Dariof

My new car is scheduled to be delivered sometime mid-May.

I live in Southern Nevada, but I will be picking it up from the dealer I ordered it from in North Olmsted, OH (near Cleveland).

I will be flying back to Cleveland to inspect my vehicle when it arrives and then pay for it. The dealership will pick me up at the airport and put me up for one night at the Ritz-Carlton in the area.

Question: Shall I drive it back or just have InterCity ship it back. The time it will take to drive is not a concern and neither is the money differential of shipping vs driving.

The trip would be about 4 days, and I would spend the nights at nicer hotels along the route (for parking security purposes).

Any thoughts or suggestions? Motor break-in is an obvious issue I need to be aware of if I drive. If driving is the advice, route suggestions would be appreciated.

dstrimbu

Drive it. I drove mine from Topeka to Chicago, and it was a true joy - perfect day, 581 miles in 8.5 hours, 71mph average, 22mpg.

You will kill half the specified break-in, plus, over the length of the trip. Take your time, enjoy the car - it will be spectacular, Dariof.

I wouldn't have done it any other way. I was looking to ship it, and a buddy convinced me to drive it - I'm very glad that I did. Plus, you'll get to experience the sixth gear roll-on performance of the 997, which is nothing short of spectacular - and you won't be tempted to get into the higher RPM ranges on the highway.

It's a win-win, for you and the car. If you plan to take four days, it'll be even better...

You'd better take a camera, dude. We'll be waiting for pics from the road...

Cheers,

-don

MJones

DRIVE IT!!!

An approx journey of 2000mi
Perfect for a break-in!
The long haul is perfect vs short haul stop and start.

Road Trips are GREAT! The American countryside is beautiful!

Unless you stop in Major citys forget about Major Hotels...
Best Westerns are just fine on the road
Security is not an issue, people don't really care about the car, it's just a car.

Myself I would say off the Interstate and take US highways, US 36 is the center America major E/W route....a fine road.

I've driven all over this country in both my 996 and at least 12,000mi in my 997.
Drive the car!!!!

mss8022

I agree with driving it.

That's why you got it, man.

And, while living with the break in rules, drive it fast, too.

james4513

I drove mine from Miami to Austin - about 1,500 miles. It was great fun for a couple of hours, then work. Ship it.

The B

I have tried to plan road trips from Tampa to Vegas or Tampa to Phoenix...the lingering thought of the necessary trips to the dealership to sort out the 'issues' stops me.

I had mine shipped from Vegas to Tampa and in June to will be shipped to San Clemente for the summer. The pent-up desire to drive is kinda like foreplay....

MMD

I hear it is better for the engine to be broken in over *many* trips; trips defined by cold-to-hot-to-cold cycles. Your drive wouldn't accomplish this; you'd only get four. Plus you'd have to be shifting (to vary engine speed) a seemingly extreme number of times since you're on the interstate; could be one very tiring trip.

Speed

I drove my 997S cab from Cincinnati to NYC in about 12 hrs. It was a great way to bond with the car and amass some of those break-in miles.

Holli82

If you have the time, put a clear bra on it and drive it home.

rdstemler

A mid-may cross country! C'mon!!!! Pick out a good route, pack up the radar detector, plan long stretches of deserted roadway, and go for it!

mglobe

Picked mine up in North Carolina. Drove it to Texas. Two of the better days I've had in a long time.

No brainer, drive.

sabatal

Congrats! I say drive it. That's what it's for. Breakin shouldn't be an issue as it's not that hard to vary the rpms, even on the highway, to ensure proper break in. Or just take all back roads and stop frequently to get out and admire your new ride :-)

yogus_bearus

I drove my 997s cab just last week from DE to NY, all the way to the east end on long Island NY. It was around 245 miles in about 4 hrs. The car is the best thing I've ever purchased. I still can't believe that I actually own it. That being said, the seats aren't exactly cozy. The drive was fun, but if I were going that far I say ship.

tkids

I recommend taking "Route 66" tour. I did it a few years ago when I picked up a car in Florida and drove it back to N. Cali. and it was a blast.
Get this book:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...30660805302498
you certainly can make it fit into your schedule. That way during break in you can be varying your driving styles.

After travelling cross country on the interstates at least a dozen times it was a nice to see the real USA on the back roads!

Pete Lech

I would second the recommendation to get a clear bra put on at delivery and then drive. Varying the speed will be a little annoying at first, but I think 500 miles of a lot of that should suffice.

Take the non-interstate highways, take your Valentine One for the local yokel speed traps, and have fun.
It's a great car!