretty simple, took about 2 hours. Most of the time was spend trying to figure out how to remove the center console.

 

Bull****. It works better in warm weather too!

Seriously, I'm sick of not being able to get into 1st gear, even when it is plenty warm here. It's not so much being warm as it is having thrown it into 1st gear 8-10 times, then it will go in like a normal shift.

 

Steel synchros in the 997--no increased wear.