2012 911 - Panorama Latest Issue

[crater64]

Originally Posted by john_cramer

Seriously, if Porsche comes out with a CVT you better believe it will be incredible. From the old days of the Sportomatic and Tiptronic they have always tried to broaden their market to people who want the convenience of an automatic with the flexibility of a manual. Traffic just isn't getting any lighter, and I don't just mean around NYC where it's a lost cause.

I like my car, and so do my knees. It's still new to me and I'm still learning to master shifting it properly (I'm a bit ham-handed with it). I recently drove a 997 C2S with PDK; it was phenomenal, shifting was a breeze though I sometimes found myself wondering what to do with all seven gears. Unfortunately it has more power than I'd ever know what to do with outside of a track. I can't currently afford a new one and I fear it'd be cost-prohibitive to maintain a used one as I don't know how much of the work I could do myself vis-a-vis an aircooled 911. I imagine time will tell.

I know I'm in the minority so I usually stay mum on topic. My 911 is my hobby car, not my daily driver, so I don't drink anything in it.

Ed

[oldE]

Please don't forget the fastest accelerating 911 Turbo of a few years back was the one with the slushbox.

A stepped CVT does sound like an odd concept, but it is done so it won't sound odd. Bu getting the device to mimic the gear ratios of a seven speed, the driver hears the familiar rise and fall of the revs as speed increases. That's not the most efficient way, but it's what people want to hear.

Face it guys; at one time drivers had control of the ignition advance and the mixture while driving. Does anyone miss that now?

I thought not.
Les

[Doug&Julie]

Originally Posted by oldE

Please don't forget the fastest accelerating 911 Turbo of a few years back was the one with the slushbox.

OK...I think my definition of a slushbox is wrong...I was thinking it was "something you stir"...aka a traditional, old fashioned manual. I guess I'm wrong? A slushbox is an autobox?

Edit - I fixed it..

[arrivederci]

Originally Posted by oldE

A stepped CVT does sound like an odd concept, but it is done so it won't sound odd. Bu getting the device to mimic the gear ratios of a seven speed, the driver hears the familiar rise and fall of the revs as speed increases. That's not the most efficient way, but it's what people want to hear.

Why not have the engine be silent and play engine noises through the stereo system? One day, you've got the sound of a 2.0L flat six w/ MFI. The next, a 935 w/ the turbo spooling...

See my argument above. Most people posting on this thread have older cars and don't care if a slushbox is faster. They're buying the character of the older cars, preferring to shift for themselves. You won't typically find that person buying the newer cars because they've 'watered' down the character so much.

[jurhip]

I am convinced automatics play a large part in stop and go traffic jams - the slinky effect.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by RWebb

I bet everybody that likes the CVT idea is driving a G-50 now...

I'll buck that trend, just to say that if Porsche makes it, it will be fun to drive.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by RWebb

I bet everybody that likes the CVT idea is driving a G-50 now...

I'll buck that trend, just to say that if Porsche makes it, it will be fun to drive.

[DanielDudley]

Originally Posted by rluciano

My wife can eat an ice cream cone and shift gears manually without getting a drop on herself. Maybe that's why I married her....

I was whipping down a road in my 951 once, and as I was coming around a corner, having just double clutched and downshifted, I realized I had a coffee in my left hand, kind of poised over the steering wheel as if in some sort of toast mode. And here I am, cranking on the steam as an old farmer in his truck is coming up to the corner.

I wonder if it seemed as odd to him as it did to me ?

[vanwyk4257]

Originally Posted by RWebb

I bet everybody that likes the CVT idea is driving a G-50 now...

No, the people that drive G-50's just like gearboxes that don't wear out synchro's like they're made of paper mache and we like to have the option of downshifting to first gear while still rolling.

[88-diamondblue]

Originally Posted by vanwyk4257

No, the people that drive G-50's just like gearboxes that don't wear out synchro's like they're made of paper mache and we like to have the option of downshifting to first gear while still rolling.

Couldn't have said it better myself

[Emission]

Originally Posted by safe

The Williams F1 team built a car with CVT transmission in the 90s, it got baned as soon as they put it in the car.
You could probably build a CVT-box that out performs everything else.

Strange sound
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UpBKXMRto

Absolutely fascinating.

However, Porsche just dumped millions (and decades) into perfecting its PDK. I really don't see a CVT transmission on the near horizon. I could be wrong...

- Mike

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by DanielDudley

I'll buck that trend, just to say that if Porsche makes it, it will be fun to drive.

But that is only a part of the sports car experience.

The most important thing about a Porsche - or ANY True Sports Car - is that it be DIFFICULT to drive.

We don't want a bunch of ordinary people to be able to drive these things, right?

[Otis]

I know a lot of people who like autos, even one of my hard core track buddies has gone to the dark side in his new Cayman S. I don't get it either. why buy a sports car that protects you from the sports car experience?

[burgermeister]

Originally Posted by jurhip

I am convinced automatics play a large part in stop and go traffic jams - the slinky effect.

+1

Though the 90% manual driving Germans are also holiday traffic jam masters of the world ...

[doublestuff]

Just thought I'd point out, in the same issue, in the "Buying a Boxster" section, there is a caption that refers to '09 Boxsters being available with the PDK Double-Clutch SUSPENSION. SO, just wondering if there might be a little mis-information in that article, like maybe the CVT will be replacing PDK, or maybe it's not CVT, but an update to PDK... Guess we'll have to wait and see.
FWIW, my DD is a manual. Out of 17 cars I've owned, 2 were automatics.

[Talewinds]

Originally Posted by jurhip

I am convinced automatics play a large part in stop and go traffic jams - the slinky effect.

The slinky effect is only exacerbated by manual transmissions, not improved.
I prefer manuals, but unfortunately they only hurt, not help dense traffic situations.