Absolutely! I often tell young people, "If I have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand it anyway," but perhaps the attached photo might help.

 

I respect other people's opinions, especially wives and significant others, but... they have to align (to a reasonable degree) with what expectations are in a purchase like 911. 911 chassis and powertrain have been perfected over many decades. Manual transmission has always been the intended option for this platform, so I expect to leave it intact.

Don't get me wrong, I love the PDK and the SMG in the M5 and I also secretly think of people who idolize manual trannies as insecure wannabies but 911 simply feels organic mated to a stick. More so than any other car.

Porsche's decision to switch to consumer grade motors, stronger emphasis on PDK and upcoming VW'zation were the reasons I chose to snap one of the last '09 turbo VINs. The dealer claims it's one of the last 10 cars produced. Weeeeeeee OK, back to work. Need to pay for it somehow, right?

 

I have a stick, but I really don't understand some of the posts on this general topic (not specifically in this thread, Yrralis1's underlying point is right, but generally in others).

Are some people really so insecure that they feel the need to trash or belittle someone else's choices? Are all of us such incredibly talented drivers that we always, always extract maximum performance from our cars? Does the fact that other drivers have a Tip in their 997 in any way shape or form mean their choices are wrong and ours were right?

Each of us enjoys the cars we buy in our own way. For some, the connection with their car with a manual is a pleasure that they won't give up. For some, driving is less about the transmission and more about something else. Neither is wrong. Neither is necessarily any less of an enthusiast than the other.

As for the Tip, I strongly suspect that I would be a faster driver in a car with a Tip than I am in my six speed. I'm not Walter Rohrl, I'm an average driver without the talent to truly get the most out of my car - but I love it all the same. The Tip driver is more easily able to get 90% to 95% of the performance in the car close to 100% of the time. I can't do that.

Whether you have a stick, a Tip or a PDK, you still have a 911. One of the greatest cars ever made. But for me, some of the posts on this topic do go over the line. I just don't understand why some people feel the need to justify their own choices by trashing those of others.

 

Photo forwarded to my very supportive, patient, & loving wife as I conduct my P-car search .

 

A wife has a right to divorce for any reason, be it on a whim or for some important reason. A man might do everything perfect for years and then, suddenly, find out his wife wants a divorce because his hair fell off! That's not what I was expressing; instead it was the fact that wives don't need to be involved in every single decision. Of course one has to compromise on many aspects to stay married and spending the bulk of the family's savings without talking about it and making a consensual decision would be a reason to maybe divorce. Nonetheless, where was it stated that my car was the bulk of the family's savings?

And by calling "liberation" stupid haven't you just called stupid all the women that rally under that banner?

 

To a reasonable degree is exactly what I meant. Buying one's dream car and not having it the way you want it - regardless of tip or manual as that was not the issue - because of outside influence is not reasonable in my opinion. It may be reasonable in others' opinion and I respect others' right to do with their life as they please, don't get me wrong.

 

Yes, any person spending time marching under any banners is stupid as smart people have no time for any of that non-sense, they have work to do to feed those who like to march instead of working hard.

 

It might be getting a little off track making light of the hard work women and other oppressed groups have had to do to force a change in status - much hard work left to do - and I don't mean work at the office. Sometimes a little nonsense is unfortunately necessary. Oppression of human rights, while totally OT to the original discussion, makes the notion of an auto transmission choice seem trivial and silly by comparison.

 

Is your reasoning valid for all causes? Or are there exceptions? It seems a little too broad when you said that any person under any banner is stupid... There must be some causes that people marched for that were needed or worthwhile. IMO.

 

Nah. Do not like banners, nor marchers. I am not obliged to like entire humanity after all.

They have their right to do what their`e pleased, but I would remain at my opinion about all this. Unions, liberators, liberals, conservators, afterschool soccer mums who got nothing to do in their lives so they invent crap for me to do after I work my entire 10 hours days (and it is very hard to work and post on countless forums anyway) - heck with `em all and their causes.

Stop being so dead serious you people. Live a little.

 

I am currently in a five year relationship . I have been married twice and I won't marry again but cars have nothing to do with that CHOICE. I believe that the premise of the marriage contract is flawed. Since knowlege differs from belief one can believe to be together for life but he can't possibly KNOW.

I oppose the current archaic marriage contract . I believe that if two people want to be together they will do do without involving a third party (the state) in the process . If they wish to break up .. they will do so too and the 50 percent divoce rate shows that .

I don't need the state's permission to grant me a marriage certificate and I don't wish to request permission for divoce . I have the choice of freedom in my personal life without the third party . I prefer that.

That said - turning to cars -
I have NEVER been in any relationship (even with ex wifes , ex gfs) where the woman didn't want me to be happy with my car as I did with her car .
In fact even on this forum there are guys who buy cars in colors or with options that I may not have bought myself and I am happy for them .

The idea that a woman is either incapable or unwilling to learn , or selfish enough to demand that the man she loves must buy the car for himself that she wants ... in my opinion is not love .. it's co dependency .

At the root of this might even be the guy because I don't see any woman posting on this forum insisting that her husband buy a car for himself that she wants . Most woman want him to buy the car for himself that he would enjoy.

 

For me, it was simple:

My wife HAS TO use the car at least once a week, because of our situation with our children (two little ones who are watched by my parents and my MIL during the week).

When MIL watches the kids, they are at our house and she gets my wife's car (the minivan) and my wife takes the Porsche to the office.

If I had a 6 speed, the child care situation wouldn't work out.

See? Very simple!

 

I look at the PDK differently than the tiptronic . It seems to have captured the hearts of both former manual and tiptronic owners alike.

 

As Grand Moff Tarkin once said: "All this bickering is pointless."

 

It just came to my mind that you actually have a car with _auto_ transmission now.


On a serious note - on personal level we are entitled to whatever opinions we may have but coexistence with another human being, whether we call it a marriage, civil union, etc. - all that after all is a compromise between partners involved into living this life through. It is not a fight about 'he wants', 'she wants', 'my money' it is about consensus between people.

Anyway, it is a boring topic and it`s too late in the afternoon already for such flame...