Questions For Tiptronic Boxster Owners
04-10-2004, 02:44 AM
#1
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Questions For Tiptronic Boxster Owners
I owned a 944 for about 7 years and LOVED it. Unfortunately, my left knee has problems so it's automatics for me from this point on. So, tip equipped cars are what I'm interested in. Because of my love of my 944, a 968 would be great but they are getting older now and many had a flex disc problem with the tip cars. Expensive to fix and because so few were imported, relatively speaking, it's not always easy to find someone who knows what they are doing. Having driven MGBs for about 10 years, the thought of a convertible again makes me smile! So, I combine Porsche + tip trans + top down driving = Boxster!
My budget will be about 25k. I live on Long Island, NY but may be moving to GA this summer. Regardless, July-August a/c is something I'll want and need. I've read several FAQ and common problem lists on the internet and I really haven't seen anything making the 2.5 or 2.7 cars any better than the other. Since you guys are the actual owners I have a few questions:
1) Has anyone heard of any common problems to the tip equipped cars?
2) Anyone have an opinion on the 2.5 v. 2.7 cars? Is there really mich difference? I ask because my budget means 2000 is as new as I can afford (keeping miles low) and by being able to add 1999 or 1998 cars to my list gives me a heck of a lot more to choose from.
3) Not having driven one yet, are the tip controls on the steering wheel for all years?
4) How does the a/c work in summer use?
5) Anyone with opinion on the base v. sport susp package? Does the sport make the car skittish with the wheelbase being so short?
6) Can the air bag on the passenger side be turned off for younger passengers on all, some or any years? I have a 10 and 6 yr old and they want me to get another Porsche maybe more than I do!
7) Any problems with the rear window turning white? This was a favorite passtime of the tops on my old MGBs.
8) Do people really do oil changes every 15k? My 1983 944 had that in the manual as well but I did Red Line every 5k and changed the filter and topped off the level every 2500.
9) My wife says I should look at the Audi S4 because it would be more practical (holding 4) but I say a sunroof can not equal top down driving. I always loved driving my MGBs at night on a quiet night with the sound of the exhaust note so close to you. I have missed that for years.
10) How long do the shifts take? I know several companies offer chips to cut the shift time on the Audi S4 because many find it lags a bit.
11) I'd love to experience the track with my Boxster, something I never got around to doing with my 944. Being a convertible, are the factory roll bars accepted for Porsche Club events?
I'd appreciate any general comments you have on your tip equipped Boxster as well.
Thanks all in advance. If you'd rather e-mail be directly, my address is rlbrooks@optonline.net
Ron Brooks
A Porsche owner again soon.
My budget will be about 25k. I live on Long Island, NY but may be moving to GA this summer. Regardless, July-August a/c is something I'll want and need. I've read several FAQ and common problem lists on the internet and I really haven't seen anything making the 2.5 or 2.7 cars any better than the other. Since you guys are the actual owners I have a few questions:
1) Has anyone heard of any common problems to the tip equipped cars?
2) Anyone have an opinion on the 2.5 v. 2.7 cars? Is there really mich difference? I ask because my budget means 2000 is as new as I can afford (keeping miles low) and by being able to add 1999 or 1998 cars to my list gives me a heck of a lot more to choose from.
3) Not having driven one yet, are the tip controls on the steering wheel for all years?
4) How does the a/c work in summer use?
5) Anyone with opinion on the base v. sport susp package? Does the sport make the car skittish with the wheelbase being so short?
6) Can the air bag on the passenger side be turned off for younger passengers on all, some or any years? I have a 10 and 6 yr old and they want me to get another Porsche maybe more than I do!
7) Any problems with the rear window turning white? This was a favorite passtime of the tops on my old MGBs.
8) Do people really do oil changes every 15k? My 1983 944 had that in the manual as well but I did Red Line every 5k and changed the filter and topped off the level every 2500.
9) My wife says I should look at the Audi S4 because it would be more practical (holding 4) but I say a sunroof can not equal top down driving. I always loved driving my MGBs at night on a quiet night with the sound of the exhaust note so close to you. I have missed that for years.
10) How long do the shifts take? I know several companies offer chips to cut the shift time on the Audi S4 because many find it lags a bit.
11) I'd love to experience the track with my Boxster, something I never got around to doing with my 944. Being a convertible, are the factory roll bars accepted for Porsche Club events?
I'd appreciate any general comments you have on your tip equipped Boxster as well.
Thanks all in advance. If you'd rather e-mail be directly, my address is rlbrooks@optonline.net
Ron Brooks
A Porsche owner again soon.
04-10-2004, 04:28 PM
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I'll answer as many as I can!
1. No tip only problems I have heard of
2. The 2.7 makes a big difference, but don't turn down a perfect 2.5
3. Tip controls are on the wheel
4. I live in Texas, so the summer is May to September, and hot. The a/c works great, although if I have to look nice for a meeting or somehting, I go top up. Otherwise, down all the time.
5. Never heard of it cuasing this problem
6. I believe there is a way to do this, as Porsche makes a car seat. Check with a dealer
7. Only discolored rear windows I've seen are on neglected cars
8. I've got about 9k/9 months on this oil and no problems. It holds around 10 quarts, which helps with the life of the oil. Dealers charge around $175 to change, so you may want to learn this one yourself! It's really easy.
9. You're right, your wife is wrong
10. Shift time is very fast, especially once you get good at it. I've tracked mine and I never felt like I was at a disadvantage over a manual.
11. At my track, the factory bars are acceptable in the lower run groups. After that, the Brey-Kruase roll bar extension is required. Hard tops are also required by some regions.
I got my tip mainly so I could share the Boxster with my wife, and I felt like I was making a trade-off. That opinion is out the window, and I don't know that I will ever have a manual on a modern Porsche I own. Hope this help and good luck searching!
1. No tip only problems I have heard of
2. The 2.7 makes a big difference, but don't turn down a perfect 2.5
3. Tip controls are on the wheel
4. I live in Texas, so the summer is May to September, and hot. The a/c works great, although if I have to look nice for a meeting or somehting, I go top up. Otherwise, down all the time.
5. Never heard of it cuasing this problem
6. I believe there is a way to do this, as Porsche makes a car seat. Check with a dealer
7. Only discolored rear windows I've seen are on neglected cars
8. I've got about 9k/9 months on this oil and no problems. It holds around 10 quarts, which helps with the life of the oil. Dealers charge around $175 to change, so you may want to learn this one yourself! It's really easy.
9. You're right, your wife is wrong
10. Shift time is very fast, especially once you get good at it. I've tracked mine and I never felt like I was at a disadvantage over a manual.
11. At my track, the factory bars are acceptable in the lower run groups. After that, the Brey-Kruase roll bar extension is required. Hard tops are also required by some regions.
I got my tip mainly so I could share the Boxster with my wife, and I felt like I was making a trade-off. That opinion is out the window, and I don't know that I will ever have a manual on a modern Porsche I own. Hope this help and good luck searching!
04-11-2004, 10:04 AM
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Thank you both for your answers. My wife is pushing for something that seats more than 2 people but admits she does want to drive them each first. I have won the convertible battle though! SO it's either the Boxster or a mid-late ninety M3 convert. She still wants to test drive an S4 though as well. I really can't lose with either one, but the tiptronic is a big plus for me. A guy HAS to pretend to be blasting through the tunnel turn in Monaco right?! I admit I'm a Schuey wannabe. I can't afford a new enough M3 convert to get the steptronic. It would be my daily car and either would make me look forward to the commute like my beloved 944 did.
04-12-2004, 12:14 PM
#5
I have not heard of any problems with the tip transmissions, it is shifted from the steering wheel
Between the 2.5 vs 2.7 there is very LITTLE difference.
A/C works very well, you might notice a slight decrease in engine performance with the A/C running.
Sport vs Base. Sport is better for the track or spirited driving.
Passenger airbags can be disabled.
Proper rear window care is all that is needed.
Between the 2.5 vs 2.7 there is very LITTLE difference.
A/C works very well, you might notice a slight decrease in engine performance with the A/C running.
Sport vs Base. Sport is better for the track or spirited driving.
Passenger airbags can be disabled.
Proper rear window care is all that is needed.
04-12-2004, 01:55 PM
#6
I've tracked my 2.5L tiptronic for 51 DE days. Here's my experiences...
1) The transmission gets cooled by the same fluid that cools the engine. As a result, you can expect that the engine temperature will run hotter on a tip than it will on a manual. I've only noticed this problem on the track though and only after I started going faster. I ended up having to run the heater full blast to try to cool off the engine.
2) I think the 2.7s are faster by about 2 seconds on a long course (like Watkins Glen). With that being said, I was passing most people in our white run group (a very fast group) while on street tires. The biggest gain in the 2.7 is that the redline is higher.
3) There was one change in the tip controls starting model year 2000. In "automatic" mode, you could use the steering wheel button to force a downshift. The car would stay in the lower gear for 8 seconds and then shift back to its normal gear.
4) The A/C is incredible. I wouldn't worry about it.
5) If you are considering tracking the car, get the sport suspension. It doesn't make the car skitterish and most people who go to track setups get something even stiffer than that.
6) The passenger side airbag can be disabled by buying a special seat from your dealer. He does have to install something on the car, but that installation cost is picked up by Porsche as part of their safety warranty. MOST DEALERS DO NOT KNOW THIS. If they try to charge you for the install, have them call PCNA and they will set them straight. I don't believe that any dealers are trying to rip you off, they just don't know that Porsche covers the installation cost.
7) Haven't heard about problems with the rear window.
8) On my car, about every 15K miles was what I did. I was leasing the car though. On my new car, which I own, I plan to change about every 3 track events.
9) No comment
10) Upshifts are quick and smooth. Downshifts take a bit of time and are less smooth. For the longest time I found downshifts to be incredibly frustrating on the track, and I solved that problem by going faster - thus I needed to downshift much less often.
11) Many regions will require that you pass a broomstick test. This means that your head (with a helmet on) has to be lower than a broomstick rested on the windshield extended to the roll bars. If you are short (about 5'8 or smaller) you shouldn't have a problem. Note though, that your instructor has to pass a similar test. I used the BK roll bar extension, and even with that I wasn't passing. I ended up getting GT3 seats and a BK mount that lowered them. I now pass the test by about 2 inches.
As far as using the car on the track. Some people have experienced troubles with the boxster and others haven't. I've done 51 DE days and have had ZERO track related problems. I think a tiptronic is a great way to learn a lot about the track as you can focus on the line, the flaggers, braking technique, etc. rather than focussing on shifting. If the car is driven well, it can be a blast.
1) The transmission gets cooled by the same fluid that cools the engine. As a result, you can expect that the engine temperature will run hotter on a tip than it will on a manual. I've only noticed this problem on the track though and only after I started going faster. I ended up having to run the heater full blast to try to cool off the engine.
2) I think the 2.7s are faster by about 2 seconds on a long course (like Watkins Glen). With that being said, I was passing most people in our white run group (a very fast group) while on street tires. The biggest gain in the 2.7 is that the redline is higher.
3) There was one change in the tip controls starting model year 2000. In "automatic" mode, you could use the steering wheel button to force a downshift. The car would stay in the lower gear for 8 seconds and then shift back to its normal gear.
4) The A/C is incredible. I wouldn't worry about it.
5) If you are considering tracking the car, get the sport suspension. It doesn't make the car skitterish and most people who go to track setups get something even stiffer than that.
6) The passenger side airbag can be disabled by buying a special seat from your dealer. He does have to install something on the car, but that installation cost is picked up by Porsche as part of their safety warranty. MOST DEALERS DO NOT KNOW THIS. If they try to charge you for the install, have them call PCNA and they will set them straight. I don't believe that any dealers are trying to rip you off, they just don't know that Porsche covers the installation cost.
7) Haven't heard about problems with the rear window.
8) On my car, about every 15K miles was what I did. I was leasing the car though. On my new car, which I own, I plan to change about every 3 track events.
9) No comment
10) Upshifts are quick and smooth. Downshifts take a bit of time and are less smooth. For the longest time I found downshifts to be incredibly frustrating on the track, and I solved that problem by going faster - thus I needed to downshift much less often.
11) Many regions will require that you pass a broomstick test. This means that your head (with a helmet on) has to be lower than a broomstick rested on the windshield extended to the roll bars. If you are short (about 5'8 or smaller) you shouldn't have a problem. Note though, that your instructor has to pass a similar test. I used the BK roll bar extension, and even with that I wasn't passing. I ended up getting GT3 seats and a BK mount that lowered them. I now pass the test by about 2 inches.
As far as using the car on the track. Some people have experienced troubles with the boxster and others haven't. I've done 51 DE days and have had ZERO track related problems. I think a tiptronic is a great way to learn a lot about the track as you can focus on the line, the flaggers, braking technique, etc. rather than focussing on shifting. If the car is driven well, it can be a blast.
