The Perfect Sports Car Loses Its Head
Talk about disappointed! I got home from a recent trip to Los Angeles only to find the Guards Red Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet I
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| The excitement of test driving a Guards Red Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet was briefly tempered by the fact that it was an automatic. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
had Shawn pick up in my absence was equipped with an automatic. Not to say there's anything wrong with Porsche's 5-speed Tiptronic gearbox, that also features thumb actuated steering wheel controls, but I would have much rather have had a 6-speed manual. OK, here I am whining about the fact that I just spent a week in a $200,000 plus (with options) exotic sports car that most car enthusiasts would gratefully accept no matter which drivetrain it featured. Sorry for the spoilt brat ranting, I'll keep my thoughts on this subject to myself from now on.
The fact is... I hate to admit that I kind of liked it. Other than a slight hesitation off the line, the Tiptronic Turbo is
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| Although I was quick to deny that I'd bought a Porsche with an automatic to any passing admirer, the truth is I kind of liked it. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
amazingly fast and much more convenient during stop and go city driving. It's uniquely entertaining in its own right, requiring little effort to exact tremendous performance, shifting down fairly quickly and upshifting smoothly. Despite the jibes that your non-SL-owning friends will no doubt heap upon you when you show up at the club driving a non-purist Porsche, you shouldn't be embarrassed. I was quicker to admit that it wasn't mine than I would have been if a manual was attached to the center console, however, making sure that parking lot gawkers knew clearly that I would never actually purchase a Porsche with an automatic transmission. Ha, the silly stigmas Porschephiles carry around with them.
