A Tiptronic or manual Porsche – what’s right for you?

Porsche introduced the two pedal Tiptronic transmission in 1990, firstly on the 964 series. It also featured on 993, 996 and 997, along with Cayenne, Boxster, Cayman and 968 models until the 2009 model year, when PDK was introduced.

Their aim; a clutchless Porsche that shared the driving dynamics of a normal manual gearbox. The adaptive transmission senses the way you are driving, from gentle to sporty, and will select different programs to match. The buttons on the steering wheel or the gearshift action allow manual interaction.

The more ‘sporting’ your drive, the longer it will hold gears, and the earlier it will downshift, resulting in engine braking whilst shedding speed. It will hold a gear through a corner, and will not allow you to damage the car by over-revving, missed shifts, or wrong gear selection. 

On the road, it’s stress free, especially noticeable for driving in town, on country lanes and for generally enjoying a typical journey behind the wheel of a Porsche. Stress free and enjoyable, it is a great choice for many, and the numbers of Porsche optioned with Tiptronic rather proves that. However, if your goal is to extract maximum performance from your Porsche, then at 10/10ths, you may prefer a manual. 

Learn to use it properly and you can enjoy a rewarding, involving drive at a pace that will satisfy most. You lose little and gain a lot with a Tip.

There is another consideration; most ‘Tips’ will have enjoyed a more gentle life than manuals, and you have no clutch costs to consider. 

As always, the choices are there, and we have many customers who would have no other. We are happy to advise what may suit you best.