iliveoncaffiene

I live in Cleveland (crappy roads just like NYC: check), and my 19" wheels as far as ride harshness goes are a little rough over rough train tracks / broken surfaces (I do actively avoid potholes though) but for the most part OK.
Ground clearance wise, I've never had any issues - but I'm not 20mm lower (that's only 0.75" though).

I'm pretty sure you'll manage just fine with it, and the areas that would give you trouble will give most other cars trouble too
That being said, don't lower it even more

JKE_MN

Even if I knew I had the clearance, it would work my nerves worrying about it. Get the 718 for the weekends and get a beater for driving in the city.

porker123

I'm in London and have the 718 GTS as my daily driver.

As has been said before, the set up and suspension is pretty good for a car of this type. Even going over uneven city roads and potholes it copes very well.

The lowered ride of 10mm and GTS bodykit has not caused me any issues and I have to navigate a large number of speed humps. Yes I have to slow down for them but no more in a GTS than I would do in the S.

IMO, if you're going to get a 718, then get whichever model you want. I don't think that any of them will be noticeably better or worse to deal with big city driving conditions.

itsujack

I read the title of this thread and thought Porsche was discounting 718's... sorry, as you were.

porker123

I was lucky enough to pick up my 718 GTS on a "buy one, get one free" offer.

hf1

What’s the point of driving any sports car in and around Manhattan? It’s a war-zone. Expect frequent tire blow-ups and bent wheels for any wheel larger than 18”.

martopoulos

Opinions/experiences seem to vary widely in this thread-- I wonder if everyone is actually talking about the same thing. There's scraping the FRONT of the bumper, and then there's scraping the bottom. I imagine people who are saying they had no issues are referring to bottom scraping, but correct me if I'm wrong. In a more recent thread, Todd B measured the GTS front bumper clearance w/ SPASM to be 6.5", which imo is actually pretty good. My previous car's front bumper, a stock suspension M235i, was only 1/4" higher, but I never once scraped the front part here in LA city streets. The bottom, however, was totally shredded by steep parking lot entrances (I did not use the angled entry trick, though, FWIW).

duegatti

In addition to the "front bumper clearance", you also have to factor in front overhang - and these cars actually have substantial front overhang. At a given front bumper clearance, your car contacts the ground more as you increase front overhang.

I've had my Boxster S with PASM and 20 inchers for 6000 miles now. The east Tennessee roads that were so good when I came here in 2004 now are crumbling. Clearance - on these roads, my mildly inclined driveway, and speed bumps - almost never concerns me. And my 20 inchers have gone through some awful pavement successfully (although I have a wheel/tire warranty as a safety net).

If I really wanted a GTS, I'd be able to deal with it, where I live - I think. Then I would be afraid to get a GTS with SPASM (at that point, I'd be worried about the ride quality as well).

It's been a long time and I don't recall if semtex got a car or not. I'm inclined toward the advice given above - get the car you want, and you'll figure it out.

kart driver

What is the ground clearance different between Cayman GTS with Sport Pasm option and without?

Is it 20 mm or 10 mm?

As from what is written above the PASM which comes as standard option in GTS is -10 mm, and the Sports PASM is -20 mm and that is a bit confusing.

Todd B

Those numbers all start with the stock steel suspension.

the standard PASM on the GTS is -10mm lower then the base stock suspension.
It's -10 mm for sport PASM on the GTS or (-20 mm over the stock suspension)

kart driver

thanks a lot for clarification!

jimmex

Me too. Lol. I'd get 19" wheels and no PASM if I were you, The car handles s incredibly well and you'll never come close to reaching its limits on public roads. Having that extra .5 " of rubber makes for a quieter and less harsh ride IMO.

sobiloff

If you do get the 20" wheels, don't forget that Porsche offers two recommended pressures: standard (33 PSI) and comfort (30 PSI). The placard on the door sill only lists the 33 PSI option, so that's what most dealers fill to, but dropping three PSI makes a significant improvement in the comfort of the ride.

matmanx1

30 PSI on 19" wheels is actually quite comfortable, even on cruddy roads. It's not luxury car compliant but it's by far the best of any sports car that I have ever owned (and I have owned a bunch!).