the boxster has a tiptronic transmission...basically both automatic and manual....when in manual mode it shifts with a finger from either side of the steering wheel ...its the fastest and smoothest shifting ive ever experienced ....love that car...it rides the road li8ke its on rails.........before i bought it id asked alot of questions...and everyone swore by the tiptronic over the straight manual...its my first tiptronic, I too swear by it now