Just Curious..at what RPM do you shift?

[Mark Howard]

I've owned a number of 911's over the years...different models drive similar with some differences in feel, vibration, torque, etc. I have often heard not to "lug" a 911 engine with a low RPM, but I'm just curious how others drive. My usual up-shift is between 3 - 4K RPM under normal driving conditions, sometime higher. I try to "cruise" at around 3K as well. My '88 911 really came to life at 3.5K...my 997 does not seem to care as much. I have not noticed a difference in fuel economy if I drive normally or alitle "spirited".

What say ye?

[Zeke]

I think you can treat the 997 differently. They don't mind 2000 RPM with a light load. I agree with your aircooled practices.

[EarlyPorsche]

I believe the 997 engine calls for no lower than 1,800 RPM shifts whereas the air-cooled Porsches range from no lower than 2,000-2,400.

[BeyGon]

When the rev limiter kicks on?

[FPB111]

Usually 3-4k rpm. The 1970S liked to cruise at ~3.5k, shifts were 4.5 it really did not start to breath until 5k.
The 1972"RS" 3.2 wi carbs & S cams liked 4K would cruise at 3.2-3.5.

The 2003 996 likes 3.5k shifts but is happy light throttle cruising at ~2.5k. neither of the other two would put up with 2.5k cruising.
on the track for all it was/is 5-7k

[RWebb]

for each shift, I rev the motor until the elliptical integral of the work done by the vector thrust is equal to the drop in rpms times the...

[Arizona 911]

When the engine is cold, I shift at 3000 rpm and don't wind it up over that. After my engine has warmed up, I shift at 4000 rpm and I'll let it wind up. These engines don't like to be lugged. Most of the time driving in town, I drive in 3rd gear. This puts me at 40-45 mph @ 4000rpm. On 35 mph roads, I drive in 2nd gear at about the same rpm. It took some getting used to because I thought I was revving it too much but I find that this is ideal for cruising in the "sweet spot" in the power band. The car is much more responsive. This is a 1980 SC

[wdfifteen]

Before I figured out how to turn it off, I put tape over the upshift light on my 1988 Carrera. It drove me nuts. If you shift up every time that damn light comes on you may as well be driving a bus. In the 911 I like to rev a couple hundred RPM over what Porsche seems to think is OK. I don't put any load on the 356s below 2000 RPM.

[Dan J]

Driving my Boxster today I was amazed at how low I could shift. I was cruising at 31 mph (speed limit was 30) in fifth at about 1100 rpm with the CC on and it did not even stumble in the least. Amazingly fuss free car. Absolutely one of my fav Porsches ever. My cup car likes to be shifted at 8100 or so

[svandamme]

I rev my diesel higher then some of you low shifters...

[johnnywishbone]

"I was cruising at 31 mph (speed limit was 30) in fifth at about 1100 rpm"

nasty habit

[mattdavis11]

I get it up to about 40 and let off, then I hammer the gas again. The Prius doesn't have a tach, you have to hear what you want. Sometimes it hooks up, sometimes not.

[slodave]

When I autoX, not until well into the red or when I hit the rev limiter.

[lisa_spyder]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

Before I figured out how to turn it off, I put tape over the upshift light on my 1988 Carrera. It drove me nuts. If you shift up every time that damn light comes on you may as well be driving a bus. In the 911 I like to rev a couple hundred RPM over what Porsche seems to think is OK. I don't put any load on the 356s below 2000 RPM.

356s - the tacho is your friend. Keep it in the green band when driving . Can't tell you the number of owners who drove more modern machinery every day we had to educate on this one. Some didn't learn the lesson until they broke the crankshaft or diff . They would let the little engine labour away at low revs all the time; thinking they were doing it a favour by not stressing it with higher revs. 356s love to be revved (within reason); they don't like low revs (and who wants to drive one at low revs anyway )

[campbellcj]

7400-7600

[id10t]

Learning to drive in the 356, dad would get on me about not shifting until whatever rpm you'd end up at was out of the lugging-the-engine range and starting to get into the develops-the-power range... about 2k rpms on the C engine. Fortunately teh math on the 4 gears is pretty quick to do, but it averages out at about shifting around 4500rpms and you end up at about 2100rpms. Redline is at 5500...

When he got the 911, same held true - very rarely going into 3rd gear, except 4th would get used on the interstate for cruising... 5th gear only got used a few times when he took the car to a DE event at sebring...

and lisa_spyder is correct.. more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow...

[Buckterrier]

Originally Posted by johnnywishbone

"I was cruising at 31 mph (speed limit was 30) in fifth at about 1100 rpm"

nasty habit

Let me tell ya Mr. Wishbone. If Dan drives his car at 20 RPM in 5th gear it's ok. He knows what he's doing. He is one the the top, if not the top Porsche shops in the northeast.

That said I shift my 84 with a 3.6 in it at approx. 2,500-3,500 RPM. Of course at the track it's more like 6,300 to stay in the torque curve.

[Normy]

I typically shift my 928 at 2200 rpm, normal driving around town. I believe the owners manual has a limitation that states not to drive the car in gear with less than 1400 rpm. My V8 will tolerate quite a bit less than 1400 rpm in 5th gear, basically just above idle as a form of pidgin "quiet" mode. I do this for very short distances if I return to my neighborhood late at night so as to not wake the neighbors, since my "exhaust" is just shy of NASCAR spec.

Short shifting saves fuel and wear and tear on the engine, but some engines might not have sufficient lubrication to the main bearings, so it is better to wind them out a bit more, as per what Mark Howard is doing.

N

[cstreit]

11

[kundensport]

8000
h.:d