My dealer's Crossfire tech told me emphatically that the Crossfire's engine "doesn't need to be broken in." Although he did say that sometimes out of the factory a car may have little "burrs" or metal shavings etc. on pieces of parts that need to get worn down etc.

About 10 minutes later, speaking separately to the manager of the service dept., he said that I should wait on any condition on the car until it is "broken in, put a few thousand miles on it." :?

No doubt in auto assembly lines in the iron Age ca. 1940 there were good days and bad days but I have a hard time believing there are a whole lot of burrs or rough spots on an MB aluminum engine in a 30K-35K car in this day and age of automation. Aren't engine parts milled if not polished, and inspected before assembly? Aren't pistons, camshafts, rings and valves near-surgical-equipment-looking shiny and smooth before assembly? Aren't the tolerances extremely high so that a rocker/lifter shouldn't be hitting anything, or that all valves should be operating the same?