PCA SDR

I am looking for any insight on how to get the best performance using a Tiptronic during an Autocross event. I am very new to the sport and assumed that manual shifting a Tip based car was the correct approach. However, my limited experience has taught me that it is too difficult to manage a Tiptronic manually (I have a Cayman with the buttons on the wheel) during an Autocross.

Any thoughts/insights would be appreciated.

FWIW: I worked with Ted and John Witte in their Tiptronic-Carrera. They went through the PDS and later AX'ed the car for a couple of seasons. John did very well with the car, and father Ted was right behind him.

From many laps in the right seat I observed that, although tempting, the manual mode is very challenging at an AX because the steering wheel turns over more than 180-degrees in some of the AX's tight turns, making it tough to "find the buttons" when tracking out. In some turns, the wheel does a 360-turn (corners with a 180-degree path and <50-foot radius) from turn-in to apex and back to track-out. It appeared to me that using the "auto" mode was much smoother and easier for performance driving at the AX level than trying to go "manual". Also, using the manual mode with the traction control off made it much easier to throttle-steer.

It is also my understanding that the computer systems that regulate the shifting points adjusts to driving styles. So that after a couple of laps, your computer registers "performance driving mode" and shifts at more aggressive rpm's (ask the Techie-types about this, as I'm no expert). If that's the case, your shifting is optimized by the car, and you can concentrate on driving the line, being smooth, looking ahead, and braking.

I could see the use for manual mode at the big tracks, where turning of the steering wheel rarely goes as far as AX's. At many of the bigger venue's manual mode might be better. But, since I've never driven a big track in a Tip, I'm only theorizing.

Just my thoughts and observations. Others will vary.

There was an article a few years back in Panorama about performance driving a Tiptronic, but alas, I don't know which issue, who the author was, or how to find it in Pano archives.

Hope that helps.

My experience was in a student's 996. I found that it was not too bad to do the downshifts from the steering wheel buttons as you are braking as you should be in a fairly straight line at this point. After that you can go back to automatic as the tip would upshift automatically near redline.
Yes the shift paddles should be on the steering column and not the steering wheel and then you would always know where your upshift and downshift paddles would be. Maybe on the upcoming twin-clutch transmission they will make that change

Greg

Dan's right. For most autocross courses, Jon and I both preferred the automatic mode rather than manual. I thought that the shifting was much faster (from the start) in automatic mode, plus you can always downshift using the paddles when in the automatic mode if you get in a situation where you need a quick downshift. I thought it was too hard to do the manual shifting without a lot of practice. I have paddle shifters in my Lexus and gave up using those too. The car is much faster in automatic mode.

On my Boxster, you can downshift 2 gears as you come into a corner by making a quick blip of the throttle. Depending on your experience, you can try this. I would not recommend to anyone with minimal experience. Also, mine is the older Tiptronic where the manual downshifts only work in the manual mode.

Kenyon

Kenyon Blower wrote:On my Boxster, you can downshift 2 gears as you come into a corner by making a quick blip of the throttle. Depending on your experience, you can try this. I would not recommend to anyone with minimal experience. Also, mine is the older Tiptronic where the manual downshifts only work in the manual mode.

Kenyon

Hmmmm. Good point. The pano author described a process of left-foot-brake and right-foot downshift entering a corner. Is that what you're referring to? IMHO: Left-foot braking is valuable, but really should be masterd before trying the throttle-downshift technique. I still rely on right-foot braking myself, but you might want to drive faster than me.

I still rely on right-foot braking myself, but you might want to drive faster than me.

There is a difference between wanting to and having the ability to. In my limited driving time in the past 5 years, I have the urge to drive fast but not the where-with-all.

Kenyon