997 Turbo - is a Tiptronic gearbox really that bad?

[Vroom2]

Hi Folks,

I am currently in the market for a 997 Turbo.

The benefits of manual and PDK gearboxes are well documented. However I am curious to know, for general road use (i.e. I am not a track rat) would a Tiptronic gearbox really be that bad? There is a serious difference in price for otherwise like for like second hand cars.

I have a friend who is an ex Porsche salesman and he thinks the 997 Tip boxes get an overly harsh reputation. He tells me the reality is that 997 Turbos go through the gears so quickly, most people end of driving them as an auto anyway! (in any event, a manual will have slower gear changes).

It would not be the first time I have noticed the car market herd like sheep on an idea or myth.

I have owned and enjoyed manual 996 C4S and 997 C2S in the past. However I have a suspicion regarding value for money a 997 Tip Turbo is worth considering.

Any feedback much appreciated!

[Magic919]

Lots of people say the Tip and Turbo go well together. Been that way since the 996.

[IMI A]

I drove a 997t tip and thought it was brilliant - auto gearbox and mezger turbo are a very nice combination for a dd. Still bought a manual at the time though but thats just me.

[WG]

I had a 996 Turbo for six years with Tiptronic. It turned me onto autos for which I had always been very anti. It was a great car it has so much power you don't notice any " trasmission loss". The 997 would be even better in this respect I suspect.

[Brinyan]

I run a 996 turbo, with a tip box. I really think it suits the car and what the car is used/built for - fast road use. As a track car, manual would be my preference, which is why that generation of gt3's were manual.
Clearly everyone has different views and opinions, but that engine and that gearbox work very effectively.

[Cheib]

I drive a manual GTS but had a go in a manual 996 Turbo recently and really felt the manual box didn't really suit the car.

[Adam B]

I never got on with tips at all, however it was less objectionable in the 996 turbo than in any of the n/a porsches I tried it in, and by the 996/7 it had at least been updated. It was truly terrible in a 993 I drove once.

So not a fan but better in turbos so give it a try

[g7jhp]

Cheib said:

I drive a manual GTS but had a go in a manual 996 Turbo recently and really felt the manual box didn't really suit the car.

Lucky we're all different.

I love the manual gearbox I my 996 turbo X50.

[Vroom2]

Thanks for the feedback guys!

[Big Raff]

I have a 997T Tip, and for London where it lives is perfect. Can have some fun sports with the little shift thingos if you wanted but even then, the auto downshifts in sport are great.

[gadgetJunky72]

make sure you get a car with sports chrono as it will make the shifts faster if you do feel like getting out on b roads for a blast.

edit: actually it's just the sport button you need so you could get it retro-fitted if the kits are still available.

[rabbitstew]

Ive got a manual 997 turbo, purely as ive never had an auto car before and didnt fancy a tiptronic for that reason. But I definitely think the tip would work really well on the turbo. You have so much power its ridiculous. For over taking, you can leave it in 5th or 6th and it will just take off - without having to work the manual box. Acceleration wise, even with my quickshifter, you really cant change gear quick enough, and even if you do, by the time your in 4th your already doing a 3 figure speed.

I use mine as my daily commuting car and looking back now, I could have saved a lot of cash going for the tiptronic and tbh it probably would have been more suited when im stuck in slow moving traffic jams etc.

I did read a lot of negative reviews on tiptronics online about slow changes etc, but then I also read that you can reset them and under sport mode the changes are really quick. (the tiptronic 997 turbo is actually quicker than the manual one)

[hondansx]

I agree, of all the cars it suits, the Turbo gets away with it.

However, the 997.1 Turbo was probably the most boring car i've ever owned. Was really happy to get rid of it. It was neither an exciting sports car, or an accomplished GT car; i didn't get it.

I was pleasantly surprised with the Gen 2 Turbo S, which i test drove with PDK and found it to be a better car in a number of key aspects. I liked it so much i bought one - having previously decided i would never step into another 911 after my prior experience!

[NIIKME]

Its good. And very usable. There's something about the software which means I always found it to be in the right gear at the right time, I hardly ever ever reverted to the steering wheel buttons. Compare this with the M3 DCT box, in auto, which I had previously owned and that was never in the right gear when you needed it to be. The thing that impressed me most about the tip box is that when you were really pressing on the box adjusts very quickly and leaves you revving higher in the lower gears, which is great for the twistys. Basically I just found it very intuitive to whatever mood you were in. And they are a very solid investment - so go for it.

[The Moose]

As with all gearboxes learn how it works best with the car, engine and your driving style and you'll get on fine!

[Legacywr]

Is a car with tiptronic, less likely to over rev? Might be a stupid question?

[c4sman]

Guaranteed no over revs as the box software protects the engine. Another benefit of an auto as one less thing to worry about.

[Fireblade69]

Not on a turbo but have had experience of both in pork. Tip is okay, no worries with it but after having DSG on an Audi I found the Tip is way too slow but like you say, normal driving you're not going to have an issue. The only really annoying thing on the Tip is when you're having a blatt, the car will change gear just when you want to hold it for a little longer. Other thing that's not annoying but I don't like is the steering wheel buttons. Do not like them.

PDK on the 997 though, yum!

[Australiam]

As is apparent by this thread, it is a very subjective matter. However, your choice will have a huge impact on how well you get on with the car.

For what it is worth, I have had both Tip and Manual, loved one, hated the other - it matters not which. If undecided you must do it try both, and do not be drawn into buying the wrong one, just because everything else stacks up (that is what I did, and it was a mistake!)

Good luck.

[Carlson W6]

I had a Gen 1 Turbo tip for 2 years and 25K miles.

It was brilliant.

I changed it for a Gen 2 Turbo S PDK which is better.

The tip is fine so long as you adjust your driving to suit it.They like to be driven hard once warm and the box will react to the manner in which it is driven.
They have a memory and if you waft in it the box will become wafty.
If you use more throttle the box will hold gears for longer and change down earlier when braking.

If you want to re-set the tips memory stamp on the accelerator twice,momentarily but in quick succession when the engine is idling in Park.Then the box will wipe its memory of previous driving habits.

This was my methodology when going for a spirited weekend drive after M25 drudgery all week and it worked.

Search the forum for more info.

I think a lot of people test drive a Tip which has a wafty response without re-setting the memory but i could be wrong.