Should I Get a Daily Driver?

I see all the advice on babying the cars. One in particular is try to drive only if you can get it up to full operating temp. My child's day care is a mile away and my next job maybe another mile on top of that. Would you guys get a separate daily driver? I was contemplating using the bicycle, but it's hilly where I live and lot of times the weather sucks.

My commute is only 3.5 miles each way. I don't typically get past 3rd gear. Works just fine.

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Take the long way to work! It doesn't have to be the most direct route, just the most fun route. My daily commute it 52 miles. It normally takes me a little over an hour both ways. If I lived that close to work, it would still take me an hour to get to work and back. I just would be having a more fun commute!

I think the question is to ask why there is advice to get the car to operating temperature? Well one reason is to cook off any moisture that may have condensed from the air in the crankcase. Also, I think another reason is that fuel can sometimes wash into the oil, and that will cook of when at operating temperature. Are there other reasons? Besides these things, is the oil more effective at operating temperature? For sure don't rev it too high, let's says avoid over 3,500 RPM until the whole engine is up to temperature (maybe 5-7 minutes), but that probably won't be a problem on these short trips. We all like black-and-white guidelines -- always do this, don't ever do that. I think these things are always a matter of judgement, so perhaps you'll be fine if you get it up to operating temperature once a week when you go out with the guys every Thursday night, and then take longer drives on the weekend. All Porsches I've owned have been daily drivers, why not?

OPTION1: spend $$$ on a "new" car IOT not spend on current car???? OPTION 2: just save the $$$ if/when current car needs it? and miss out on the "smiles per miles" while driving the 996?" OPTION 2 gets my vote

I daily drive mine, short distance or more...doesn't matter. Some days only a couple of miles, other days more. The car is damn reliable and fun to drive, even on errands of a couple of miles. Drive...enjoy and don't overthink it.

Get a throw away car.

I think the consensus is that short trips are hard on these cars. The cars are very dependent on the lubrication, and short trips are not good for that system. Also, apparently, the enrichment warm up process "washes" the oil from the bores, creating more wear and the possibility of scoring. This is why it is recommended not to idle to warm up, and not to exceed 3-4K RPM while warming it up. My understanding, and the way I drive my car now, is that until the crankcase is warm, the lubrication system is not capable of handing "Porsche-like" driving. For 90% of my trips/drives, I warm up the car until the oil pressure at idle is well below 2 bars. During that time I try not to exceed 4K RPM, and try to keep it around 3K. Two days a week I head to the gym for early morning swims. Although the pool is 6 miles from my house, I take the car on a 40 mile loop around the city. The highways are clear, and the average speed of traffic is 75+. I do a couple of pulls to 7K. I autobahn through traffic in 4th gear. I demonstrate to people the superiority of pzero's in the corners. I keep the windows down; the engine makes noises that make me smile. One day per week I take my two boys to their martial arts classes, some 2 miles from my home. Sometimes you need to use it as an SUV. However, my highly tuned butt can tell when I have been driving like it like a 911 and when I have been driving like a Camry. I swear to you that it idles smoother and sounds better after driving it like I stole it.

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I don't think there's anything unique in there about Porsche engines; this advice is true of ANY engine! So if OP buys another car for short trips, it's still going to be exposed to these less-than-ideal conditions. I'd just drive the car as needed for practical use (it is a conveyance, after all!) and occasionally take it for a longer drive to get everything nicely warmed up, fluids circulated, contaminants burned off, etc. No need to buy a different car based on a particular route to work!

It's a car...Drive it.

Best part of my day now is my 12 minute commute to and from work! I have a nice twisting up and down drive that's being repaved as I type...

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^^^ With previous cars I used to have a daily driver and what I found was that I never got to enjoy the 'fun' car. Sure, it puts more wear and tear on it, but that's how you get enjoyment from it. As others have said, not letting the car fully warm up isn't great for your oil. But, you can avoid most of those problems by making sure to get a good warm-up in semi-regularly to burn off any gas or moisture in the oil. I have a really short commute as well, and I typically just take the long way if I have extra time. I also don't shy away from taking an occasional long trip.

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Agree. I don't see the point in buying a second vehicle, if it is just to preserve the 996. Most normally aspirated, non-GT3, 996 aren't expensive/rare/irreplaceable Porsches. Personally, I take it easy on the car until it warms up, but that is no different than I treat any car. I also don't have worry beads about the engine, ims, etc. So maybe I'm not a good person to ask...

Thanks for the input everyone. Strath highlighted my main concern. Bore scoring on a 996 > $7K beater. Yes, the short frequent trips are likely bad for any engine - but (1) I trust a Honda or Toyota to be more durable (2) it will not cost as much coin if I grenade those cars. The other consideration is where I live - horrible roads in SF and a high incidence of break ins - would be nice if I didn't have to take the Porsche around when going into the City. Agree the 996 isn't expensive. But it's still money I don't want to throw away. And I make time to drive the 996 every weekend, so I'm not worried about it not getting used. I'm leaning towards an RSX Type S at this point. But my cheap *** is also reconsidering the bicycle and just driving the 996 when I'm in a huge rush or it's raining.

My commute is about 6 miles each way, and my oil doesn't even get close to operating temperature when I arrive at work, it takes a long time to heat up 10 quarts of oil. So I don't drive it for commuting. My miata does get close to operating temp after about 5 miles, so at least I can get on it and have a little fun at the final mile of my commute. I suggest getting a used fiat 500e for your short commute. It requires no warm up and you can do burnouts while leaving your driveway without harming the car, so you'll enjoy it much more than you can with a 911. A 3yr old fiat is 1/3 the price of an 996 engine rebuild.

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Get the bike, an RSX will get stolen faster than a Porsche in SF. I kid you not, my Acura GSR was swiped. Also, parking in the city without a garage is brutal on bumpers and paint.

Reminds me of a t-shirt I saw once that said "Life is too short to drive crappy cars."

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That's funny, but I disagree. I love crappy cars. Have owned a crappy daily driver since 2001 and never regretted it. I don't need a nice car when sitting in stop-and-go traffic, going to the grocery store or Walmart, or to the gym. One other things that I like about crappy cars is when you get into your fun/nice car, it makes you appreciate it that much more. My daily driver is a 1997 Accord wagon manual transmission. I've gotten so much use out of it and it's kept my nice car in that much better shape. Less maintenance costs, too! It's actually cheaper for me to drive this car daily. If I were the OP, I would look for an older Honda or Toyota.

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I'm thinking of getting one of these. I had something similar in college when I lived in a colorful area. I'd use it on the clutch. For most automatics, I don't think you can't pop the car into gear without depressing the brake. https://www.autosportcatalog.com/cat...RoCjwoQAvD_BwE

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I can not agree more. These cars are more reliable than we think... yes... daily an city use are also within design specifications Try to make a couple of miles more, use a high quality oil and change it more frequently... and enjoy the car

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Oh, you didn't say you were going to get a Tip if you bought a 996... Now I definitely say buy a bike instead.

Everytime I leave my house I have to take a two mile drive down a gravel road to get to the main road to town. The gravel road forces me to drive at 15mph in 1st gear. By the time I hit the pavement I'm always at 180F and ready to rip down the 10 mile twisty road to town. ☺ Enjoy your car and drive it as often as you can.

You live in the SF bay area, right? Then get you some spandex and roller skates. You'll fit right in.

Have you considered an e-bike, bicycle with electric assist not the annoying electric scooters that back up traffic. I'd have a hard time justifying buying a second car just to drive such a short distance, although I'd probably be the wrong person to ask. I'v been walking our girls to school about a mile away since grade 1. They get a drive for swim at 6:45am, thunderstorms or -10before windchill in the winter.

Any of you have clear plastic slipcovers on your furniture at home, so it doesn't wear out? Or leave your 'nice' clothes in the closet for special days, but wear polyester Walmart shirts and polyester ties to work? Or....well, you get the idea. Life. Is. Short. Drive a car that you like on the same, boring, tired drive to work, and make it a little less stultifying. If, when, it wears out: Fix it, or throw it away and get another one. Face it: They're not works of art, or endangered species, or cases of irreplaceable vintage wine: They're cars. If you prefer to drive a s**tbox to work, then save yourself the money and worry, skip the Porsche and just drive the s**tbox. Just remember to put slipcovers on the seats, so you don't wear them out... Flame away, any and all. It's a free country.

There are cheap nice cars that are fun to drive. I love my e46 328i with a 5 speed manual. truly a nice, fun car for $1,900. I have a .8 mile commute and I feel better about subjecting a totally understressed rock solid motor to such a commute vs. the sensitive porsche motors.

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Just drive it. Life is short.

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Drive it! But be ready for a few more repairs, short trips are the hardest thing on any vehicle! You can mitigate the effects by taking it out for at least an hour on the weekend...

For the money spent on gas, extra maintenance due too short drives and extra depreciation on the 911 you could probably buy and maintain a practical cheap car for your short and maybe also medium commutes. I am semi daily driving it and sometimes take the longer journey to my destination. Unfortunatey here everything is flat and straight roads. No real thrill to drive.

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I'd say yes, considering your very short commute have you considered an old Nissan Leaf? they can be had dirt cheap now, even with reduced battery range it will easily work for you. I think you can pick them up for around $4k, almost zero maintenance etc Also after driving a Leaf all week when you get back in your 996 it will feel amazing!

You should probably get a daily driver if you're really worried about ruining/resale of your 911. I personally wouldn't care and am going to drive it as much as possible. I'm not one to keep my cars for long though and my 911 is far from pristine/collectible.

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You got me pegged. I work from home right now, I save my nice clothes i.e. pants for the special occasions when I step outside.Sometimes I go all out and I forgo the sweat pants in favor or jeans. I don't know what's sadder, someone trying to preserve the cheapest least desired 911 or someone so pretentious they couldn't suffer 15 minutes day in anything less than a Porsche and liken it to wearing polyester clothes from Walmart and sitting on plastic seat covers. Maybe it's because I've been desensitized by take *oh the horror* public transit when I can...sometimes I wish I had a plastic cover when doing that! The more I think about it though, I'm embarrassed at the prospect of getting another car for a few miles a day. I should just buck up and pedal it on the bicycle. I'll wear the spandex if it makes you happy NuttyProff...where should I send pictures?

Oh, now I know the answer, nobody has suggested this yet: move to the country so you have a longer commute.

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Sooo...when did driving a 996 just a few miles become a cause of bore scoring( as long as you don't beat the crap out of it because the oil hasn't fully warmed up)? I've heard of cold weather starts or crappy injectors due to crappy fuel or cylinder ovality, but never short driving in a proper manner. Did I miss something?

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I thought I read it somewhere, but I can't find it. I'm going to edit the post as I don't want to be a fear mongerer.

Commute in style!!! https://www.stromerbike.com/en_CH/e-bikes/st2.html You probably would get around in town faster then by car. Why you need an 911 anyway For short trips use a bike. Better for your health, better for the environment and least important better for your car. I will leave it up to you tu use plastic covers at home and wear cheap walmart clothes

I️ disagree with driving a 996 anywhere. I️ like keeping mine nice and parking in parking lots and leaving it in the sun are recipes for it not staying in nice shape. I️ drive It when I️ WANT to drive it, where I️ want to drive it.

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Now that�s a crappy car I�d love to have.

I have to agree with everything everyone says in this thread. Because everyone is correct, lol. A 1+1 mile-trip is pretty short. Better for your health and happiness if you can walk, scoot, or electrically motivate around town, if you can. Then use the 911 in all other cases when it�s raining (the horror), or you need to grab 500lb of landscaping rock (lol, I have pictures to prove it) from Home Depot, etc. I daily drive my cars in all weather. When I have to take short trips, I don�t flog it. Yes, it really does take 5-10 mins to warmup. Bore scoring can be caused by flogging when not properly warmed up. Flogging with a cold engine causes the pistons to expand faster than the bores, and there isn�t enough oil to protect via the barrier. The same thing happens, BTW, when the engine is too hot. Short trips are problematic when they accumulate over time, without longer trips, and without frequent enough oil changes. So just do those things to be safe.

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I️ searched and searched for an E46 that was a 5 speed in decent shape to drive every day. I️ looked at dozens, up to five grand. All but one was in rough shape and I️ couldn�t get to it in time. I️ ended Up settling for an old X3. 75% of the fun, 200% more utility.