Analog Theory

The 993 manual states that the minimum safe operating engine speed for 6th gear is 2850 RPM and above. Anything less is lugging the motor which is a BIG no no on these cars.

obchuck

Cynics would state the author of said manual might have an interest in premature wear!

Bearclaw

That says all that needs to be said. This should have been Post #2 in this thread.
We could have avoided 5 pages of tripe! (and other things... )

FLYT993

Barry, I'm going to offer a gentlemen's truce. I was a little fired up, my apologies.

But Jordan (who has the most beautiful white 993 EVER!) only answered one part of the question. Nevertheless, I think the better part of valor here is to defer to the experts, (TCallas, Steve, or Chris W., Jordan, where are you?????) in terms of whether consistent running at 5k or above is detrimental. If I lived in Germany and took my (impeccably maintained) car to the Ring, once a month for a couple of hours of ***** to the wall running...would my car suffer mechanical breakdowns related to the high speed running any sooner than a car that was consistently kept under 5k would?

(I know everything diminishes with age, though, I need knee surgery!!)

Bearclaw

Likewise, Dan. This forum should be about facts. All the other stuff belongs over on, well - someplace like VW Vortex!!!
These engines may be just fine running all day over 5K. This is the first Porsche I've owned, and I'm going a lot on "feel", which tells me I don't want to spend any more time over 5000 than I spend under 2500. Neither one "feels" right. But I could be dead wrong. I plan on keeping this one for a long time, even if I someday get another one, so I guess I won't be finding that out with this one. With the kind of driving I do, it would be tough to even get her up there that often in the gears where it matters, to get that "WEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!" feeling. (But please don't make me get a putt-putt car, I already have those... )

Also in my case, I have another factor: my car WAS literally owned for 11 years by the "little old lady" - 78 years old, to be exact, when she traded it in (on a Boxster! - oh, the humanity!!!). So I have to consider the way she drove, and the fact that the rods were never stretched at those higher rpm's, and I doubtless have a few thousandth's of piston travel that hasn't been been used - and I could be courting disaster to wind it out with abandon too often. So unless I want to rebuild, this is something I've just gotta be aware of with this particular car.

Anyway,
Peace bro. Drive on!

Analog Theory

Thank you Dan....I do love my 993 however I will soon be posting it for sale at a premium though as I absolutley don't WANT to sell it....but legally, I have to make it available for sale (regardless of price) so as to remain compliant with my CA DMV license which enables me to use the car with a dealer plate only. The car HAS to be in saleable inventory. Hopefully no will buy it!

As for part two of the question. It's a double endged sword. All engines have an optomum operating range from both a fuel economy and performance perspective. Running these cars at higher RPM"S will enable you to access maximum power at all times (example - the proper short ratio box will have you running in the top range all the time) BUT - the resulting increase in heat will also lead to premature wear as compared to crusing along at 3200 RPM in 6th gear. Other's may see it differnetly but it's basic physics. There's nothing "wrong" with running at high (but still safe) RPM's but there' no avoiding the fact that your engine and supporting components will wear out faster. Just my two cents

chris walrod

One interesting design criteria outlined by Porsche was (not sure if this is still the case) to design and manufacture a product to run at Vmax for an entire tank of fuel without anything melting or falling off.

Think about that for a moment -- max loads on everything (keep in mind the squared law of aero drag with speed) for a tank of gas!! That is quite a bit of time, me thinks.

rome

Chris-- Check out the link in my post #36 in this thread. This is EXACTLY what he is saying in this excellent video.

Anyone with a 993 should watch this thing if they want to get their blood pumping.

Edit: The link is actually inmy post #36.