Yeah, but theres nothing better then a stick when it comes to any form of racing. My buddies A6 is auto/tip and I kill him off the line, some auto cars are kinda slugish.

 

def agree

 

I voted tiptronic as well. Why? Because I’d be driving it everyday. Most of the time I will not be driving “spiritedly�. If it was a normal auto, I would rather have a stick though..

And soopedra, 100% correct. It’s also useful to have an auto on a strictly drag car because you can get a stall converter and build boost on the line. For me though, I don’t think I’d ever own a car that I couldn’t drive on the street.

 

Seems many of the stick drivers don't even know what a Tiptronic is. I bought the Tip so my wife could drive the car. She couldn't handle the Porsche. Now I love it, especially since I've added the GIAC Tiptronic chip that speeds up the shifts. It is like driving a F1 car (well nt quite) but there is no rowing through gears, and the shifting is seamless. BTW, just floor it and it'll shift by itself at redline, which, with the Giac is closer to 7200 rpm. Don't knock it...

 

My SVX is automatic, as they all were (no manual option)... When I first got it, it was a bit of an oxymoron as I swore I would never own an automatic, but at the time I had a long commute with heavy traffic and thought automatic would be a great choice...

By the first month I was already bored with it. In between then and now I owned 2 other cars alongside the SVX. First a Mustang GT Convertible 5 speed, and then an 04 SVT Cobra 6 speed... The latter made me realize that heavy traffic and heavy clutches don't go together, even though they share a word with one another...

When considering buying an S4, I actually thought of the tiptronic... But I decided to test drive a 6 speed first... Well, it was enough to convince me not to even bother with the automatic. The S4's factory clutch is as soft as butter, and the shifts are effortless... It keeps me busy while driving, but it never gets me tired. A great combination. I hate boredom, but I'm not a fan of exhaustion either. The S4's 6 speed takes care of both problems.

 

I prefer a manual but I decided to buy a 01 2.7T with Tip. Live in Chicagoland area where stop and start driving is such a pain with the manual. I won't argue.. manual is more fun and takes the boredom out of the sedan feel. But with the GIAC chip I had put in... it's no slug-bug. I have been VERY impressed with the auto after I chipped it. Sure, there may alittle turbo lag.... BUT once the twin turbos spool up... I can take most cars on the road. And the lag is only less then a second. I don't find it that big of a deal. Kinda fun actually to see the expression on some faces as I blow by them !!

 

I live in LA as well.

Driven MT's my whole life.
I went to a Tip on my current S4.

HATE it..... If I'm in traffic only 10% of the time, what was I thinking ?

It's still just a 'slush box' and drives like one too.

I'm swapping it out for a 6MT over the next few days.
Just having my dealer locate one for me.

6mt for me.....

Until DSG, there is no substitute.

kj

 

Everyone is comparing Ferarri's and BMW's manu-matic transmissions, but there are no similarities at all with the tiptronics we have.

SMG stands for sequential manual gearbox, and while it can behave like an auto, it is really nothing more than a servo actuated motorcycle style manual tranny. On launch it engages the clutch in the same manner your right foot would. On up-shifts it simply reduces throttle and dry kicks into the next gear, in the exact same fashion that you do a clutchless upshift on a bike. Our Tiptronics however, are smart autos. They have torque convertors, vavle bodies, and bands, just like any other auto, but they have computer control. SMG to Tip comparisons are apples to oranges.

With that out of the way, I drive an 01 S4 with Tip. I looked for one with 6-sp for a long time, then when this one showed up with Tip, I just couldn't pass up the deal that I got. While traffic can get bad at times here in Vegas, it's not bad enough to worry about tranny type. That being said, I still wouldn't trade mine for a 6-sp for what I do with it, now that I've had some time to get used to it. Here's why.

When driving a stick, you HAVE to drive it at all times. While it does get to be natural after a while, you still have to do it, no matter what else you have going on. You might want to pet your girl in the other seat, you might need to make a call, you might have fries getting cold in the McD's bag, or you might just want to sit back and cruise. With the Tip, I can leave it in D5, and not think about it, but I have that sport mode when I want it.

Second, the sluggish shifting that people talk about becomes natural too. Since it is at least consistant, I can now anticipate when I ned to hit the button to get it to shift at the exact point I want. And if it's that easy stock, chipping it will make it butter.

Finally, launching. While the manual does allow more direct control, my opinion is that with this car, it's not needed. AWD is your friend. I can brake boost for a bit, when when I release the brake I get jammed back in the seat pretty well as full boost pulls me off of the line. I have had my car at the drag strip and my best time was 13.98 (I forget the MPH), with a low 1.9 60 foot and my car doesn't have a single modification (though there was a bit of a tailwind that night). All that, and I can still hold hands with my girl the whole way home.

This car and the E36 M3 are the only cars ever made that I prefer the auto tranny in. However that would be different if I planned on getting huge power out of this car or was going to take it to track days every other weekend, but as is, I think the Tip is the way to go.

One more thing, you guys talk about the turbo lag being bad with the auto. My other car is a T04R RX-7, full boost hits about 4500. Trust me, you guys don't know turbo lag.

 

I'm not calling into question your choice...the world would be boring if we only had vanilla ice cream.

BUT...I would like to offer a counter point...
1) Making a call - Hands free phones...its the law in most places, and even when it is not it is the way to go....no need for tip.
2) McD's bag o' fries - NO NO NO...say it is not SO...No fries in my car...they smell...they are greasy...and worst of all they can make a mess....in fact no food in my car at all....no food I say....Cars are for driving...kitchens and restaurants are for eating.
3) Playing with the girl friend - OK this is one is an acceptable and justifiable concern. BUT all you have to do is get on the highway, where you aren't shifting too much...and with a little practice you'll be able to take care of you g/f and make smooth shifts all at the same time.


So...6mt I say!!!

 

I used to think that way too, but now my current situation requires me to do quite a bit more in my car than I used to have to do.

In a pure bred sport coupe like my RX-7 (third gen), I wouldn't have anything but the manual. But for what I do with the Audi, the Tip gives me more options and makes the daily grind go much smoother.

The only thing that puts me off is the power cap of the Tip which I'm sure is much lower than the 6M. Anyone know offhand what kind of power the Tip can handle reliably?