[Spinnaker]

Originally Posted by Nobbynumbnut

Is it really OK to wait until 3000 RPM until changing gear?
When I drive the car as I do (like an old lady) I find that changing gear can be somewhat "clunky". I must admit that, on the odd occasion that I have let the engine rev a bit higher that this problem disappears. Do you think that that I am driving the car wrong?

Bob

Yes, I think you are driving it wrong.
You bought a Porsche, not a Austin. Drive it like it was meant to be, like a race car.
Around town and in traffic, you may have to shift at 3000. When you are out on the open road, on occasion, let the engine windup to 6000 before you shift. Let the sound of the engine intoxicate you. You will experience a phenomenon that we on the forum call the "Perma-grin". You will still be well below the red line for the engine.
You can harm an engine by not letting it rev up into its power band. Lugging and carbon build up come to mind. When I used to work on engines a lot, I could always tell when on car was driven like an "old lady". The combustion chambers and valves would always be crudded up with carbon deposits and the top half of the rod bearings would show excessive wear from lugging. A engine needs to get exercise at higher RPM's to blow out the deposits that build up from driving around town at low speeds. I blow out the carbon every chance I get.
When you have the suspension checked for the "clunk" noise, make sure the front engine mount is examined also.

While "the beer is on me" sounds interesting, I prefer mine in a glass or straight from the bottle.