996 C4S

Guys

I spoke to some people who drives sticks with 6 speed regarding using their 6th gear on freeway. Some don't use it because of lack of power. I am wondering your thoughts on that??

1999Porsche911

Why do you need quick power while driving the freeway? If you're regularly at a speed where you downshifting into 5th gear will put you into maximum power rpm on a freeway, you eiither have a drinking problem or are just nuts. Use 6th speed when you just cruising above 50 mph or so and you'll be fine.

NNH

How much power do you need for keeping up with the traffic flow? I don't often need to downshift on the freeway, and when I do, I find it's more useful to go straight from 6th to 4th for a great throttle-blip and lots of go!

Porsche_Smile

6th gear is design for Freeway......... if not, when do you ever use the 6th gear?

GaryAZ

When you need to go 170? Seriously, when upshifting I go from 4th to 6th on the freeway. 5th gear almost never gets used on my car. You certainly get some fuel economy benefit in 6th.

cdodkin

Yep +1 on the fuel economy benefits with 6th

And over 140 mph it does provide some extra gearing to keep th epower down

Wellardmac

+1

If you're not using 6th, then you're running your engine harder than you need to for a given speed... who needs fuel economy?

6th still has some bite to it and as others have said, 4th there waiting to pounce.

discoganya

https://rennlist.com/forums/996-forum/268801-6th-gear.html

Rob in WA

I also rarely use 5th - go straight from 4th to 6th.

10 GT3

What lack of power? Maybe if you were trying to cruise on the highway at 30 mph and trying to be in 6th. At anything above 2500 rpms, there is an abundance of torque on tap and the car easily accelerates around those SUVs and Civics. Top gear pickup in these cars is substantually better than top gear pickup in most of the cars on the road. This is a rediculous thread.

Contrary to some opinions here, our 6th gear was not designed just for highway running. Fuel thirsty cars like Vipers and Vettes have 6sp transmissions with rediculous tall 6th gears (.50:1) for the sole purpose of improving fuel economy. These top gears are useless for acceleration because they are so overgeared. In fact, those cars top on in 5th gear so they are actually like having a 5 speed in the real world; just with an extra fuel miser only mode. The 6sp in the Carrera is very purposeful in the choice of ratios. The axle ratio is significantly shorter than a Viper and even shorter than those in Vettes. Our 5th gear at 1.02:1 is actually shorter than the 1:1 ratios in the 4th gears used in Vettes and Vipers. Our 6th are fairly tight above that at only .84:1, far shorter than the .71-75 ratios in those other 6 speeds.

Why? So every gear is funcitonal to provide the best acceleration. Our 3rd runs out around 100, 4th runs out around 125, 5th runs out around 150 and 6th takes you to top speed around 180. Revs drop off less and keep you higher in the power curve with each gear going higher. You can't drive over 150, unless you use 6th and once you are there is a very functional gear for accelerating further. Do a couple runs from 60 to 160 and you can quickly appreciate how nicely spaced the gears are in these cars. Using 6th in other cars is a joke, not in these cars.

jcb-memphis

What does it feel like at 160+?

(haven't been there...)

:-)

JB

jumper5836

no need for anything after 3rd on the freeway, otherwise your speeding

HD911

Is this a trick question?

man_of_ice

+1 once again

I rarely ever use 5th - straight from 4 to 6 and down again.

toddel68

I just hope you're joking