Hani

I know this may sound like silly question. I bought a Carrera S 2006 for a guy with 38,000 miles and it seems he never raised the RPM beyond 4000 RPM!
I have been told by porsche dealer service department that porsche need to be pushed between 5000 to 7000 RPM (right before redline) to run well. Any thoughts on that?
It is my first time owning a Carrera, any general recommendations?

CORSASCHNELL

That is the general opinion, these engines are designed to be revved not babied.

alexb76

Are you serious or is this a joke?

If serious, and this is your first sports car... there's no such BS rule, driving a sports car and getting engine hot in general pushes all the crap out of the engine and makes it run better. I always notice much better throttle response and performance after a track day where I am on the gas, red-lining the car.

Around town, I am around 3-4K, occasionally revving up to pass someone, etc... There's NO proper way to drive a Carrera, just don't crash it into a wall!

malexgcab

According to fellow (well knowledgable) members, oil can lubricate certain parts of the engine (don't ask me which part) better when the car is pushed to its limits.

I'm sure someone else can chime in and give a better explanation.

All I know, I'm smiling from ear to ear when the engine is singing its sweet song

Hani

Thank you Guys. Im new and this is my first reply. I appreciate your answers.
One more Q: for basic service and spark plugs change do I have to go to a dealer or a Porsche Mechanic/ German Car Mechanic could do the job?

Hani

Thank you Guys. Im new and this is my first reply. I appreciate your answers.
One more Q: for basic service and spark plugs change do I have to go to a dealer or a Porsche Mechanic/ German Car Mechanic could do the job?

Gripster

Change your fluids if you haven't already done so and then drive your car. Don't abuse it, but drive the thing - both car and owner will be much happier.

Rotmilky

I did the job myself as a DIY. It's a pain in the rump as far as getting tool in tight spots. But if it's straightforward enough for a monkey like me to do it, I would expect most car mechanics could handle it. If the car has an extended warranty, I have no idea what that does to it. If you do decide you'd like to tackle it yourself, shoot me a PM and I'll show you various threads on how to DIY it.

yemenmocha

I believe it. There was one poster here not long ago who asked something along the lines of whether or not anyone here takes the RPM's near redline ever. Can't recall the phrasing, but yes it was an owner who doesn't go wide open throttle or approach redline.

91469972

REALLY?

Chaos

FLATOUT !

Gruson

Wow, I don't believe that. Can you pull a report and actually confirm it never went over 4000 RPM?

I pretty much hit 6000-7000 every day.

yemenmocha

These people exist, folks.

Little Green

Under 4000 until your OIL temp is close to 200 then flog her like a red headed step child. I don't dip past 6900 or so. With an exhaust she howls like a banshee above 4000

Edgy01

The 911 animal has significantly changed over the decades. Back in the 1960s and 1970s you had to really go to redline with each upshift in order to stay 'on the cam.' Staying on the cam meant keeping the RPMs in the best operating range of the engine. In those days, that was above 4000 rpm. With displacements of 2.2, 2.4, 2.7, you had to work the gear shift a lot to keep the engine in the optimal working range while driving various road speeds. As the displacement of these engines has increased, so came the torque. With the higher torque, you need not work as hard. The optimal range has broadened--considerably. RARELY did anyone back in the 1970s ever run an engine below 3000 rpms--at any time. Anything below that would result in lugging the engine.

Lacking all of those years of 911 driving, you now face an entirely different animal. This is not a 911--not in the sense that it needs to be driven that way any longer. With 3.8 litres of displacement, the torque generated by this engine is so high that you can easily drop the RPMs below 2000 and accelerate from there without fear of lugging the engine. It's just a whole new engine, and you drive it differently.

Go to the gear charts in the owners' manual. All 911 drivers would pour over that page(s) in their manual when they would first get their cars. They would look to see where the higher RPMs no longer pay off. For example, today's 997 develops peak HP around 6500 RPM as I recall. With even low end torque, there is little need to venture much above 6500 to keep the engine 'on the cam' as we used to drive them. With such a broad even power band you can take it a lot easier. There is less gear shifting needed. However, driving habits (especially with a 911) are hard to change, and I personally drive mine quite aggressively, not fearing to touch 7300 RPM when shifting to 2nd, 3rd, and so on. (Of course, on US streets, we really can't hit redline in 4th without violating someone's sense of what speeds we should be driving these cars at). I have taken mine to redline (7300 RPM) in 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th--and gotten pretty close to redline in 6th (all legally on the autobahn). This is a tremendously strong pulling engine, and it likes to be pushed harder. Never fear pushing the engine. Gain the experience of shifting quickly as you approach redline in each gear. Likewise for coming down. Play with it to the point that you know what rpm you can be at before blipping the throttle and downshifting, for a smooth transition matching tranny speed to road speed.

You're fortunate, indeed, to have access to a 6 speed manual transmission Porsche. Some day, all 911s will come only with a PDK transmission and no one will ever know again how to use a car with three pedals.