Hey Paul,

How far are you from Elkhart Lake?
I got to drive past once, but they were having an IKF kart race and wouldn't let me in without joining, for like 80 bucks. SCCA was 35 bucks at the time.
Haven't had the chance to go back, but do a lot of business with a mold foundry in Portage.

About an hour of some of the most fun twisties in WI. I usually spend 3 or 4 weekends there per year.

Quickurt,

At 6,200rpm, our engines develop peak hp which you obviously know and your time slips prove. That's driving the car smart and to it's optimum potential. Just winding it out to wind it isn't smart, it's expensive.

Don't forget that track situations often dictate driving at over the torque peak. For example, in the infield of Firebird here in Phoenix, it's better to keep the revs high (near 7K) than shifting up as you negotiate a series of tight turns, rather than shifting up and down. You'll run a faster lap time. Of course, if track time means the dragstrip, then what you're doing is the way to go.

Makes sense...

( keep in mind this chart is for a 2000 Non-S )

Nick

You'll notice on the chart that the torque curve takes a nose dive as well at 6,200 rpm. Translation; It's time to shift.

Most of the rags I read say they the cars shift at redline when testing at the dragstrip and they are posting a lot better #'s than 14 flat @100mph with a 280 hp boxster S. I think R&T and C&D both hit mid 13's with a trap @105ish mph. Just food for thought.

My car sure doesn't feel like it's peaking even at 7000.

That's probably about right, but, then again, they get to turn them in when they're done using them up!!
The other guys kinda chided me into doing the drags part of the course to try to get even with what I did to them on the road race part. Never go after an old formula car racer in a Boxster S!! I know how to drive mid-engined cars.
I do stand by my time slips, the fastest run (I did) was the one shifting at 6200. That's no proof that I may have also got the best launch on that run, don't know, I'm not a drag racer.

Feel and real can sometimes be way different. I raced an old GTI in IT enduros with an old friend and it felt (and sounded) like you were just flying shifting it at 8k. Lap times didn't quite agree, and by not quite I mean it went the fastest when we shifted it at 5800! :confused:

I have had engineers tell me to shift at the max PK, not redline.

Sounds logical to me. At some point, you can feel that the car has stopped pulling hard and often that is short of RL.

If we want to go ahead and get techy about shift points:
First, figure out the RPM drop from one gear to the next
Second, take one of those torque charts from a previous post (helps if it's actually for your engine) and pick the shift at RPM that will connect back to the RPM you will drop to, at the same amount of torque.
Going back to the previous post and editing, the torque on this chart drops like a rock from 6200 on, so by shifting at 6200, as long as you drop down to above 4000, you will stay at nearly an exact amount of torque. Wonder why these motors are more impressive than their numbers, and the cars are oh so drivable?
My engine ( 06 3.2 S) is supposed to have max torque from 4600 to 6000, so as long as the shift point brings you back to over 4600 RPM, it should STAY at max torque.
Remember horsepower is a mystical figure, torque accelerates your car.

Well said Quickurt,

The liner torque curve is what makes the power of the engine so fun to drive. It will pull 240 ft lbs as low as 2500rpm up to 260 ft lbs @4,800 and drop off to only 255 ft lbs @ 6,200. Think about it, a 3,700 rpm range with only 20 ft lbs change. I know where the fun zone is and that's were I'm gong to stay.

Agreed shifting at peak torque will result in faster times assuming the next gear is still in the sweet spot of the torque curve.

Guess I'll start shifting at 6500 instead of 7000, hope my car doesn't blow up..... :)

Quick,

Here's the chart for a 2006 S :

Nick