26 replies to this topic

[smshirk]

I love my 968 Cab with 6 speed. However, I don't like driving it to work very often. The clutch will wear your leg out in Atlanta traffic. I have 35 miles each way into midtown Atl every day. My 996 is a Tip S. I love the Tip in it, but would rather have the 6 speed. I have pretty much beat up the front bumper and hood on the 996 with rock chips, etc from driving it to work. I just bought an aero kit and it is in the body shop getting installed and the hood re-sprayed. Which brings me to my questions?

What is the 968 Tip like compared to the later S version in the 996? How much do you lose with the 968 torque converter. I am thinking about finding a decent (not concourse, just well maintained car) 968 coupe with Tiptronic as a daily driver. I need to sell at least one car or maybe the harley before I buy something else (running out of room to park) and insurance is ridiculous. I pay for all vehicles like they are all driven daily, even though there are only two of us. I can't convince my agent to give me a break. The 968 costs more to insure than the 996....go figure.

Does anyone here have experience with 968 Tip vs 6 speed, or even better, experience with Tip vs Tip S? And finally, is anyone here trying to sell a Tip coupe? I am partial to dark colors, but looks are secondary to a verifiable maintenance history and clear PPI. BTW, not looking to sell or trade the Cab. It has a special place in our garage. Besides, I bought cheap and have spent 10k making it right over the last 3 years. I know that's the wrong way to get a nice P car, but it was unintentional. I received all records from new on the car. As it turned out, an indy had apparently forged the majority of the tickets. Another case where if it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

[sp4149]

smshirk,

We bought our 95 Cab with a TIP because of our previous experience in driving a 944 with a 5 speed. Now that the Cab has become my daily driver in San Diego's horrendous traffic, lately 45 minutes to go 12 miles on the freeways; I don't regret the decision. However I think the TIP with only four speeds doesn't quite match the engine computer which is set up for the 6 speed manual; obviously there should be different shift points. The real difference is probably felt 0-30mph, Unless you push it, or manually shift, the TIP starts out in second not first so most of the time you are only using three gear ranges. I suspect the TIP also really starts to lag above 120mph, evidenced by the lower top end speed. The TIP seems at its best in the 50-100mph range, and is very comfortable cruising at any speed within that range. On trips to the desert, I set the cruise between 85-90, pass SUVs going up hills and get passed by them going down. Last trip out by Arizona I was passed by several SUVs doing at least 100+, obviously they didn't care about the high price of gas or their fuel economy at those speeds. As soon as we hit the mountain grades, I caught and passed them, still on cruise control.
I know buying a Porsche for driving comfort in city traffic is contra-indicated, but the thrill of shifting in stop and go traffic vanished long ago while in San Francisco. Remember Bill Cosby's line about him and a VW drifting backwards down a hill into San Francisco Bay and St. Peter telling him where to go? I once spent an hour on Lombard St slowly going up and then down hill by slipping the clutch in a 3 speed column shift 1964 GMC 3/4 ton pickup. I drove that truck in San Francisco traffic for ten years and lost all enthusiasm for manual shift vehicles in stop and go traffic. I'm sure the hills also contributed.
-sp4149

[SuicideHz]

I've got what you are looking for but I'm a little ways away from you--> Autotrader link



It's body is in way too great of condition to be used as a daily driver anyway!

[rick j.]

Hi smshirk,

I have a '00 Boxster S with with the TIP S transmission, and a '93 968 coupe TIP, and as much as I love the 968, there is--sad to say--absolutely no comparison--and no contest--between launch speed and general low-end power availability of the Box S and the 968. However, that being said, the 968 TIP is still an overwhelmingly satisfying ride, offering more of a raw, edgy, 'connected-to-the-road' sports car experience than the '00 Box S TIP. As you know, both the 986 & 996 are awesome cars, but they are definitely more insulated from the road than the Porsches that came before them.

I have owned my 93 968 tip for 3 years, and have put 25k miles on it in that time. I have had the Guards Red paint completely stripped and resprayed to correct some oxidation. I spent $2500 on a new stereo. $3K for the 90K maintenance. And yet, I can't part with this car. It is that damn good, LOL.

In the 968 tip, you will really need to be in manual mode 100% of the time. People in SUV's, pick up trucks, and Mustangs <grin!> will occasionally try to challenge you. But the car is satisfying in so many ways, and is just so damned beautiful to look at.

I'm thinking about adding a chip to address the low-end power band concerns, but honestly, I have no trouble keeping up with my sports car friends when we go on spirited drives in the country.

If you're still undecided, I'd be glad to meet up with you in Chattanooga or Dalton, GA sometime if you'd like to try out a 968 tip and put it through its paces (within reason, LOL).

Best regards,

- rick

[Kim]

I have a 92 cab tip and a 92 coupe 6-speed. I enjoy them both. I really think that the biggest reason why most people won't get a tip is simply because "everybody knows that sports cars should have manual transmissions". I drive the 6-speed more, not because I don't like the tip but only because the tip has only 29,000 miles and is in showroom condition whereas the 6-speed is "well used" and isn't going to be devalued by driving it a lot. If I bought a new car such as a Cayman S I would probably get a tip S. I just don't drive hard enough to really care about a bit of sluggishness at low speeds. Convenience is worth something too, especially if you drive to work.

[gryphon]

I have some paralysis which prevents me from using a clutch. I do like my tip cab a lot but it really is a dog below 30 mph in automatic mode. Shifted manually it's not at all bad for a 4-speed.

Tom

[Kim]

I did forget to metion that I really don't ever drive the tip in automatic mode. I might if it routinely started in 1st gear but I find that I have to step on it too much to get it to do this. I have driven this car about 12,000 km since I bought it in April and probably haven't driven more than 5 km in automatic. It is fun in manual mode.

[968Syncro]

Figured I'd add some of my experiences with the tip for about 5 months now. I am very happy with my choice of the tip; same deal as "sp4149" dealing with San Diego traffic. My first car ever with automatic (except the family cars). So...
- I use auto mode, except uphill. I find the tip lugs the engine in too low a gear, so have to downshift often. I live in a very hilly area. Wish this wasn't the case.
- It does start out slow in 2nd gear.
- Yes, can cause the controller to downshift at any point in time, but the sensor seems to require putting the pedal down at least 3/4 of the way, wish it would sense downshift earlier at about 1/3 to 1/2 of the full pedal distance. The end result is 1. jerky car motion on downshift, and 2. I can't pick the correct speed, because at the lower gear the car is going too fast for the cars ahead, and when I let the pedal up, the tip upshifts back to the gear I don't want.

I am still trying to get used to subconscious manual shift -- can't seem to get it yet like with my previous manual cars (mentally, shifting the 911SC became totally automatic).

Lastly, for all the EEs out there, it would be really fun to find a couple of pins on the controller, rigged to a manual switch, to manually select any shift map!

[968rz]

I too come from stick shifts is my toys.
I’ve had my tip since June and love it, however there are a few things that had come up with my tip.

1. in hot situations I have several times tried to down shift only to up shift (second gear is NOT in the same place on the H pattern )
2. the left side on the brake pedal is NOT the clutch (can't look cool slamming on the brakes )
3. The tip has a habit of up shifting just before I do (redline) causing the unit to to go from 2nd to 4th (that pee's me off to no end )
4. trying to down shift quickly from say 4th to 2nd just don't happen, I'll pull back twice fast and it only shifts once (have to wait a few seconds to shift down again)

Other than these things the tip it's self works flawlessly, I have just started (last night) to research if any mods can be done to improve the trans but I don't have high hopes.
There is speculation that RSBarns chips may cause the trans to use a more aggressive shift mode, this because the DME controls the trans and uses some of the same info that is modified to chose the shift mode.

[Mark]

My commute is all back roads and so I love a manual transmission. My wife drives about 35 miles into downtown (DC traffic sucks) and she wouldn't buy a car without a clutch. When she got her 968 she raved about how stiff the clutch is. It does keep her left calf looking shapely.

My truck is an automatic but it has a big 8cyl motor.

[Jacks968]

Maybe I missed it - but did any of you Tippers note that for mostly city driving you can put it in "3" on the auto gate - and it will Always pull away in First?

Unless I see the opportunity to push the revs a bit on the Open road - I always put it in 3 and just run 1-2-3 auto. The Tip seems to move to a performance mapping in 3 as it hold gears longer and downshifts quicker. I like to keep the revs at or above 2000 even in slow traffic. And 3 is comfortable up to 50 plus still at low revs. It is much better in the hills (and my driveway).

It is also great for dancing around slower cars on the highway as it is open to 80+ at the higher end of the tach and will downshifts happily with the right foot.
I do have a bit of my morning commute that is a crawl for two miles and in that place I use manual which leaves it in 2nd as I creep along.

Happy Tipping, Jack in Seattle

[968rz]

You know; now that you mention it, I've never done that (drive in anything other than D in auto). In fact, other than trying the gears when I bought the car I don't thing I've moved it that way since (I wil now just to see what happens )

As for highway driving, I normally just use auto. Cruising at 75mph I can step it to the floor and it will drop to 2nd, pull till close to 90 then shift to 3rd (freaked me out the first time it did this didn't expect to hit 2nd at that speed)
(fyi- I've never had more that 115 or so, not afraid of the speed just the red and blues in the mirror )

[sker66]

You know; now that you mention it, I've never done that (drive in anything other than D in auto). In fact, other than trying the gears when I bought the car I don't thing I've moved it that way since (I wil now just to see what happens )

As for highway driving, I normally just use auto. Cruising at 75mph I can step it to the floor and it will drop to 2nd, pull till close to 90 then shift to 3rd (freaked me out the first time it did this didn't expect to hit 2nd at that speed)
(fyi- I've never had more that 115 or so, not afraid of the speed just the red and blues in the mirror )

Hello All.........I Just Joined 968 Forums. I just purchased a 95 968 Coupe with Tip. It has 111,000 mile and very clean. The drivetrain drives perfect but i am getting a whining noise from the trans i think. I have been searching on this forum for any info but have not found yet.

1......Can you help with direecting me to some good tech database and or members that are really knowledeable with the tip and its issues?

2.....I live in so cal. and will look today for a mechanic that has good knowledge of this trans.

Thanks in advance.....Geno

[968rz]

So far my tip has had no problems (70k on the od now) and from what I've read in the forums (all of them) tips are rather bullet proof. Pay more attention to the noise and what makes it change pitch.
i.e... Certain speed- decel/accel- neutral/rev- corners
It could be your wheel or torque tube bearings.

[Jacks968]

Geno,
I would say - Enjoy the 968 ... and do not worry about the noise. I have a '93 with 68,000 miles and my mechanic said exactly that. Assuming it is like mine .... no whine in 4th gear - very slight in 3rd - most noticible in 1st on deceration. I was worried about it being the dread "Pinion" problem. But the concensus from all I can read and a very trusted Wrench is this is not very like that in sound or pattern. I have lots of mechanical noises in this car (a Cabrio) and though they are different from my previous 964 Cab - I see / Hear them as part of owning a Porsche. My wife cannot hear any of them anyway. So to be safe have a good 944/968 wrench listen to it but most likely it is just part of the "Charactor" of these Sporting Automobiles.

[unknown4u]

I do have also that wining noise in the Tip.
I chanched one of the consant velocity joint. No the wining is half of it.........Maybe I chance the other axle as well? Or try to clean the cv and put some new grease into it.

[968rz]

I don't notice any noise from the trans but I do have alot of tire noise.

[crespo]

I have started tracking my Tip recently and I was more impressed than dissapointed as I really thought it was going to be much worse. At Pocono North, the gearing worked fairly well. I needed a gear between 2nd and 3rd coming into the bowl. Was coming in right at 4k rpm and it would not let me downshift into 2nd to drive harder off the apex. Outside of that, upshifting was strong and right at 6,500 rpm for the most part while WOT. It was shifting into 4th right at the bowl apex, maybe a little before it. Hitting 120 on the dot (per the speedo) right before having to stand on the brakes to turn into the infield. Allowed me to concentrate on hard late braking and carrying as much speed as possible through the turns.

I have been looking as well for Tip mods but have come empty handed. I do believe 4th is just a little too low (number wise) and it is not optimal at all.... it is the economy gear, and as such, not intended to pull extra hard... still does though.... at 6500 rpm the theoretical speed is somewhere up in the 170s well outside the power band, while the manual, 6th gear top speed of 150s lands nicely in the power band.... So if I could get a taller 4th gear, I'll say Tips could possibly be closer to hanging with the 6 spd on the track (notwhithstanding they will still be slower when compared to a 6 spd in the right hands, and forget about 0-30). Alternatively, if we could use the final drive gears from the 6 spd, it would help tremendously. But no luck so far.

Pete has my car until next week and he may throw in a chip. And even maybe the catback we can get to it. I'll be back at Pocono with PDA HPDE on May 5th. I'll let everyone know if I notice any changes in shift points after the chip is installed, but I don't think so. I will also be in Pocono with RTR-PCA the weekend of May 19th, and we'll se how it works at that point if there are any additional mods done by then. In the meantime, I'll keep on looking for a Tiptronic gearing expert. I do not thing such a person actually exists though... In fact, I have not even seen final drive gear sets for the 6 spd outside a few single run custom rings and pinions.

[968Syncro]

Hello Folks,

Well I wanted to provide a happier update to this thread. In my post before I mentioned "I find the tip lugs the engine in too low a gear,". Well, it was basically missing, like the knock sensor was kicking in, or something like that. I replaced the cap/rotor/spark plugs and the problem seems to be gone. I thought it was the Tip shift programs somehow, but not the case. So I wanted to make sure I don't shed doubt on the tip when the engine need some tuneup.

Roland

[968Z]

FWIW - I've had both a tip and a six-speed. I would drive the tip to work, and save the six-speed for spirited weekend driving. One thing I did notice beween the two is that a tip seems to respond with a performance chip upgrade better than the manual. That is to say, it is much more noticible using the famed "butt-o-meter". I swapped the chip between both, so I know it was not a difference in the chip itself. If you have a tip, put a chip upgrade in it and use it in "stick" mode, and I think you will be pleasently surprised. Although I did get a speeding ticket going 78 in a 45 zone, and never left 2nd gear!