kayjh

Hi,

Has anyone tried a 991.1 and 991.2 base and can comment on whether the ride quality is improved in the 991.2?

I had a C2S out for an hour a couple of weeks ago that seem to have a reasonably compliant ride. The dealer sold that car and is trying to sell me a 2015 C2 with 20's. I had the car out overnight last week and while I liked it, I found the ride bordering on "punishing" on some of our local roads.

I thought I read that the standard PASM and other adjustments on the 991.2 base have made the ride better. I'd test drive them back to back, but my dealer doesn't have the two iterations for me to drive. All that is left to test drive is a 991.2 C4S.

Any thoughts? I'm also wondering whether I'd see an improvement by sticking with the standard tire size (19")?

Appreciate your input.

Al.Fresco

Tire pressure makes a big difference too. Full Load vs Comfort pressure alone could make a significant difference.

porscherex

I don't think the base 991.1 had PASM - it was an option. I had a base 997.2 without PASM. I did not like it - too jarring. If ride comfort is important, make sure the car you buy has PASM. PASM was standard for the 991.1 S, and optional for the 991.1 base. PASM is now standard on all models of the 991.2. For additional comfort, the Sport Chrono Package has among other things, Dynamic Engine Mounts which lessens the vibrations of the engine and transmission. I would not buy a car without both since ride quality just tooling around is important to me.

Archimedes

The .2 suspension is much better than the .1 IMO. I test drove a base .2 with PASM and the biggest surprise to me was the suspension. Ride quality was fantastic, noticeably better than the .1 from my perspective.

budrichard

My 991.2 C4S is alittle harsher than my 981B with PASM but that's also 20" against 18" tires. The road noise is significantly more with the 20".
Drive the C4S and that will give you anupper bound to ride quality as the C2 or C4 with 19" will ride better.
For the record I don't like a harsh ride and the 991.2 C4S is my daily driver and just fine.
PASM in the difference and I wouldn't purchase a Porsche without PASM.-Richard

kayjh

Thanks Richard. I'm test driving a C4S this afternoon.

STG

I doubt any suspension components have been changed between .1 and .2

Sure, if it has rear steering, but other than that haven't read anything to confirm this.

Just new tires

R_Rated

My 991.1 is very compliant.... Wouldn't really want it any softer.

Test drive a lotus 400 if you want to experience magic in terms of comfort and handling.

kayjh

I'm meeting with the service manager this afternoon before my test drive so I can let you know if that is fact. I've read that the 991.2 has a more compliant ride. Whether that is true and whether it is because PASM is now standard or because of PASM and some other changes, I don't know. That is why I was positing the above question.

kayjh

I guess the definition of "compliant" varies from person to person as well as the road you are driving on. I routinely read complaints about poor road surfaces in NY, no so much from people who cruise the freeways in California. We have mixed bag here. The smooth roads yielded a nice ride in the 2015 I drove last week, but the roads with broken surfaces really shook me up to the point I wouldn't consider the car as a daily driver.

My next door neighbour has gone through 3 - 911 variants (Turbo, Turbos S, GT3 etc. ) over the past few years. this year i notice he's driving a McLaren (MP4 - 12C). He was following me yesterday in traffic and he went over a rough spot in the road and it looked like the car was hopping as it went over it. He doesn't seem to mind, but I couldn't live with it.

All personal choice I guess.

Dewinator

Yeah for me SPASM in normal is perfect for daily driving and in sport for twisties or track... but I'm one of those who "cruise the freeways in California" as you say, and I would probably need the Merc 6x6 to get the same level of comfort if I had to drive up and down the craters of NY streets.

Archimedes

Porsche makes all sorts of small improvements in the car that they don't publicize. My '14 Cayman S has the X73 sports suspension. My '16 Spyder has the X73 sport suspension. Yet the latter is waaaayyy better than the former. Porsche has improved the damping, making the car much more compliant in normal driving situations, yet retained all the response and performance in sporty situations. Same wheels and tires on both cars. The 'new' X73 is a big step forward from the 'old' X73.

When I drove the .2 base PASM car, the only thing about the car that stood out to me as really improved was the suspension. It felt better in the same way my Spyder's X73 feels better than the old one. I've driven a bunch of .1 Carreras with all three suspensions. The .2 was better than all of them.

STG

Lots of placebo effects I'm guessing. New car, new tires, different weights/models, too many variables.

PASM, no PASM, SPASM, new updated PZERO's .... Etc ..... 19", 20", blah blah ..

knasman

I swapped a 991.1 4S for a 991.2 4S. .1 had brand new tires, .2 shipped with the same ones. Both have/had SPASM. Only difference is the .1 had PDCC as well. I reduce the pressure a bit, so similar on both. And the .2 suspension is definitely markedly improved, big difference.

kayjh

Thanks for the replies.

I have completed a test drive of a 2017 C4S with SPASM. The ride is markedly better than the non PASM 2015 C2 I drove last week. Speaking to the service manager, he says the adjustable dampers on a PASM car have more "range" than a non PASM car. While spring rates also affect the stiffness of the car, the amount of movement allowed by the dampers significantly affects ride quality. The range of movement of a PASM car starts at a more comfortable point than a non PASM car and still allows a stiffer ride in sport mode. I didn't ask if the SPASM suspension is just lower than PASM or lower and stiffer, but in any event, if I find the ride acceptable on rough roads in a C4S equipped with 20's and SPASM, a C2 or C4 base with PASM and 20's will be fine.

So, its a 991.2 for me. Just have to option one now and see how long it will take my dealer to get an allocation.