
Shifting Gear
147
Tiptronic SThe Porsche Tiptronic is a five-speed transmission 
with an “automatic” and a “manual” selection 
mode.
In automatic selection mode (selector lever po-
sition D), gear changing is automatic.
You can change temporarily from automatic to 
manual mode using the rocker switches on the 
steering wheel.
In manual selection mode (selector lever posi-
tion M), you change gear using the rocker switch-
es on the steering wheel.
You can change between selector lever position D 
and M as you wish while driving.
Note
Take care not to operate the rocker switches on 
the steering wheel inadvertently in either auto mat-
ic or manual mode, thereby triggering undesired 
gear changes.Keylock positionThe ignition key can be withdrawn only in selec-
tor lever position P.
Changing the selector lever positionThe selector lever is locked with the ignition key 
withdrawn.
The selector lever can be moved from position P 
or N only with:
– the ignition switched on,
– the brake pedal pressed and
– the release button pressed.Release button
The release button (arrow) in the selector lever 
prevents unintentional gear changes.
The release button must be pressed when shifting 
to position R or P.
StartingThe engine can be started only if the brake pedal 
is depressed and the selector lever is in position 
P or N.Moving offfOnly select the desired position for moving off 
(D, M or R) when the engine is idling and the 
brake pedal is depressed.
fSince the vehicle creeps when in gear, do not 
release the brake until you want to move off. 
fAfter selecting a gear, do not accelerate until 
you can feel that the gear is engaged. 

150
Shifting Gear Shifting gear on the steering wheel 
With the toggle switches on the steering wheel, 
you can change temporarily from automatic 
selection mode D to manual mode M. 
Advantages: 
– Shifting down before bends and on entering bu-
ilt-up areas. 
– Shifting down on downward slopes (engine bra-
king).
– Shifting down for brief spurts of acceleration.
– Selecting 1st gear for moving off.
The manual selection mode remains engaged: 
– for cornering (depending on the lateral 
acceleration) and overrunning, 
– when the vehicle is stationary 
(e.g. at a junction). 
The system leaves manual selection mode: 
– automatically after approx. 8 seconds
(unless cornering or overrunning), 
– if you depress the accelerator to kickdown, 
– after moving off. Temporary change-down 
Conditions:
Speed is higher than approx. 33 mph (54 km/h). 
fDepress accelerator quickly.
The Tiptronic changes temporarily to the spor-
tiest gear-changing map, i.e. to the highest 
possible gear-changing points. Correspondin-
gly, the transmission shifts down immediately 
by one or two gears. 
Ending the function: 
fRelease the accelerator markedly (by approx. 
25%). Kickdown 
The kickdown function is active in selector lever 
position D, even if you temporarily change to ma-
nual mode M using the toggle switches on the 
steering wheel. 
fFor optimum acceleration, e.g. when overta-
king, depress the accelerator pedal beyond 
the full-throttle point (kickdown). 
The transmission shifts down depending on the 
speed of travel and engine speed.
Upward shifts occur at the highest possible engine 
speeds.
These gear-changing speeds remain active until 
the accelerator is released to approx. 80% of the 
wide open throttle position.  

152
Shifting Gear
Slip monitoring When the speeds of rotation of the front and rear 
axles differ by more than the maximum permissib-
le value, integrated slip monitoring shifts up to the 
next gear.
This increases driving stability on a slippery sur-
face. 
Note 
fSlip monitoring is also deactivated when 
Porsche Stability Management (PSM) is swit-
ched off. Stopping fFor a brief stop, e.g. at a traffic light, leave the 
selector lever in drive position and hold the ve-
hicle with the brake pedal. 
fFor a longer stop with the engine running, 
select position N (neutral). 
fDo not hold the car on a slope using the 
accelerator. Use the brake pedal or the hand-
brake instead. 
fBefore leaving the vehicle, always apply the 
handbrake and move the selector lever to 
position P. 
Parking fGo easy on the accelerator. 
fWhen parking or maneuvring in a small space, 
control the speed by careful use of the footbra-
ke. Driving in winter In wintery road conditions it is advisable to take 
steep inclines in manual mode. This prevents the 
occurrence of gear changes that could cause 
wheelspin. Tow-starting, towing fPlease observe the chapter “TOWING” on Page 
254.
Emergency program 
 Warning!
Reverse gear lock monitoring is disabled in 
the emergency running program. 
Damage to the vehicle may result as well as 
loss of control, if the vehicle is moving for-
w a r d  f a s t  e n o u g h  t o  c a u s e  r e a r  w h e e l  l o c k u p .  
fDo not shift into R while the vehicle is moving forward. 
A transmission fault is indicated by the following 
symptoms: 
–The 4th-gear display flashes. 
– The warning “Tiptronic emergency run” 
appears in the on-board computer. 
– The transmission no longer shifts.
Regardless of selector lever position, 4th is 
the only forward gear still available. 
fAdapt your driving style to the changed hand-
ling. 
fTo remedy the fault, please consult an authori-
zed Porsche dealer. 

Maintenance, Car Care
167 Maintenance, Car Care
Exercise Extreme Caution 
when Working on your Vehicle ....................  168
Wiper Blades ............................................  169
Coolant Level ............................................  170
Engine Oil .................................................  172
Engine Oil Level ........................................  173
Engine Oil Recommendation .......................  174
Brake Fluid Level .......................................  175
Fuel Economy ...........................................  177
Operating Your Porsche in other Countries ..  177
Fuel..........................................................  178
Fuel Recommendations..............................  180
Portable Fuel Containers ............................  181
Emission Control System ...........................  182
How Emission Control Works .....................  183
Fuel Evaporation Control ............................  184
Washer Fluid .............................................  184
Opening Engine Compartment Lid...............  185
Power Steering .........................................  189
Air Filter ...................................................  190
Combination filter ......................................  190
Automatic Transmission Fluid .....................  190
Manual Transmission Oil ............................  190
Car Care Instructions.................................  191 

190
Maintenance, Car Care
Air Filter The air filter is on the left-hand side of the engine 
compartment. 
A dirty air filter not only reduces engine perfor-
mance, but can lead to premature engine wear. 
Regular filter replacement is part of the routine 
maintenance service. 
fIn dusty conditions, check the filter element 
more frequently and replace if necessary. Combination filterThe fresh air passing through the combination 
filter into the passenger compartment is virtually 
free of dust, pollen, and unpleasant odours.
fIf the outside air is polluted by exhaust fumes, 
press the circulating-air button. 
A dirty filter can be the cause of reduced air 
throughput: 
fHave the filter replaced by an authorized 
Porsche dealer.
Regular filter replacement is part of servicing. 
Automatic Transmission Fluid The torque converter and the transmission are lu-
bricated with Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF). 
The final drive requires transmission oil. 
fPlease observe the chapter “CAPACITIES” on 
Page 266.
Do not tow the car or run the engine without ATF 
in the transmission. The automatic transmission 
may be damaged by even a tiny speck of dirt, only 
a clean funnel or spout must be used when adding 
AT F.  
The ATF and transmission oil has to be checked 
and changed at the intervals listed in your Mainte-
nance Schedule. 
We recommend that you have the ATF and trans-
mission oil changed at your Porsche dealer, who 
has the required lubricants and the necessary fil-
ling equipment. 
If you suspect an oil leak in the transmission, have 
your authorized Porsche dealer check it out imme-
diately. 
Manual Transmission Oil The transmission oil has to be checked and chan-
ged at the intervals listed in your Maintenance 
Schedule.
fPlease observe the chapter “CAPACITIES” on 
Page 266.
We recommend that you have the transmission oil 
changed at your Porsche dealer, who has the re-
quired lubricants and the necessary filling equip-
ment. 
If you suspect an oil leak in the transmission, have 
your authorized Porsche dealer check it out imme-
diately.  

Vehicle Identification, Technical Data
261
Transmission Boxster 
Boxster S Gear ratios5-speed
manual transmission6-speed
manual transmissionTiptronic S
1st gear 3.50 : 1 3.67 : 1 3.66 : 1
2nd gear 2.12 : 1 2.05 : 1 2.00 : 1
3rd gear 1.43 : 1 1.41 : 1 1.41 : 1
4th gear 1.09 : 1 1.13 : 1 1.00 : 1
5th gear 0.84 : 1 0.97 : 1 0.74 : 1
6th gear0.82 : 1
Reverse 3.44 : 1 3.33 : 1 4.10 : 1
Final drive ratio 3.75 : 1 3.875 : 1 4.379 : 1
Gear ratios6-speed
manual transmissionTiptronic S
1st gear 3.67 : 1 3.66 : 1
2nd gear 2.05 : 1 2.00 : 1
3rd gear 1.41 : 1 1.41 : 1
4th gear 1.13 : 1 1.00 : 1
5th gear 0.97 : 1 0.74 : 1
6th gear 0.82 : 1
Reverse 3.33 : 1 4.10 : 1
Final drive ratio 3.875 : 1 3.908 : 1 

Vehicle Identification, Technical Data
265
Driving Performance* * At DIN empty weight and half load, without performance-inhibiting extra equipment. Boxster Manual transmission Tiptronic S
Maximum speed
5-speed transmission
6-speed transmission159 mph/256 km/h
160 mph/258 km/h155 mph/250 km/h
Acceleration 0 – 60 mph 5.9 seconds 6.8 seconds
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) 6.2 seconds 7.1 seconds
Boxster S Manual transmission Tiptronic S
Maximum speed 167 mph/268 km/h 162 mph/260 km/h
Acceleration 0 – 60 mph 5.2 seconds 6.0 seconds
Acceleration 0 – 100 km/h (62 mph) 5.5 seconds 6.3 seconds 

266
Vehicle Identification, Technical Data
Capacities Use only fluids and fuels authorized by Porsche. Your authorized Porsche dealer will gladly advise you.
Your Porsche has been designed so that it is not necessary to mix any additives with oils or fuels. 
EngineOil change quantity without oil filter approx. 1.98 U.S.gallons/7.5liters 
Oil change quantity with oil filter approx. 2.05 U.S.gallons/7.75 liters 
Please observe the chapter “ENGINE OIL RECOMMENDATION” on Page 174.
Coolant Boxster  
Manual transmission: approx. 5.86 U.S. gallons/22.2 liters 
Tiptronic S: approx. 6.37 U.S. gallons/24.1 liters 
Boxster S  
Manual transmission: approx. 5.94 U.S. gallons/22.5 liters 
Tiptronic S: approx. 6.42 U.S. gallons/24.3 liters 
Manual transmission and differential 5-speed: approx. 2.4 quarts/2.25 liters, 6-speed: approx. 3 quarts/2.8 liters
Tiptronic Sapprox. 2.51 U.S. gallons/9.5 liters 
Differential with Tiptronic Sapprox. 0.21 U.S. gallons/0.8 liters 
Power steeringapprox. 1.1 quarts/1 liter hydraulic fluid Pentosin CHF 11 S
®
Brake fluidapprox. 0.4 quarts/0.39 liters; use only Original Porsche brake fluid 
Windshield washerapprox. 0.66 U.S. gallons/2.5 liters without headlight washer 
approx. 1.59 U.S. gallons/6 liters with headlight washer 
Fuel tankRefill volume approx. 16.9 U.S. gallons/64 liters, including approx. 2.6 U.S.gallons/10 liters reserve.
Fuel qualityYour engine is designed to provide optimum performance and fuel economy using unleaded premium fuel with 
an octane rating of 98 RON (93 CLC or AKI). 
Porsche therefore recommends the use of these fuels in your vehicle. 
Porsche also recognizes that these fuels may not always be available. Be assured that your vehicle will operate 
properly on unleaded premium fuels with octane numbers of at least 95 RON (90 CLC or AKI), since the engine’s 
“Electronic Oktane™ knock control” will adapt the ignition timing, if necessary.