Recently, my wife finished the break-in period for our newly purchased 992 Carrera T, and now we are in the process of breaking in the 718 Carrera T.

I’ve mentioned break-in driving several times in past blog posts, but this time I want to share our approach and philosophy on break-in driving, including some new insights we’ve gained since then.

Is a break-in period necessary for Porsche?

Nowadays, many manufacturers claim that break-in driving is unnecessary, but for Porsche, the owner’s manual clearly states that a break-in period is required.

The required distance varies by grade and model year, typically between 1,500 km and 3,000 km. For models with racing engines like the GT3, starting from the 992 generation, the car even displays a message on the instrument panel during the break-in period: “Please follow the break-in settings for up to 1500 km.” This shows how seriously Porsche takes it.

Late model 991 GT3 owner’s manual

Owner’s manual for the 992 Carrera model

The image is a bit grainy, but new 992 GT3s display this message during break-in.

Since the manufacturer explicitly states this, it’s definitely best to perform the break-in for Porsches. Especially for racing engines like the GT3’s, which display this message, if you truly care about your car, you should absolutely follow the break-in procedure.

How we break in our Porsches

What we avoid during break-in

Before explaining how we do the break-in, I want to list what we absolutely avoid during this period. In fact, break-in driving is less about what you do and more about what you don’t do.

1. No short trips (no brief drives)
2. Do not use the auto start-stop function
3. Do not use 7th or 8th gear
4. Avoid sudden actions

Regarding point 1, the manual advises to “drive as much as possible on longer trips.” Short trips cause the engine oil to cool before it fully warms up, preventing moisture in the oil from evaporating. Especially in humid Japan, moisture accumulates, leading to oil emulsification. Also, since the engine doesn’t reach its designed thermal expansion state, the break-in environment is far from ideal.

For point 2, we always keep the auto start-stop function off. Even after the break-in period, we never use it at home.

Turning it on essentially creates the short-trip environment mentioned in point 1, delaying oil warming, putting extra strain on the starter motor and battery, and offering no benefits to the engine. So we keep this function off.
(For more on the downsides of auto start-stop, see Oda Auto’s YouTube video.)

Point 3 might raise questions like, “I understand high revs are bad, but isn’t cruising in 7th or 8th gear at low revs okay?” We believe running at ultra-low revs in a high gear on slower highways like those in Japan is not good.

Imagine you’re riding a bicycle.

If you pedal in a high (hard) gear without going fast, your leg muscles take a heavy load. While this might build muscle, it also stresses your joints and is not ideal for “breaking in.”

The same applies to cars. The best break-in driving is like a human exercising at a light load that doesn’t leave you breathless.

So we try to keep the engine speed between 2,000 and 4,000 rpm, avoiding dropping below 2,000 rpm. We select 1st or 2nd gear, keeping the engine spinning smoothly. Of course, this means fuel economy suffers a bit, but the engine runs under low load, so fuel injection volume remains moderate.

Think of it like pedaling a bike with a slightly high cadence but an easy gear, so your muscles don’t tire quickly.

Point 4 means avoiding sudden acceleration, braking, or steering. Some might wonder, “Does sudden braking or steering affect the engine?” But break-in isn’t just about the engine.

It’s also about breaking in the suspension, brakes, chassis, tires—every moving part. That doesn’t mean avoiding all load; rather, it means applying load gradually and gently. For the engine, don’t slam the throttle to jump straight to 4,000 rpm; instead, ease into it slowly. This approach is also good to keep in mind even after the break-in period when pushing the engine near the redline.

If the throttle input and engine speed don’t rise proportionally, that means you’re over-throttling. This puts unnecessary strain on the engine, so avoiding such conditions is kinder to your car.

What exactly do we do during break-in?

Strictly following the “don’ts” above, here’s what we do:

1. Once we start driving, we always drive for at least 20 minutes, preferably covering a long distance.
2. We consciously avoid dropping below 2,000 rpm as much as possible.
3. We frequently use Sport mode.
4. We apply proper load not only to the engine but also to the chassis and suspension.

For point 1, we try to drive as far as possible, but even short drives are at least 20 minutes. Depending on the Porsche model, grade, and temperature, even the 981—which has the slowest oil temperature rise—reaches an appropriate oil temperature in about 20 minutes, so we use this as a guideline.

For point 2, except when starting, we avoid running in the 1,000 rpm range. Besides the load considerations mentioned earlier, modern Porsches have direct injection engines and many turbo models, which tend to accumulate carbon deposits, especially at low revs. So running the engine at higher revs helps reduce carbon buildup.

Regarding point 3, the normal mode of recent automatic transmissions (PDK) is too eco-focused, shifting up quickly and keeping the engine below 2,000 rpm. While manual mode is an option, I personally drive almost exclusively in Sport mode except in traffic. This helps keep the engine above 2,000 rpm as much as possible. Also, in Sport mode, Porsche tries to keep oil temperature lower (in the 90°C range), which is gentler on the oil. (Normal mode raises oil temperature above 100°C to thin the oil for better fuel economy.)

Finally, point 4 means applying proper load to the entire chassis so it can break in properly. So instead of just driving straight, we take winding roads to apply G-forces and flex the suspension, giving all moving parts appropriate load.

After the break-in period

We generally change the engine oil and filter after the break-in. Some people also change gear oil or differential oil, but I don’t go that far.

Incidentally, Porsche’s official manuals do not require an oil change immediately after the break-in period.

So skipping the oil change won’t cause defects or accelerate wear critically. For me, it’s more of a ritual or psychological comfort. (That said, after changing oil, you often notice the engine runs more smoothly.)

After the oil and filter change, we enjoy driving the car to the fullest. Sometimes we take it to the track or rev it close to the redline. Compared to running at low revs, Porsches perform better when the engine is revved actively. This was also confirmed by an instructor at the Porsche Experience Center Tokyo, who said, “Our Porsches are abused and pushed hard, but they’re actually in better condition than most street cars.”

That’s our family’s approach to breaking in a Porsche. There’s no single correct way to do it. I hope this serves as a helpful reference for nurturing your own Porsche.