From Edmunds test:

Wood it on the freeway and there's an inexcusable delay while the tranny finds the right gear and the boost builds before any relevant acceleration happens.

In manual mode every millimeter of throttle travel can be enjoyed, but the transmission doesn't match revs on downshifts and the engine's drone around town at high rpm gets old.

Porsche's claim that the automatic is quicker might be true, but it's not entirely realistic. Here's why: You can't just put your foot to the floor and produce that 3.4-second 0-to-60 time. Here's the routine: Press the "Sport" button; engage 1st gear (the transmission defaults to 2nd); mash both pedals to the floor until the overboost indicator illuminates on the dash; release the brake; hold on.

When the brake is released, the Turbo reveals everything Porsche has learned about accelerating quickly in 43 years of building the 911. Which is, well, a lot, but because of the unpredictability of the time it takes for the boost to build with both feet pushed to the floor, it's virtually impossible to synchronize your launch against a stoplight. Get it wrong and the kid in the big-winged Mitsubishi Evo will get the drop on you.

Complete article :

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do.../pageId=119534

 

Still starts in 2nd? I hated my 996 cab for that. I can't believe it still is programmed like that

 

Sounds like Edmunds have never tried to launch an Evo! Its no easy task on the stock clutch w/o a number of hardware killing practice sessions.

 

It seems to me all of the tt are a little bit dogish in first gear. I have had 2 manuals and 1 tip tt starting in 1996. I loved the cars, they are really fast even with no modifications. From the start the first gear of both the manual and tips seem a little dogish. After 1st gear hold on.
drjay2

 

I think the tip has a taller 1st gear.

 

Nothing a simple flash won't fix!

 

thank u. that's all i've been telling to whoever is thinking about tip. if u don't know how to drive 6sp that's fine. if u don't want to deal with traffic that's fine. but frankly good amount of people want tip because of the faster 0-60 time. wake up!

 

When you press the "sport" button, the tip starts out in 1st gear automatically. I have no complaints with the tip; The current system is amazingly intuitive and shifting pattern is very aggressive especially in the Sport mode. Of-course it is not going to feel the same as a manual, but I think a valid argument can be made for the preference of either transmission.

 

I had the chance to jump into a 997TT tip at the Porsche Parade Mexico but only did 3 laps in it... my 1st impression is like edmunds, realistically speaking the tip is not faster that the manual and the gearbox is slow and not matched to the engine... I personally didn't like it...

 

The big reason for me....automatics do the driving for you.....autos are good for old men, women and lame dogs that can't get the eye to leg to arm coodination correct even with many trials. I want control of the car myself. BMW says that why they provide SMG only with some HP cars is that if the driver uses his left foot for braking he saves some very small amount of time. That could be, don't know. Most folks I know with slush boxes all use their right foot for braking.

 

If you don't like automatics, don't buy it. It is as simple as that. No one is twisting your arm to make you buy one. There is no need to be critical of what others choose to buy, and not everyone buys an automatic because they don't know how to operate a manual gear box.

 

JohnWW-

Left foot braking is a very common racing technique on the race track. Again, of all of the pro drivers that I have met, including Danny Murry and Hurley Haywood, they all prefer the TipS on the racetrack versus the current 6 speed manual. Now, a good sequential shifter might be another story.

-Gerry

 

Everyone is entitled to buy what he/she chooses, yet we give our point of view as reference. Choosing a tiptronic for comfort or whatever other reason you may think is a valid choice but in my opinion as of today, Porsche cars are better perfoming with a manual gearbox.

I have always dream of buying a tiptronic for comfort reasons, but its when I drive 'em that a back off.

Now in the 997TT Porsche announces the Tiptronic to be faster, and this, may sway many customers towards the automatic gearbox, but in reality the 997TT in Tiptronic form does not perform as good when the tranny is looking for the right gear at either lag or boost.

Therefore the importance of our comments. Then again many will buy the Tiptronic and enjoy it.

 

Stick Shift...... Ftw

 

This kind of constructive comments are more than welcome and your views are well taken. My response was directed at JohnWW's comments which just preceded mine