[Closed] Redlining a Car - Do You?

Every other car I've owned I regularly did, it's the only way to extract maximum performance (and if you don't want that level of performance ever, get a slower car!)

On my current car, peak power is quoted from 4000-5500rpm I think, and redline at 6500, so don't bother (having tried it once or twice just to be sure it is pointless)

@nickjb - is that all that's left?

Not quite. Tin worm got her but a friend saved the running gear with a plan to put it in a kit car. RWD, Five link live axle with LSD, lovely revvy engine. Perfect for a kit but I suspect it'll never happen. Maybe I should get a bit back as a paperweight. Great car. Best of the 80s hot hatches by a mile (ducks)

hora - Member
VTEC yo? Makes me cringe

Makes teh bitchez wet though

Aye sometimes. Interestingly the ZF auto in my 135i keeps hold of gears til the very death! Beyond what I would if it was a manual. When I first got it and popped it in Sport mode then reached for the kickdown I thought it was broken.. Don't get me wrong it sounded glorious but I was just thinking "is it EVER going to upshift?!". As others have said there are other sweet spots in the rev range too - there's a lovely spot around 3200rpm (I've found the same in other straight 6 Beemers)

The GFs Mini Cooper 1.6i gets a fair ragging but sounds mechanically harsh within 1000rpm of the limit so I always feel bad on the poor thing afterwards!

The OP question made me smile. Last time in my own car was in my XR2 circa 1988.... Didn't have a car which I would dare do that to for years after and now diesels which don't need revs like that. Shame.

Only when overtaking horses

In every petrol car I've owned yes, frequently as they were all gutless crappy little engines.

I now drive a Berlingo 1.6 hdi so no not often, but it does happene every now and then.

Tom B - Member
Only when overtaking horses

Remember to beep the horn too so they know you're coming through

Yep, nothing better sounding than the Golf R 32 being driven in Sport mode albeit it gets a tad thirsty. 😆

The Aygo/C1 3 cyl sounds awesome on full 'chat' 😆 😀

My Civic Type-S 2.0 sounds and feels like it wants to pull to 1000rpm past the 6800 limiter. And if you want to overtake on an A or B road it's best done by redlining it in 2nd and just snatching the change to 3rd before you pull back in. Try to sound subtle and the manoeuvre takes twice as long.

You are all 17 and probably off to hang around the local chip shop, whilst wearing your finest and whitest Adidas Trainers.

Soooooooooo boring.

in my old MX5 - yep. engine cam came on song at 4K rpm, shifting at the red line popped you back to 4250. heck, the gearbox was so sweet that barely a dap of clutch was needed on the pull between 3rd and 4th, just a lift on the throttle.

the Jag is the same in that it starts to pull at 3.5k, and the autobox hangs onto the gear til the red line.

the autobox in the saab will shift about 500 below the redline when the throttle is wide open.

My old 306 gti on track was regularly close to the line.

On the road a fair bit less and usually somewhere where the noisey can wouldn't bother people. It never really needed it on the road although a hard prod on the throttle and rev'd over 4000 used to produce a lovely noise and urgency.

Other cars I've owned have been more leisurely in their delivery so really only get rev'd close to the line for specific occasions/duties (exiting a lay-by on the A12 on a Sunday night is one of the more common ones).

If I'm honest the leisurely delivery suits far better how I have tended to drive on the road for many years.

Dam I have become middle aged ( I was already dull)

have you ever driven 68bhp in a vehicle that CAN weight just under 2 tonne.
if you short shift on a hill you risk stalling

Sounds like a tractor...?

I remember back in my farming days having to rev the nuts off one or two old beasts when changing gear uphill - made a hell of noise, a lot of black smoke as I frantically double de-clutched & pretty much FA else!

Peak power at 7800rpm in my celica t sport and not much torque so yes, basically whenever it is warm enough and the speed limit allows. Got to stay in the lift!
I drove a few turbo petrols recently and found I had to recalibrate to the redline being so much earlier, very strange feeling.
Oh and pool cars from work. Never buy an ex-pool car...

Saxo vts will do 75 mph in 2nd gear. I kid you not.

Soooooooooo boring

Audi RS5... V8 with 8,500rpm redline... You have to do it

Can't really unless in first gear. 6700 limit even in second means I would be speeding anywhere in this country.

Therefore I do not and rarely go over 3000 as the autobox seems not to bother.

Older Volvos are cool, we had a 2001-ish S40 which liked to be revved and my OH had a 1996 740 (RWD) for a bit which was a hoot 😀

"Sounds like a tractor...?

I remember back in my farming days having to rev the nuts off one or two old beasts when changing gear uphill - made a hell of noise, a lot of black smoke as I frantically double de-clutched & pretty much FA else!"

It does indeed sound like a tractor 😀 - its my van though. 68bhp diesel engine.

MY landy which is even more tractor like manages to give a similar performance with 114bhp. BUT will pull the earth up behind it doing so -its never been redlined in my ownership.

In the DC2 (Integra Type R) - yep..

In the mk5 GTI - nope..

Occasionally I hit the rev limiter in my steed. It revs so willingly after 3000 rpm and pulls like a banshee at higher revs.

Only happens in second though if it's a rapid overtake needed as third would see me doing about a Ton at the limit!