Hi guys, I just love my GT4. The ride, the sound, the performance (1974 euro, so no emission crap). I let it work hard though. I seldom shift below 6000 rpm, and 7000 is more the norm. I've had it to redline (7700 rpm) countless times as well, and I have to admit that on one or two occasions, I have seen 8000. The engine is in top notch condition. No oil use at all, valves are properly set, new belts, new spark plugs, carbs tuned, the lot. I let the engine warm up properly before I get it over 4000 rpm and I watch the temps all the time (habit taken over from my flying) People around me have started to comment that I really shouldn't let the car work that hard. They reason that it's 33 years old by now and thus deserves to stay below 6000. Or even 5000 rpm. My reasoning is that an engine overhaul now costs no more than 33 years ago. If anything, oils are better now than they were then, as is fuel. I really don't see any difference between a fresh engine then and a fresh engine now. Why change the way we handle the car just because of age? These cars really have been conceived to work hard. It's not a Rolls Royce, or even a 1970's Corvette. Those are cars that were made to cruise. A Ferrari (or Dino) was made to perform. And thus I throw in some more high octane fuel and search for another BMW to humiliate... Opinions??? Am I a savage for doing this to my car? At what RPM do you shift your 308/mondial? Hans
If shifting at redline is fun, do it. However, you might want to consider that your peak horsepower is probably generated between 4,000 and 5,000 rpm. Revving up to 7 grand doesn't make your car go faster, but it will put more stress on it.
I shift my 328 anywhere from 4k to redline.... mostly around 6k rpm's My thought is if the service is up to date... why not?... That's where these horses like to run. Just listen to the Purrrrrrrr
Oh no, peak torque maybe, but not peak hp! I'm sure that someone here will have a hp graph for a carbed 308. In the mean time, the owners manual states 250 hp at 7000 rpm. And really, while the car will pull strongly at lower speeds, you can feel that the real power comes at those high rpms. It is moderate at 3000, somewhat strong at 4000, stronger at 5000, great at 6000 and pulling like mad while approaching 7000. No question there. So this leaves the rpm's between 7000 and redline at 7700 open for debate: Keeping in mind that the rpm's will drop a few 1000 when shifting up, from a performance point it makes sense to rev up to rpm's above max power in order not to drop too far off after shifting up. More rpm's will definately make the car go faster!!! My question remains: Am I slowly killing the car off by doing so, or am I just using it as Enzo intended it to be used? Hans
higher rpm = higher wear particularly if sustained no problem being in race mode constantly so long as you adjust the service intervals accordingly you change at 6k+ in the city?
Err, yeah, I guess I do. Cities here are a bit different from a typical US city. I live at the very edge of one. Houses on one side, empty polder land on the other. While I take my son to school in de Dino, and stop by to do the occasional groceries in it, my car mostly sees country lanes and highway. My current job (I guess I should call it a job) is to build an aircraft for a German guy. This takes me to the airport, which is about 15 miles from home, 11 of which highway, the rest country roads. I try to take the beaten-up BMW for that trip, but usually end up driving the Dino to "work". That's 3 minutes of speed bumps to get out on the main road, 2 minutes to get to the highway, halfway to the airport before the engine is nice and warm, and then play with whomever dares to come close I thus do 100 to 110 mph on a near daily basis, and occasionally a bit more as well. Like I said, different country, different driving environment... Hans
Our Mondial is fast but for 40k we could have bought a vett that would blow its doors off. For me these cars were designed for the driving experience and not eating BMW's. So every drive includes redline shifts, ultra smooth low rmp shifts, skipping gears, double clutching on the down shifts and . . . whatever suits the moment. Luv it! I think i'll go for a drive.
No use going past redline, and as you say the peak horsepower depending on the model is around 7800. At the end of the day, you have the car because of what it is. There is no great pleasure driving it around @ four grand. Have fun with it and wind it out. Thats what a Ferrari is for.
Now that I have almost 100,000 miles I stay below 6000 always, even on the track (actually, ESPECIALLY on the track).
My car never sees under 3k while driving, usually shift between 5 & 6k for typical driving. Being a US spec car Im redline is at 72k if I remember corectly. It has seen 7k a few times and that would be my limit there. You have too much fun Hans, ENJOY!!! Cheers!
I think my owner's manual recommends shifting between 2500 and 3500 rpm. However, I believe the shifting works better when done between 3000 and 4000 rpm for around town and 4000 to 5000 rpm when wanting run in more of a sport mode.
????? Say again what your owners manual recommends??? Are you sure that you're reading a FERRARI owners manual? Or have the lawers gone completely crazy again?
that's pretty much what i do. occasionally go over 5K. and once in a while go over 6K. i don't think i've been in 7K land...maybe once in the past 3 years. hans, sounds like you're really enjoying your car!
I'm shifting very much like you and basically have the same concerns. I think my car really enjoys it though, I certainly do. Maybe it's like with a person - if you work out regularly overall it's good for you, if not then all kinds of things can go wrong. I'd be more concerned with banging the gears around during your trips to the airport - the gearbox will be taking it's time to warm up. I never go above 5k RPM before the oil temp needle is at least past 60 degrees. Hans - I looked at your profile and I still have my MX-5 (I really should have sold it after I got the 328 but it's worth peanuts) and my daily driver is a 3 litre diesel BMW...
I simply cannot imagine having cars like these and not shifting at least at 7000 rpm on occasion especially if you spend all the money on proper services to keep the engine in tip top shape. Might as well be driving a ho-hum, non-descript whatever........ the engines were carefully designed and built to produce power via high rpm instead of going the large displacement route... 5,6,7 liters....
Same for me. Thats where you get the best perfomace anyway. But I admit to taking it to the redline a few times. Probably 1 every 10 x I take it out.
Oh, I too wait until the oil is nice and warm. Like I said, I only start playing when I am halfway to work. The first half is for the oil to warm up. As soon as the meter has passed 60 degrees (centigrade), I allow myself up to 5000 rpm, and only after 80C or so, it's playtime. Przemek, it indeed is amazing how we ended up having the same cars. My MX-5 stayed with my now ex wife when we broke up, so I still see it from time to time... My new girlfriend has a 1989 BMW 325i convertible. That car is just about now transitioning from totally not-done to really cool, with all the 80's gimmicks on it. Having a lot of fun with that car too.... Hans
+1 redline on track and 'rare' occassions. Since 6k in second is over 50mph and 70mph in 3rd I'm wondering when you ever get to use 4th going to work?
I whip mine pretty frequently and shift at 6500+. Even if I'm cruising, I keep it tached up to 4-5k all the time. Not a whole lotta torque below that, and I love the sound
