964 Tiptronic

Recently, the prices of used 964 models have been rising relentlessly.

Just recently, it became a hot topic that even the 964 Tiptronic (Tip) surpassed 10 million yen, but there are now examples exceeding 17 million yen. This situation is, of course, partly due to the popularity of the 964, but another factor is the recent weak yen, which has made Japanese used cars relatively affordable from a global perspective.

That said, the 964 Tiptronic is sometimes avoided by die-hard manual transmission fans and even occasionally looked down upon.

However, as someone who regularly drives manual Porsche models and has experienced the 964 manual many times, I want to say loudly that the Tiptronic is actually fun.

But to truly enjoy it, you need a little know-how, which I’d like to share here.

What is Tiptronic?

Porsche’s Tiptronic is a torque converter automatic transmission, and the one installed in the 964 was jointly developed by three companies: ZF for the gearbox, Bosch for the electronic controls, and Porsche.

When driving normally in D range, it starts off in 2nd gear and shifts smoothly with almost no shift shock, accelerating seamlessly. Because of this, you can drive an air-cooled Porsche surprisingly easily, whether in city traffic or stop-and-go jams, without any special effort—just like a modern car.

If you push the shift lever to the right, it switches to manual mode. Although its shift speed can’t quite match modern automatics, it still offers the joy of controlling the gears yourself and driving the car.

How to Use the Tiptronic

However, the real charm of the 964 Tiptronic is not in manual mode.

In fact, the true fun lies in the D range. According to technical documents, this Tiptronic has five modes and automatically switches between them based on throttle input and other factors. The fun comes from making the most of this feature.

Specifically, the secret lies in how you work the accelerator. Usually, with an automatic, flooring the accelerator triggers a kickdown. At first, I also thought pressing the accelerator deeply to force a downshift was the way to accelerate.

But with this AT, that alone often won’t cause a downshift.

This AT does respond somewhat to how much you press the accelerator and engine load parameters, but more importantly, the speed at which you press the accelerator is key.

For example, if you want to downshift, lightly release the accelerator first, then quickly press it again. You don’t need to press it deeply—just a quick blip. The important thing is not how far you press, but how fast you operate the accelerator.

Doing this will complete the shift much faster and with less shift shock than manually downshifting with the lever.

It takes some practice at first, but once you get used to it, you can control the shifts freely just by your accelerator work.

For example, when approaching a corner, you brake to reduce speed and enter the curve. Just before accelerating out, you lightly blip the throttle to downshift, then launch forward aggressively.

Conversely, if you can corner without braking, you can preemptively blip the throttle to downshift before entering. When lateral G-forces build up, the computer suppresses upshifts, allowing you to accelerate smoothly through the corner.

Also, if you can use left-foot braking, your control options expand even further. You can maintain slight brake pressure while blipping the throttle to downshift, for example.

On the highway, if you just floor the accelerator normally to overtake, this AT often responds sluggishly and may not kick down. However, if you focus on pressing the accelerator quickly and sharply, it will drop down to 2nd gear in one go, letting you enjoy furious acceleration with that classic air-cooled sound.

In this way, for sporty driving, it’s best to be mindful of the speed at which you press the accelerator.

Mastering the Automatic

Many modern automatics, including Porsche’s PDK, use similar control logic, so some readers might think this is old news.

But surprisingly few drivers fully understand and exploit these characteristics when driving.

If you’ve tried a Tiptronic before and thought it was just a boring automatic, or if you own a Tiptronic and don’t quite get its appeal, I encourage you to try driving with these tips in mind. Your impression of the Tiptronic will surely change for the better.