I’m planning on going with hard break in method on the new sti… for those of you that have bought a couple new cars which route did you go and what were the results?
Hard break in method on my SS, 9000 miles and 30 lbs of spray through a stock motor and it hasnt been in for service yet…
I say drive it how you normally but don’t keep the same RPM for too long(while hwy driving)
I think it’s called a progressive break-in?
Do a series of a few moderate 3rd gear pulls to high rpms, then let the throttle snap shut, and have it coast down to lower rpms again and do another pull. Introduce some boost. Let the rings seat. Do a few cycles for the first 500 miles, then change oil.
I did my oil at 500, 1000, 1500. Overkill? Maybe, but oil is cheap, why not.
Don can elaborate.
The “Drive it sideways out of the lot, & Beat the piss out of it” method works for me.
break in is overrated unless there is a specific reason to think otherwise for your application.
kinda ot and no intent for thread hijack…but does this also apply to rebuilt motors?
I (among a whole lot of other people on this site alone) have rebuilt motors and ran them full tilt out of the box.
No problems yet
I like to take it easy on the clutch for the first 1000…but the engine eh whatever… let her rip
that is pretty much what I was planning… rev it out and let it coast - from what I understand that’s the best way to get the rings to seat… was going to do that for about 500 miles and hopefully I can get that done before next weeks autocross 
+1 for the progressive break in
do that
just let it idle in the driveway for a half-hour or so before the auto-x, that oughta do it.
lol
def. do the progressive method
lol, i know you’re not serious but idling is the worst thing to do, since its tech figure we’d point that out so no one reads it and thinks its a good idea 
motor or clutch drive it how you are going to drive it. that is what ive done for all my rebuilds and clutch installs. the progressive method is prolly smarter, but then ive never said im smart…
I changed the diff and tranny fluids at 500 miles also.
hmm really? didn’t think about that at all
Wow, never heard of that. I go by the 15K rule for tranny, diff, TC.
There is no such thing as break in anymore on OEM engines. The approach given that Geoff speaks of is for a performance engine with forged pistons and slightly looser than factory tolerances.
The tolerances are soo tight and the machine processes soo precise in this day and age that the rings seat on initial startup. Which means that before you purchase the car odds are it has been driven. Ring seal has been completed.
Clutch and brake bedding is the normal drive it normal to transfer friction materials.
Change the oil at 1000 for reassurance.
Enjoy car. 
I don’t think it’s common, but I don’t like the debris from the initial wear in of the gears floating around. Maybe overkill, but no more so than engine break in:jam:
well, my gas mileage so far is 10mpg… lol.