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Whether you agree or disagree with break in, Chris explains that Porsche runs these demo cars through a break-in themselves for the first 1000 miles. He was handed this demo car before anyone else with 10 miles on it and got to spend the day putting those break in miles on the car before taking it to the track. Seems like all the other journalists had their shot with the car after Chris did.
Last edited by Jeff Jones; 04-21-2021 at 03:14 AM.
Don't like that guy and not watching it but that's a bunch of baloney. Just watch the dozens additional reviews dropped using the exact same car revving it to redline.
Break in is a myth. Dealers know nothing about it when asked. If it was important at all Porsche would force a break in and limit the revs up to a certain mileage.
Not bury vague instructions somewhere in the manual. Goodness, just drive the darn car...
You're the first person I've encountered that doesn't like Chris Harris.
Originally Posted by Jeff Jones
Whether you agree or disagree with break in, Chris explains that Porsche runs these demo cars through a break-in themselves for the first 1000 miles. He was handed this demo car before anyone else with 10 miles on it and got to spend the day putting those break in miles on the car before taking it to the track. Seems like all the other journalists had their shot with the car after Chris did.
I give the guy props for doing 1000 miles inside a, what, 24? 36? hour period. Now I know... it can be done....
I give the guy props for doing 1000 miles inside a, what, 24? 36? hour period. Now I know... it can be done....
1000 miles in 24 hours has been done many, many times by motorcyclists, it can definitely be done on a motorcycle and I think it would be an easier task with 4 wheels on the ground instead of 2. Google Iron Butt for more info, but for those more into the endurance type things there is also CC48; which is coast to coast in the United States in 48 hours or less. This is 2 consecutive days of > 1000 miles regardless of the route one chooses.
Whether you agree or disagree with break in, Chris explains that Porsche runs these demo cars through a break-in themselves for the first 1000 miles. He was handed this demo car before anyone else with 10 miles on it and got to spend the day putting those break in miles on the car before taking it to the track. Seems like all the other journalists had their shot with the car after Chris did.
Porsche made him do it. Corporate is not going to do something antithetical to the owner's manual.
Left to his own devices, no doubt he would have just let her rip from the moment he picked up the car.
Of course...it isn’t his car I’m not a hardcore break-in rule follower. I like the GT recommendation which ramps up the RPMs gradually over the fist 1000 miles. I’ll get through that in the first weekend after getting the car or the first two days if I’m still able to take the road trip I had planned back from the dealer. I tend the drive any new car, whether actually new or just new to me, slowly for a while. I like to take my time getting to know a car before I act a fool.
I did the Andreas Preuninger process on my 21 GT4 until about 550 miles, and then took it to the track, where I basically let it rip (gotta win DE, after all). This has been my approach with my last 3 GT cars and none of them have smoked or consumed the least bit of oil.
I took my RS to the Nordschleife with about 700 km, and that thing ran like a scalded cat.
Edit: I've also rebuilt 2 Mezger engines, where the second builder (very highly regarded in motorsport as a builder) told me "just run it - vary the revs and dont lug in one gear", and its good to go almost immediately fresh (100-200 miles).
Last edited by superfast02911; 04-22-2021 at 11:49 AM.
Here's what I tried to do (though I hit 6,000 RPM once or twice before 500 miles by mistake), and this method allows you to hit 8,000 RPMs when you get to 1,000 miles:
Up to 500 Miles > 5,000 RPM
600 Miles > 5,500 RPM
700 Miles > 6,000 RPM
800 Miles > 6,500 RPM
900 Miles > 7,000 RPM
1,000 Miles > 7,5000 RPM
Break-in period: Hmmm. Such a loaded topic: It is perhaps best to folllow the OEM guidelines, which honestly are a compromise within themselves. It seems many people are assuming they only relate to the engine. That would be an over-simplification.
In a 'previous life' during which I worked as a mechanical engineer in the SAE world we routinely discussed/argued over how best to break in newly released operating systems. Honestly there's a concern about discovering 'early life' failures before they can effect other things -- which might have safety or cost ramifications. It's not all about rings and bearings. Even the tire guys wished for a couple hundred miles of 'settling' before they wanted their warranties to apply. The closely-related braking guys wanted thermal cycling of their systems before 'track work' or DE event use.
Pretty much every Tier 1 supplier wanted their product to be cycled up over time to peak operational performance/requirements. Simple things like alternators, water and oil pumps, power steering,etc. Everybody wanted their products to go through a low stress initial use. One common theme was giving adequate time for mating surfaces of metallic interfaces a chance to 'accommodate' each other. Another was to verify that thermal cycling did not compromise controls.
One could write a term paper or two on the subject, but my take-away from listening to these guys was that break-in is a special time during which one incrementally verifies that systems are 'ok' while also creating conditions suited to improving longevity. The elephant in the room would always be the 'cold start' topic, which is equally or more important.
04-21-2021, 03:07 AM
I’m not a hardcore break-in rule follower. I like the GT recommendation which ramps up the RPMs gradually over the fist 1000 miles. I’ll get through that in the first weekend after getting the car or the first two days if I’m still able to take the road trip I had planned back from the dealer. I tend the drive any new car, whether actually new or just new to me, slowly for a while. I like to take my time getting to know a car before I act a fool.
