Thank you! I’m disabled (left leg) so currently drive a 964 with Tiptronic, which is a phenomenal car and for me was the only way I could drive a classic 911. I’m actively looking for a Sportomatic long hood 911 here in Southern California, so your test drive was extremely relevant for me - really hard to find these cars.
I'm paraplegic with no strength in my left leg but drive a two-pedal car just fine. I'm not thinking of a classic 911 but looking for a 996 with the Tiptronic
Very informative video, such a cool car and for someone who can’t or doesn’t prefer a manual shift it’s just perfect. thanks Lee and the team at Paragon of course.
I had a 1968 911 Targa with a glass rear window and a Sportomatic in Sea Foam Green with Recaro Sport Seats. Drove very well and I won a number of Concours events with it. I can share a picture if you'd like.
I have the targa sibling of this car, also in minerva blue. Sadly I’ve just had to swap out the sporto as I had an oil leak from the torque converter which we just can’t get hold of anymore. Parts for these are so hard to find now! The box has been fully rebuilt and is good. We just kept losing that extra 2 litres of engine oil and losing drive! One day I’ll find the correct parts to put it back to how it should be. Great to see one of these featured 👌
Wow, fantastic car….i love that interior. It seems similar to the NSU R080 with regard to the gearbox. Saab also did a car called a Sensonic, like the Porsche, touching the gear knob activates the clutch.
The 1976 Carrera 3.0 I owned back in the 1980s was a Sportomatic . . . it was special order Ice Green Metallic with the complete "matt black" look and I loved it. That said, I loved the 1978 SC Sport that replaced it (which was the same Minerva Blue Metallic as the car you're driving in the video) even more!
My first 911 was a 74 2.7 sportsmatic purchased 2nd hand . When I picked up ,on the journey home I sat at a roundabout in the rain going nowhere thinking I been sold a dud I was holding the gearstick as I normally drove this way finally remembered how to drive it . I do remember driving it more like a manual changing gear regularly must have been 4 speed. The gearbox was good . Very clever I thought. The big problem was the rust never stopped coming!!
The reason why it has sold more here in Europe because it’s still too complicated for most American drivers. I already heard about the sportmatic transmission but haven’t seen it in work. Thanks for the video.
In a few rallies in which I participated there is awonderfull green targa ex-sportomatic car that participated. I only noticed last time until I sneeked in the cabin that it was converted to a 915.The only real issue with the sportomatic box is that there's not a great deal of people that can still work on them because of the funny hydraulic system.
Sportomatic is awesome. Porsche planned to use it on the 964 platform before moving to Tiptronic. It would’ve been nice to have this tech through the 997.1. There was a magazine article a few years back comparing Sporto, Tip, & PDK. Sporto was also their favorite.
I'd always thought the Sportamatic was an automated manual with a dry clutch that required rowing through each gear... Now I see it's more a torque converter automatic with choice of final drive ratios on the fly through the Porsche box and the dry clutch is not active when starting from a stop.
I don’t know the answer, but I will guess that you can start it in Park because it has a torque converter. Shifting into neutral every time you stop isn’t necessary.
Sorry but the Carrera3.0 is NOT the predecessor of an SC. It is the last in the lineup after the Carrera2.7. You cannot link it in any way to an SC which is heavier, slower, different kind of engine and different in feel. The C3 stood above a 2.7 and 2.7S with its NA-engine and under the Turbo. More like a GTS nowadays stands in between Carrera's and Carrera S's and the Turbo (as far as comparing is possible because actually it is not). The modern GT cars i keep out of the equation. The SC was a compleet different product derived from different thinking and production line-up, plus different 'selling tactics' as well, different business model, different factory problems...
Thank you! I’m disabled (left leg) so currently drive a 964 with Tiptronic, which is a phenomenal car and for me was the only way I could drive a classic 911. I’m actively looking for a Sportomatic long hood 911 here in Southern California, so your test drive was extremely relevant for me - really hard to find these cars.
Nice. Happy hunting.
Happy hunting, Jon! It's a fun gearbox and a cool piece of Porsche history. Wishing you many happy miles ahead.
RUF also made a 2 petal stick shift 911. Hunt one of those down also.
I'm paraplegic with no strength in my left leg but drive a two-pedal car just fine. I'm not thinking of a classic 911 but looking for a 996 with the Tiptronic
@@coletrickle-km7cl If you walk in to buy this 2-pedal RUF with $400,000 would you have enough left to buy lunch at McDonald's?
Very informative video, such a cool car and for someone who can’t or doesn’t prefer a manual shift it’s just perfect. thanks Lee and the team at Paragon of course.
Really interesting - I had never heard of a sportomatic until now, thanks. :)
I had a 1968 911 Targa with a glass rear window and a Sportomatic in Sea Foam Green with Recaro Sport Seats.
Drove very well and I won a number of Concours events with it.
I can share a picture if you'd like.
I have the targa sibling of this car, also in minerva blue. Sadly I’ve just had to swap out the sporto as I had an oil leak from the torque converter which we just can’t get hold of anymore. Parts for these are so hard to find now! The box has been fully rebuilt and is good. We just kept losing that extra 2 litres of engine oil and losing drive! One day I’ll find the correct parts to put it back to how it should be. Great to see one of these featured 👌
Love this video Lee. Saw the car at Paragon yesterday and it’s a minter. I was curious how it drives - now I know 😊
So cool! Never knew we about it!
Wow, fantastic car….i love that interior. It seems similar to the NSU R080 with regard to the gearbox. Saab also did a car called a Sensonic, like the Porsche, touching the gear knob activates the clutch.
The 1976 Carrera 3.0 I owned back in the 1980s was a Sportomatic . . . it was special order Ice Green Metallic with the complete "matt black" look and I loved it. That said, I loved the 1978 SC Sport that replaced it (which was the same Minerva Blue Metallic as the car you're driving in the video) even more!
Very interesting. I like the idea better than the Tiptronic
Yes! Best of both worlds. Porsche could’ve really perfected this technology.
My first 911 was a 74 2.7 sportsmatic purchased 2nd hand .
When I picked up ,on the journey home I sat at a roundabout in the rain going nowhere thinking I been sold a dud I was holding the gearstick as I normally drove this way finally remembered how to drive it .
I do remember driving it more like a manual changing gear regularly must have been 4 speed.
The gearbox was good . Very clever I thought.
The big problem was the rust never stopped coming!!
As every - a very practical video and review of some classic p cars
The reason why it has sold more here in Europe because it’s still too complicated for most American drivers. I already heard about the sportmatic transmission but haven’t seen it in work. Thanks for the video.
In a few rallies in which I participated there is awonderfull green targa ex-sportomatic car that participated. I only noticed last time until I sneeked in the cabin that it was converted to a 915.The only real issue with the sportomatic box is that there's not a great deal of people that can still work on them because of the funny hydraulic system.
“Rock the sporto”! Definitely quirky-cool
Sportomatic is awesome. Porsche planned to use it on the 964 platform before moving to Tiptronic. It would’ve been nice to have this tech through the 997.1.
There was a magazine article a few years back comparing Sporto, Tip, & PDK. Sporto was also their favorite.
I'd always thought the Sportamatic was an automated manual with a dry clutch that required rowing through each gear...
Now I see it's more a torque converter automatic with choice of final drive ratios on the fly through the Porsche box and the dry clutch is not active when starting from a stop.
RUF also made a 2 petal porsche.
Wasn't Vic Elford a big advocate of the Sportomatic?
Can you start the car on P as normal automatic? Or does it have to be on neutral?
I don’t know the answer, but I will guess that you can start it in Park because it has a torque converter. Shifting into neutral every time you stop isn’t necessary.
You can start in P or N. There is a switch that stops it starting in any of the gears
I might have missed it Lee but how well does this redline and how do you downshift to second?
What a lovely car!
So - essentially, it’s a two speed car that drives on its torque (capacity) and revs?
Yes!
@@9WERKSTV Three speed actually. Well, my Carrera 3.0 Sporto was.
@@9WERKSTV Who knew! 😀👍
The VW beetle had a stick shift 2 petal semi-automatic. Ithink you had to shift gears on that one.
No, it's the same as the Sportomatic. You can drive off in any gear you like
VW beetle nsu Ro80 birotor GS all semi automatic
Sorry but the Carrera3.0 is NOT the predecessor of an SC. It is the last in the lineup after the Carrera2.7. You cannot link it in any way to an SC which is heavier, slower, different kind of engine and different in feel. The C3 stood above a 2.7 and 2.7S with its NA-engine and under the Turbo. More like a GTS nowadays stands in between Carrera's and Carrera S's and the Turbo (as far as comparing is possible because actually it is not). The modern GT cars i keep out of the equation.
The SC was a compleet different product derived from different thinking and production line-up, plus different 'selling tactics' as well, different business model, different factory problems...
It literally precedes the SC.