Buying 964's.....Tiptronic or Manual?

[decompressing]

I've previously been looking at 3.2 Carreras but have decided that I would like something a bit more modern (yes, I know about the leaks/dual-mass flywheel and dual distributer issues).

I tried a C2 manual today. The guy selling it said it had had a new clutch about 600 miles previously (car has 54,000 miles on the clock). The point is, the clutch release felt awful-very heavy (tiresome in the short time we were in town) and wasn't especially smooth when releasing it. I'm sure the 3.2's I've driven had much lighter clutches and much smoother. Is this a charachteristic of 964s or was this one just a bad one?

Also, in view of the above I've been thinking about just going for a tiptronic model anyway (my present BMW has it and I like it in that). How reliable is the tiptronic set-up on a 964? Is it similar to the BMW system that actually varies the shift program depending on your style of driving, or is the Porsche system too early for this?

Any views would be appreciated.

Cheers,

Marc


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[James Ball]

Marc

The clutch on a 964 should feel smooth and light. The one you drove does not sound right at all

Tiptronic is very reliable - probably more reliable than a "normal" gearbox as it is harder to abuse. I am not sure about whether it vaires its pattern depending on the driver to be honest.

Tiptonics are great for any situation apart from the track, although they are not necessarily a particular handicap in that environment either. If you have one in your BMW already and like it I suggest you test drive a tip Porsche and take it from there. You will probably like it, especially if you do a lot of stop-start driving.

James


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