20 Jun 07
Which version should you go for? And are they worth it? Porsche GB expects more of its many London-based buyers to go for the Tiptronic, and the rest of the country will tend towards the manual. It makes sense. When you're trundling around town, the five-speed automatic makes life simpler and saves you the bother of controlling the heavy-ish clutch pedal.
If you're cruising on a motorway, again the Tiptronic feels like the natural choice. It likes to change up into fifth much earlier than you would if left to your own devices, which helps the fuel consumption, but if you get the sudden urge to go a lot faster it will readily kick down a gear or two and do that time/space warping thing.
All well and good. However, the six-speed manual comes into its own when you've declared war on a country lane. The (subjective) speed, accuracy and rewarding clunkiness of the manual changes makes for a far more rewarding experience. All the while, the adjustable suspension and smart four-wheel drive are delivering the power to the road in an amazingly secure yet responsive way, matched by a steering set-up that does just what you want, when you want.
The figures may say that the Tiptronic does a better job of it than you could, but the manual gives you the feeling that you're on top of the situation and getting the most from the car. It's a much more engaging, involving experience. It's great.
