Has anyone accidentally selected reverse when trying to find first? Normally, reverse is "difficult" to engage, with a large amount of pressure required to the left, then up. A couple of times I've been waiting at a light (with the car in neutral) and, when it changed, I applied light pressure to the left and up (like you would usually use to find 1st instead of 3rd). To my embarrassment, I found myself going in reverse. If it's just me, I'll have the dealer take a look. If it's more common, perhaps it's just a quirk of the 981 gearbox and I'll just have to live with it.

 

That sounds scary! I've never encountered this. Getting in reverse in mine is a very deliberate action. The effort required to engage reverse will leave you in no doubt that you intended to select that gear instead of first.

 

In older generation Porsches, like the 996, there was far less effort required to get into R than the current gearboxes. If you are worried about it, you can put the car into 2nd initially, and then move up into 1st.

But after a while, you get used to the position of 1st and aren't relying on pushing all the way to the left and then up to engage it.

 

+1

The short shifter is messing with the OP. It takes a while getting used to it.

 

I'm used to short shifters. Hell, my other DD is a Miata (which I've owned for almost 23 years). Usually, getting into reverse takes significant effort to overcome the detent. The times I've been caught out, there was no additional effort required - it just slipped into reverse instead of first. I'm just going to take vantage's advice and select 2nd, then 1st, just to be sure.

 

If anything I find it very difficult to engage reverse, you really have to pull hard to the left to engage it.

 

I guess it is possible, especially if going from 3rd to R. But, I found that R was a definite deliberate move. I have found myself in 1st many times when I wanted R. Another poster suggested I go into 3rd before R and it will be easier to find - it's true.

 

It takes effort to get it into R for me. it is enough effort to not accidentally get it into R.

 

Deer...I actually did slip into R one time, but did not press the gas fortunately. For the most part it has been fine, but I understand what OP is saying, and it's a little easier on this gearbox than my previous car's to miss 1st and go to R.

 

I've done it a few times but caught myself before moving. It's not that hard to do if you push semi-hard to the left.

 

I never know what to think about R. At times, it seems easy to engage, and at other times almost impossible. I haven't engaged R by accident, but I have failed to engage it at times and find myself in first. The short shifter may also contribute to engaging R accidentally. There are some reports of difficulty engaging 2nd at the track. I think that is a similar problem--drivers are overshooting the indent and are past 2nd, below R. In fact, this happened to me at the track today. On one of my early laps, I didn't make the downshift from 3 to 2. I thought about it and I came to the conclusion that I overshot 2nd, a bit excited driving the car (and coming off my Formula Mazda that has a hell of a spring for R/1st). After that failed shift, I relaxed my shifting and had no problem. Fortunately, there is nothing below R.

 

I find that from a stop, reverse is only engaged if I'm deliberate. I once accidentally selected reverse when already backing up and going for first without paying much attention but that was more me than the car :-(

 

Reverse takes a lot of physical effort to engage in my GT4. I had trouble finding it the other day and I've now owned 3 Porsches with the short shifter option. If I ever found it by accident, it was because I was bitten by a radioactive spider and my arms had become unexpectedly muscular...

 

In my antique I have a couple times. Never in a modern car. Including several miles in a gt4. It's a sweet transmission.

 

This is exactly my point. I may not be the most aware individual in the world (and I'm certainly not the most muscular), but I would have noticed if I'd pushed past the reverse detent. When it happens (at least in my car), the effort is no greater than required to select first gear.