denniscasey

Debating about ordering PASM and Sport Chronos packages. I am retired and buying Cayman S to experience Porsche "feel" after sports cars when younger and BMW's now (550i). I anticipate more "nimble" and responsive feel vs BMW due in large part to size/weight difference. So I wonder if I need PASM and/or Sport Chronos to get Porsche feel but also considering resale/trade in value? I did decide to get Cayman S vs Cayman because I do like responsive acceleration like my BMW 550i.

I do not plan on track days and am probably going to be an eight tenths driver looking for balance of comfort and handling.

From test drives and reading I understand following but am looking for technical and driving experience comments from forum members:

1. I understand Sport Chronos basically remaps shift points to keep car in torque/power curve for "sport" or "sport plus" reponsiveness--i.e. engine revs are kept higher to be in fat part of torque/power curve. It seems I could do the same thing with manually shifting PDK (will order PDK transmission), although that would require more involvement on my part vs letting PDK do the shifting for me???

2. PASM seems to offer a more fundamental dynamic adjustable suspension I could not do myself (except in old days of manually adjusting shock settings for track or street). It lowers suspension 1/2 inch and I wonder if that limits suspension travel thereby creating an inherently firmer ride for more track like handling on smooth race track surfaces vs reality and desire for more suspension compliance on "real world" USA roads (rough, potholes, etc). So with PASM would I give up quite a bit of comfort for firmer suspension settings better suited to track days?

I expect these topics have been addressed over the years, but I am new to forum so would appreciate hearing about your experiences/thoughts and recommendations.

Thank you, Dennis

jetkins

What year are you looking at? SC on later (981) Caymans included dynamic engine mounts. Sport Plus also makes the shifts faster, which is something you'll notice whether you flap the paddles yourself or just let the car do the shifting.

The folks over at Planet-9 have an excellent FAQ which explains the pros and cons of various options.

denniscasey

Jetkins, Thank you for very useful link to Planet-9.

I am looking at 2014 or 2015 Cayman S as I understand there were meaningful changes to model year 2014. Curious to me that there are quite a few MY 2014 Cayman S that were built in 2013 and still on dealers' lots.

From the link you sent the PASM looks like a good option for my sort of driving and I suppose easy enough to get into option "creep" (keep adding options for "a few bucks more") and get Sport Chrono.

I did read the FAQ on these options, but would still be interested in some "real world" comments from forum members who have these options. For instance, I drove a MY 2014 Cayman S that was very fully optioned (MSRP was $88,000; close to 911 territory) including PASM and Sport Chronos and dealer said Sport Chronos included a g-force measurement you could display to show g's you were pulling on corners. However, the Planet-9 FAQ did not seem to mention that (did a quick read). That would be an interesting and fairly sophisticated measurement if in fact it is included in Sport Chrono package, does anyone know if g force is in fact measured and displayed? Dennis

denniscasey

The Planet-9 FAQ link provided by Jetkins is very interesting but I see the topical writeups seem to end with 2010 MY info. Is there an updated section that covers 2014/2015 MY (I did some searching but did not find updated section so far)? The same thing applies to the section on evolution of Cayman-it ends with Black Edition of 2012. Great info but would be even better if there were updates to 2014/15. Dennis

denniscasey

Planet-9 says "PASM incorporates stiffer springs that lower Cayman S by about 10mm and also comes with stiffer front anti-roll bar. Despite the more aggressive spring rates and roll bar, [B]PASM equipped cars will offer a significantly more comfortable ride than standard suspension cars because of ability to vary damping rates over a much wider range."

I have never modified/adjusted suspensions to change handling, but getting a more comfortable ride AND better handling sounds great if it actually happens in real world. Has anyone had a chance to compare ride comfort over rough roads for PASM and standard suspension Cayman S (and I realize wheel/tire/sidewall also would affect results)? Dennis

jetkins

Indeed. I've asked if there are any plans to update it with info from the 981, but since it's a volunteer effort, it won't happen overnight if it happens at all.

jetkins

Though ours is a (2011) 987, we specifically looked for a car with SC and PASM, because the car will be my wife's daily driver as well as our weekend toy, so we wanted the full "Jeckyll & Hyde" schizophrenia that that combination provides.

denniscasey

Thank you for input jetkins. Technology has advanced so much since I last had a sports car (chronologically used 1957 MGA, new 1965 Sunbeam Tiger, used 1965 XKE and an MG Midget for HP in SCCA one short season, Mustang GT 390--not really sports car; Datsun 510 like BRE) that I still think in terms of either/or suspensions; either very firm for smooth racetracks or not so firm for reasonably comfortable ride on public roads (very rough in MN, probably not so bad in Austin). So I had trouble wrapping my mind around shorter firmer springs with PASM and still a comfortable ride for daily driver. Dennis

Tom Tweed

This is true. Beside the updated 981 styling (which is either a love or hate issue), there are functional changes including stiffer chassis, wider track, more HP, electric parking brake and steering, etc. to consider.
This is a good thing as a buyer, if you can find a car in dealer inventory with the options you want, as they will be more willing to discount the price from MSRP. The trouble is that they tend to load those cars with options you might not need or want, like full leather, 18-way seats, and 20" wheels, which can drive the price up to base Carrera territory.

If you are getting a PASM/PDK car, I think the SC option is almost mandatory. With a Sport Suspension/manual trans. car, not so much, maybe.

You might also look at the GTS, if you can wait a bit (since there isn't excess inventory on those yet), and order exactly what you want. They do offer a savings on the option packages you are considering plus a HP bump and newer styling, but you can't get quite the discount on them as a car sitting on the lot.
YMMV,
TT

denniscasey

Tom, I have been gone so just read your comments. Thank you for informative feedback. Dennis

Tom Tweed

No problem, Dennis. Like you, my first sports car was a '57 MGA that I bought for $500 back in 1965. Though I opted for a 2011 CPO 987.2 Cayman S, like Jetkins, I did test drive the 2014 981 before buying, and it is an improved version, no doubt. If you like the styling, and can afford it, I'd think seriously about the new GTS. I just couldn't rationalize the extra $30K for what is essentially a weekend toy for me.

Yes, there is a G-force meter that can be displayed on the dash in the new cars.

Of course, you can always buy a standalone accelerometer and get the same kind of data.

In addition, beside the launch control, remapped shift points and throttle settings, as well as the "loosened" PSM limits in Sport+, the SC package on the new cars adds the dynamic transmission mounts now, from what I understand. There's a pretty good description of the package on the PCNA site: http://www.porsche.com/usa/models/ca...hrono-package/

On my 2011 CS, I can say that the PASM on it does actually offer what they say--a softer, more compliant ride when off than the standard suspension, and almost as stiff a ride when on Sport+ as the optional sport suspension. I have run both 18" and 19" rims on mine, and it works as advertised. I really love the "Jeckyll & Hyde" schizophrenia of the car, as Jetkins called it. My wife can drive it around town like the little old lady that she is, and it shifts at 3,000RPM and gets great gas mileage, yet I can take it to an autocross on the weekend, or the back-country twisties, press the Sport+ button, run it to redline and pretend I'm Dan Gurney (which is what I used to do with the '57 MGA way back when....)
YMMV,
TT

Dr.Bill

If you won't track the car, sport chrono will not be missed. A 'sport' button is standard with PDK. The 'sport plus' button has limited utility on public roads.

PASM will improve the ride quality and likely improve resale. For some reason, PASM on a Boxster or Cayman is uncommon.

matttheboatman

I found that although PASM is an improvement in ride, the term "substaintial" is inaccurate. On the scale of 1 - 10, with a PASM equipped 981 being a "10", I would say the standard suspension is a "8 - 9 smooth". So, if you did not have the option, you would not miss much. Also, the settings are so subtle that it is also misleading to say that it goes from "soft" ride in normal mode to "stiff" in sports plus. I would say on my scale of 1 - 10 with "10" being race car firm, the PASM in normal mode is a 5, sports mode a 5.5, and sports plus mode a 5.7 - only subtle changes, as gauged by a very unscientific but none-the-less accurate instrument - my butt!

denniscasey

Very helpful comments from all and I appreciate it. I try to get as much seat of the pants input from dealer test drives as I can, but there is no substitute for longer term experience you all have had. Dennis