I've decided to purchase a Cayman in the coming weeks and I'm torn between the stick and tiptronic. I've been raised on stick and the two seater sports car but lately the automatic has come into play....right now I'm driving a 300C with an auto-stick...not half bad but I really don't use it that much, mind you this is a sedan and not the sports car and I have gotton used to driving an automatic now. My only concern would be replacing the clutch after the average time frame....whatever that may be. So from the reliability standpoint which is better? what would it cost to change the clutch in the bad boy?

I'm already leaning towards the manual....it's a Porsche afteral but l just don't know....oh and then there's the fact my wife keeps saying she can't drive stick....to me that is another reason to buy one but my other questions arise?

Please advise.

 

my opinion has always been and always will be that an automatic porsche is a disgrace[:'(]....although the tptronic semi auto does look cool.......go with manual because it's only a real sports car if youre doing the shifting...

 

Personal choice, personal choice.....
Drive both, test it out, even Tiptronic can be fully manual if you choose to. I got a Tiptronic, 2 resaons, stuck in traffic 40% of the time that I drive, my wife can not drive stick, (incase for emergency, she can drive the car).

 

As the Porsche Tiptronic Box was a design derived from the Mercedes System - this is as good as Automatics get! My 996 "modified" Carrera is Manual, but only because it was the right car in every other respect.
I'm thinking about a 997 Turbo and test driving a manual and an auto back to back, I have to say that the Tiptronic is the prefered transmission.
I've also got a Mercedes S500 and an SL500 which only come with Auto, and the flick change beats operating a clutch for high speed getaways any day!!!!!
So if you are also concerned about Manual Clutch wear and tear, give the Tiptronic a chance.
Best Regards Big Bob

 

I have the Tiptronic. My Porsche is my daily driver and there are times when I am very glad I can just put it in auto mode and let the car shift, etc.

I've driven both and overall my comments are:
- I can have as much fun on a twisty back road with the Tip in manual mode as I would in a manual.
- the Tiptronic is not as quick off the line as a manual (Yeah, I know the newest Turbo is a bit faster to 60 with a Tip than manual, but that is the turbo) the difference is quite noticeable up to about 35 mph.
- the manual really jumps off the line a lot quicker -- when you get the clutch just right and have the traction and control the wheelspin. The difference is very noticeable. But my experience with both is that the manual is not easy to launch aggressively at its limit It is easy to get some really noticeable wheel tramp and spinning and it isa bitsensitive to road surface so that I'm not sure you can assume the extra off-the line acceleration would really be there for you. I'm not saying you can't learn it well and find the extra off the line grunt, but I don't rate it as a dependable performance margin.
- on the other hand,with its auto mode and rear weight bias, I've never encountered wheelspin on dry pathment even from a standing start: just stomp and go: it digs in perfectly every time,and despite not being as quick as the manualwill jump out a ahead ofa new Mustang GT or a Hemi Charger (not the SRT though) and hang a length of so ahead up to about35 (where it's superiorpower to weight ratio means itjust starts walking away from either). Given it also can be downshifted quicker when you have little warning you need to, and it is altogether "faster" around town in any practical sense: particularly when you are just cruising and a bit tired from a long day at the office.

 

I think Saucerman that Lee Willis captures the essence of the plus and minus of stick versus tip.
Fortunately Porsche clutch pedal efforts are OK, I had a 500BHP Oscar India Aston V8 Vantage circa 1985 thatI fitted a heavy duty clutch to, to take the extra HP and torque. I ended up with a left leg like Popeyes, and hated getting stuck in traffic. It was a real pleasure to go later to another AstonVantage with a Chrysler Torqueflight Autobox!
So if you drive the car a lot in traffic, and you get tired at the end of the working day, Tiptronic is the way to go.
All the Best Big Bob

 

thank you for all your efforts and comments.....I'm leaning towards stick now....plus it's 3 grand cheaper....I tested both and it really was a coin toss...factor in that my daily commute is only 7 minutes and mostly winding roads with hills...stick is it.

thanks again....

appreciated....putting my order in soon....oh so very soon.

 

Good luck with it