I've been hanging here for nearly 10 months now (I bought my 8 last July). I thought that the conventional wisdom then was to let the engine reach operating temp, then go. While my mileage has suffered, I still mostly do that in the mornings. When I head out to work , I drive about 3 blocks, to the highway. At that point, I usually need to wind out 1st & 2nd gear to enter the highway, which is not a limited access highway. The traffic is not very cooperative, and sometimes you have to take advantage of a small opening. I don't want to redline it with the engine cold, so I let it warm up for 10 minutes or so before I leave. Is my logic flawed? Is is ok to run up the RPM's while the engine is moderately cold? I keep it in the garage, so it is rarely below 45 degrees at first startup.

 

i think warming up for 10 minutes is a bit overkill in non-freezing temperatures, it takes a heck lot longer to warm up the car if you just let it idle, than driving it *very* easily to bring the temp up quickly. However, you should keep the revs down before the temp gauge reach normal operating temperature.

 

Everyone knows cold oil doesn't protect as well as warm oil. To each their own.

Actually, its having NO OIL doesnt protect as well as OIL. :-)

Turn on car, let the motor internals rotate so that the oil lubricates the engine and wallah, you should be ready to go within no more than 20-30 seconds.

Now, this doesnt mean rev your peaks.. just drive. I push the car a tiny bit, but I dont keep the rev's high. As the car starts to warm up, I increase how hard I drive. I've taken motors over 200k this way, and an original auto transmission as well (previous car).