Really? Are you not thinking of the water temperature? On my 997 the water indicates 80 but the oil runs between 90 and 100.

BTW, for what it's worth the OP should really have figured this all out before he bought the car. It frightens me to think that people with this lack of experience are out there in Porsches.

Meh - he doesn't say which 986 he has, but they've all got more mechanical grip than poke anyway, so I doubt he'll get himself into too much trouble.

OP, book a driving day with instruction now, learn what you need to know, then go and enjoy your car.

Ha!
There are an enormous number of more scary things on the road than someone driving benignly in a car with tremendous grip!

Aaargh! For goodness sake! I've said it already. HEEL AND TOE IS NOT REV MATCHING!

You use rev matching when going up and down the gears. You blip the throttle when going down and let the revs fall when going up.

Heel and toe is rev matching down changes whilst braking. It is called heel and toe because you use you toe to push the brake and your heel to blip the throttle.

The System says you should not overlap braking and changing gear. So heel and toe is a no-no unless is specific circumstances.

Anyone that does not know the difference should not be espousing to novice drivers the benefits of one, the other or with whom they should spend their money.

ETA: not aimed at anyone in particular, I just want people to be clear when they're trying to convince a novice to something relatively straightforward (rev matching) they are not inadvertently getting them to try something more difficult (and risky) like h&t.

Calm down, dear. Am well aware of what heel and toe is and how it relates to rev matching. May have been a tiny bit sloppy in not making the distinction clear, but there's nothing to get upset about!

The bottom line is that I see heel and toe as the means to provide the ends - rev matched down shifts. So the sentiment is shared and I was getting across the point that rev matching down changes is desirable regardless of speed or driving enthusiasm. Where braking is involved, then it's heel and toe. When it's not, then it isn't!

Once you've got the hang of basic rev matching (which I agree should definitely be learned first), the step to heel and toe isn't that big.

I went out with the local IAM motorbike bunch a few years back. At the time I was leading the British Motorcycle Racing Club R600 championship, and was working as a trackday instructor and official ACU instructor. I had a lot of friends in the IAM, and whilst their track riding wasn't notable, their road riding seemed on the whole ok. As it was just a pootle, I (only) took my standard road bike - a 150 bhp, full Ohlins clad R1, with Pirelli Supercorsa tyres.

My first (and last) ride with them started well - we had a nice ride out in Cambs through roads that I knew well. Then, one of the 'older gentlemen', riding 2 up on a big BMW, decided quite clearly to 'show the racer upstart how to make progress'. A painful few miles followed, with him riding positively dangerously, apexing early, running out of road on the way out, tying his suspension up in knots. It only stopped when I thought that I didn't want to see an accident, banged past and waved him down to a sensible speed. I was also treated to the Mantra of 'where there's room for one, there's room for two'. Which is patently nonsense at the extreme.

So, I totally agree with getting some instruction. I would, however, treat the IAM with a dose of caution - I'm sure some drivers are very good. But not all.

I would firmly recommend going on a trackday with someone who knows what they're doing. Or just a few drives out on the road with someone who has some decent experience.

And finally, well done for asking - it's a scary thing to ask. I see many riders/drivers who need to admit to themselves that they really don't know what they're doing. My driving is not nearly as good as my driving - so I ask questions and learn every time I go on track, and kudos to you for doing the same thing.

Balls to the "System" then! H&T downshifts are one of the joys of driving any sportscar and, as already said, it doesn't mean you have to be driving anywhere near the limit to benefit.

Yes. You do not need much revs. The kid does pretty well in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcxHi6FlGLo

Rev-matching reduces engine braking which can sometimes even be undesired in track driving. The biggest advantage of rev-matching in normal commute is in winter time. Tires will lock-up more easily on snow and rev-matching reduces the risk.(I heard a horror story when I was in traffic school about this)

I think your recommendation would be much more useful than asking on a forum, as this thread clearly demonstrates.