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I think this can be reworded to - 996s like to be revved high from time to time, and it may even be beneficial, but driving "hard" will obviously wear out the car quicker - this is a no brainer. But yes, these cars are built tougher than your average honda and they will take more abuse without showing the wear too quickly though
Unless someone with some concrete justification or evidence chimes in otherwise, I'm thinking that the widespread advice that driving your 996 hard is somehow good for it is looking like a busted myth.
youve gained alot of wisdom in 10 posts. share more senpai.
I think this can be reworded to - 996s like to be revved high from time to time, and it may even be beneficial, but driving "hard" will obviously wear out the car quicker - this is a no brainer. But yes, these cars are built tougher than your average honda and they will take more abuse without showing the wear too quickly though
I'm not sure I'd agree that the 996 is built tougher than your average Honda. The Porsche might be faster and handle better...but I'd venture the Honda is just as, if not more durable and with much less maintanence.
My take is that any car not driven enough will eventually develop leaks and other problems consistent with cars that spend too much time sitting and not enough time moving. A 996 is no exception.
Any car driven hard is going to experience the stresses of being driven hard, too. That said, I would assume (or hope) that a Porsche is engineered to withstand higher strain than a Toyota Corolla when it comes to performance tolerances and thresholds for wear and tear. Abuse, however, is abuse. Driving at 9/10ths before a car's fluids have reached optimal operating temps might not be a good idea either.
My best layman's advice is drive your car often and, just as you wouldn't hopefully drive any car lugging the engine around at 800 rpm, don't do that to your Porsche. It's a car that was meant to be driven...not beat up...and certainly not intended to be treated as a garage queen that never sees the light of day.
I think this can be reworded to - 996s like to be revved high from time to time, and it may even be beneficial, but driving "hard" will obviously wear out the car quicker - this is a no brainer. But yes, these cars are built tougher than your average honda and they will take more abuse without showing the wear too quickly though
Agreed. According to my local Porsche independent repair facility, the 996 requires RPM's but, not 'hard' driving. The 996 can obviously be driven hard but, that can and will likely lead to increased wear.
I think part of this argument lies in maintenance. Those of us who drive our cars "hard" are also more likely to perform more frequent and preventative maintenance, e.g. 3,000 mile oil changes instead of whatever the "manufacturer recommends". Those owners who believe that babying the car means they can leave it parked for 11 months of the year with an oil change every year or two, are the ones who get themselves into trouble.
This is a premium sports car. It is expensive to maintain. Drive it. Maintain it.
Sorry, autocross is not a type of race track but rather a type of driving competition on a defined course. Which I didn't mean. I meant find a race track that is not an oval. Nothing wrong with ovals but I think a "road course" (hopefully that is the correct term or I might get banned again) is just more fun.
Whatever this is:
Umm, that looks like an airport to me. (but maybe I'm biased)
EVERYONE knows that a shagged out, track-driven, 157,000-mile car is WAYYYYY better than that 11,000-mile car you found for sale cheap by some rich SOB that hardly ever drove it because he has 17 other cars.
To a degree - explanation from Porsche Technical Service Information for VarioCam system (note not the Plus system):
"VarioCam"
VarioCam, the adjustment of the intake camshafts at engine speeds of approx. 1,300 rpm* and 5,920 rpm, produces a major part of the engine output, the engine torque as well as the good exhaust values at idling speed. Engine speeds below 1,300 rpm produce a slight overlap in the valve stroke curves for the intake valves in relation to the exhaust valves.
This particularly affects low proportions of hydrocarbons (HC proportions) in the exhaust gas before the catalytic converters. If the engine exceeds the 1,300 rpm mark *, the intake camshafts are adjusted by 12.5° (by 25° if measured a the crankshaft).
Adjustment of the camshafts to produce a greater overlapping of the valve stroke curves for the intake and exhaust valves results in improved cylinder charging and thus an increase in engine torque. In the case of engine speeds above 5,920 rpm, the intake camshafts are returned to the basic control times (as for engine idling speed). If the intake valve closes later, additional amounts of intake air can be drawn in. This produces a recharging effect since the flow of air is not interrupted. This also results in improved charging of the cylinders and an increase in performance.
* The value 1,300 rpm increases to 1,480 rpm with engine oil temperatures of approx. 133°C."
"VarioCam
To increase the torque and to improve cylinder charging, the engine has two VarioCam actuators which are installed in the chain tensioners of the camshafts. The two actuators are operated by electromagnetic valves activated by the DME control unit.
Functioning
When the ignition is switched on, the electromagnetic valves of the camshaft adjusters are supplied with positive potential. If the engine is started, the control unit applies ground to terminal 25 (camshaft adjuster for cylinder line 4 - 6) and to terminal 52 (camshaft adjuster for cylinder line 1 - 3) if the following conditions are fulfilled (VarioCam activated);
1 - Engine oil temperature between -3°C and 133°C
2 - Engine speed > 1,300 rpm
3 - Throttle opening > 5%
or
1 - Engine oil temperature > 133°C
2 - Engine speed > 1,480 rpm
3 - Throttle opening > 3.9%
The ground potential is deactivated by the DME control unit (VarioCam deactivated) if:
Engine speed > 5,120 rpm"
If I am reading this correctly, it would mean, in order to "give your VarioCam a break" you would need to drive around at 6000prm or greater all the time? That would make rush hour traffic an interesting venture
I'm not sure I'd agree that the 996 is built tougher than your average Honda. The Porsche might be faster and handle better...but I'd venture the Honda is just as, if not more durable and with much less maintanence.
I would like to believe Youri Ko was correct, but I will be extremely pleasantly surprised if my 996 will be as solid and stone chisel reliable as my Honda at 240K. I've not had so much as a bulb failure...no I lie, I did replace "one" headlight bulb over that 240K.
