jivemutha

This website's been great! Thanks for educating this old man . . .

Has anyone driven a Cayman or Cayman S with AND also without PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management)? If so, might you be kind enough to answer the following:

How much difference do you feel with SPORT mode on vs. off? Huge? Minor? In between?

When SPORT mode is ON, does the car feel pretty much like it would if you add the Sport Suspension alone (except that the ride height only goes down 10mm instead of 20mm) or are they quite different?

When SPORT mode is OFF, how does the ride compare with the ride in a Cayman without PASM?

Does adding PASM essentially allow one to have one's cake and eat it too (meaning I could switch SPORT mode off to not **** off my wife and then switching it on when I'm by myself in an attempt to duplicate the effect of the Sport Suspension that I couldn't buy without risking divorce)?

The car is ordered (sans PASM) but I still have time to add more stuff. Thanks in advance.

extanker

dude you are spending a whole lot of money on an ordered car.......make the dealer let you drive these different optioned cars so YOU can judge. in 09 i must have driven 6 po,s at 2 different dealers. i do notrecall which model but i u turned after leaving the dealers yard cuz it rode like a skateboard. ROADTEST before you buy then YOU make the decision.17 inch rims ride the smoothest imho

jivemutha

Good advice. Thanks. They're getting enough money out of me to let me drive a couple more cars--you're right.

The 17 inch rims are not an option, however. A new S comes stock with 19. Even the new base model now comes with 18 inch wheels. In any case, the 19 inch wheels in an S (at least without PASM) was plenty smooth enough, at least for me. I did not detect that it rode noticeably less smoothly in comparison to the 17 inch wheels in my current Cayman. Of course we're all different.

Dino944

The new generation of PASM is far better than the old. I had a 2008 RS60 Boxster with 19" wheels and PASM. It was really a nice car. However, the new car even on 20s with PASM in normal mode soaks up bumps far better than the old car with 19's with its PASM on normal setting. The old car was great until you hit some bumpy roads. The new car with PASM in normal never loses its composure, on road that would have had my 987 bouncing all over the place.

The PASM also adjusts to driving (if you floor it in normal, it will presume sportier driving and switch the suspension dampers setting to sport). If you are in sport and hit a very bumpy road, it will switch to normal so that not only is the ride better, but so that the tires aren't bouncing all over the place and you have the best contact patch possible for the road.

Someone elsewhere had shown that in sport mode for PASM the spring rates are different than the spring rates of the sport suspension. Also, the roll bars are different sizes in cars with PASM vs. cars with X73 Sport Suspension.

Do yourself a favor. Drive a bunch of the cars. There is really only so much guidance people can give for how a car feels and whether you will like it. Its like asking 4 different guys if a size 10.5 D shoe is comfortable...unless everyone has a 10.5 D sized foot, not everyone is going to think its a great fit.

I like the versatility that PASM gives you depending on roads. Also, where I live, I was a bit concerned about scraping if the car was 20mm lower than the standard suspension (PASM is 10mm lower). I used to occasionally hear the rubber bits in front of the front tires scraping, on the old car which had PASM and was 10mm lower than standard.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

jivemutha

Thanks! I should say "soaking up bumps" is not the issue, as the car without PASM rides just fine for a sports car--this is not supposed to be a Buick sedan or a Camry. Maybe my yardstick here is in a different place than the expectations of younger drivers. I think back on the relatively harsh ride provided by my MGA or MGBs or my MR2, etc. and I have no issue with smoothness in a PASM-free Cayman (assuming the normal mode with PASM feels something like the Cayman without PASM).

The only issues for me is what happens when you switch to Sport mode. As several have suggested here, it sounds like I really need to drive both to determine the difference for myself, which sounds pretty complicated. Thanks again.

Dino944

Thanks, but I'm well aware that a sports car shouldn't feel like a Buick. I think sadly, too many people think that if the car can soak up bumps, that it must ride and handle like a Buick or Camry. That's an old, foolish notion. The 981 has a much stiffer chassis than a 987 or lots of old sports cars before it. One engineer explained, (and I think it makes sense), when you have a great chassis you don't have to have the stiffest or most jarring suspension in the world for the car to handle well, take corners at high speeds, and feel agile.

In sport mode, PASM is plenty stiff, if that is your concern. As mentioned before, the spring rates and roll bars are different depending on the suspension you choose. Drive each and make an educated decision for yourself.

inkatouring

One of the "features" of PASM -- so I'm told -- is that the computer monitors your driving and adjusts the suspension setting so that if sport button is in the "on" position but are driving "calmly" the computer adjusts it to suit that driving. Thus, you may or may not even really be in sport mode even if the button is on....

Dino944

It does adjust it if you "Get on it" and it will automatically switch to sport. It will also, go from sport to normal on very bumpy roads.

I have yet to hear anything that actually confirms it will automatically go from sport to normal just because one is driving it calmly. However, I have read tons of misinformation about PASM, from people who don't have cars with it, and who haven't even driven cars with it. Best thing any potential buyer can can do is actually drive cars with each suspension to decide what works for them.

owltown

i am new to this forum and to Porsche. I have a 2014 Cayman S with PASM and SportChrono plus package so it may act differently then without the plus.
With all switches off the ride is smother then the normal Cayman. When on is it firmer then the standard Cayman. You can really feel it. As far as auto adjust i do not know since i only have 1000 miles on the car so far. But when you hit the sport button, it does not light up the PASM button on my car and i do not feel much difference in the ride. Other factors are different, like shift points and throttle response, etc. I can also press the PASM button and it makes a big difference. Pressing the sport plus button turns on the PASM and basically you have a race car. hope this helps.

owltown

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