For casual driving, I tend to keep my 997.1 S's RPMs around 2000 RPMs +/- 200 RPM. Usually I'm driving behind someone doing 45 on flat suburban roads. I'v noticed the RPMs can drop down to 1500 on my MT without the engine lugging. If I need to accelerate, pass, or I encounter an uphill slope, I just downshift to get the revs up. Winding the engine up, just to trail someone driving at the posted speed, doesn't make sense to me. And like I said, I don't feel the engine balking or lugging while driving "easy" at lower RPMs.

 

For loafing around town, I usually upshift around 3K RPMs. I don't know why people think that you need to keep this engine high in the rev range. It's got more torque than my 4 cylinder Accord, and I can easily accelerate away from 1200RPMs in my Accord without lugging the engine. Granted, it doesn't happen quickly, but there's still no lugging involved, as long as you properly modulate the throttle and don't load the engine too much. For normal driving in the 911, I'm usually in the 2-3K RPM range. If I find myself down around 1500RPMs, I'm still not going to downshift, unless I find that I actually need to accelerate more swiftly.

 

I usually keep the car above 3-4K in the city and above 2-2.5K on the highway (flat road which is rare around here). However, once the oil is warmed up the car sees redline at least once per drive.

 

+1

I like to think of it (driving at 2000 rpm in 6th) as driving in VW Golf mode. Car is calm, not twitchy - one of the things I like about the 997 is that you can drive it as an everyday car. Of course, when the opportunity presents itself, shifting down to third and having a bit of fun with acceleration is only seconds away.

 

I was told by my dealer to run the car at 4 - 4.5 k rpm all the time.
Eff that. Makes me look like a D0uch3bag in my neighborhood going 35 mph in second gear and on the road otherwise too.
They told me to not use 5th gear at all unless i am doing 80 miles an hour.
I tried doing this for a few days, got 14-15 mpg from the car and looked like i never learned how to drive in life.
Now i usually stay in the 2900 - 3500 (guesstimates) rpm range.

 

I had the privilege of spending some time with Jim Watson recently, a famous 550 driver and Porsche engine builder. His advice, in addition to the guidance above, is to redline the car once, every time you drive it. Sterling Moss handed him the trophy, not me, so I will probably build this into my own driving habits.

 

Same here