718 S/GTS clearance
 

OK so I went to test drive the 718, 718 S, and the 718 GTS

I love the interior of the GTS and how it looks but I am super worried about the clearance on these cars. I am a careful driver but have no clue if the cars are so low that they would scrape on crappy on ramps, speed bumps, etc. Because you sit so low in the car that's making it even harder for me to tell.

The problem is the dealership only had nice roads around it. I even asked the salesman to take me on the ****tiest road around and it was still really good compared to what I normally drive on in Manhattan. I also tried 19" wheels and 20" wheels, but again, couldn't tell a difference between the ride comfort. This also might be because the roads were too good.

So I need your guys advice here. What would you get if you drove the 718 mostly in NYC?

• Cayman S with no PASM?
• Cayman GTS with standard suspension?
• 19" wheels?
• 20" wheels?

From what I hear, I'd get an APC and just drive OVER anybody who got in my way.:cool:

We have a fair number of "uneven surface ahead" roads here and I have a base Boxster, 18" wheels, and no PASM. It's both supple, feels 'tight' and rides smoothly. It also scrapes a bit less than a Subaru Impreza.

Not in a position to answer your question - because I'm only half way through the six month wait for my car - only to highlight some additional information. Keep in mind that, at at given suspension/PASM level, the GTS is supposed to have 10mm less clearance in the front, due to the difference in body work. Good luck; there should be a few GTS's negotiating NYC now.

Even my Cayman GTS on 20" wheels with the sport suspension rides quite nicely for a sports car. Evaluations of ride quality are so subjective, there is almost no way that anyone else can tell you what is best for you. It's a decision that you're going to have to make on your own.

Subjectively though, the GTS on the stiffest configuration is still going to ride very nicely compared to other sports cars of similar performance.

I have a 981 BGTS with PASM and 20" wheels. Have not had a problem with clearance other than steeper driveways. Usually handle those by approaching at an angle. I believe PASM is a must have since it's adjustable. Our roads do very considerably on smoothness.

You live in NYC?

I'm not even worried about stiffness or comfort. I'm more worried about the car being too low for NYC streets so I don't destroy my bumper.

I had a Cayman GTS with the sport suspension and 20" wheels and scraped the front all the time. This was in Las Vegas with mostly decent roads and lots of speed bumps. That suspension was firm but not uncomfortable and if I bought another one I wouldn't hesitate to get the same setup. I'd stick with the 20's vs 19's mostly because I think the 20's just look "right" on the car. I drove both the sport suspension and the PASM. In "sport mode", I thought the PASM was fine.

Good luck with your purchase!

MN...probably not as bad as in NYC but winter really is hard on the city streets.

You can't really expect to be driving it in Manhattan while keeping it nice looking and ding-free... Ground clearance is the least of your worries.

Anyways, few things to keep in mind is that the GTS comes standard with PASM (-10mm), 20 inch wheels (no 19 option), and the Sports Design Package, which according to Porsche's disclaimer creates "significant reduction in ground clearance." Not the friendliest setup for poor roads.
You may be better off with a Cayman S, no PASM, and the standard 19" wheels.

BTW I live in Westchester County and recently placed an order for a 718 Cayman GTS. The potholes and roads here get really bad during winter time and so I have no intention on driving it in the Winter or intro the city even during good weather.

Amiroquai... Big JayKay fan here, I love the SN!

To the OP, Amiroquai has many valid points. I use to own a 981GTS with the X73 sport suspension (fixed, no PASM) with the 20" sport techno wheels. Clearance was not so much my issue as much as dealing with the road surface and feedback into the chassis and steering wheel. Of course, that was all exacerbated by the X73, 20" wheels, and Manhattan highways (in particular, the FDR portion from midtown to a little before the GWB).

IF I WERE YOU... I would get a low optioned GTS with regular PASM. While 20" wheels are standard, from my experience I don't think you will have much ground clearance issues.

And if you decide to go with an S over the GTS, just be wary that you will be fine but pretty much in the same territory. The 19" and non-GTS PASM will help a tad, but bad road surface is bad road surface. Porsches have so much more structural rigidity and beefier suspension components compared with other makes, it does get uncomfortable.

Otherwise, best of luck.

I once scraped the bottom of a 199X Buick LeSabre (a company car) on W 57th so hard that the oil pan was taken out. The car died right there and then. On the other hand, I have a friend who lives in Manhattan with a lowered (I bet considerably lower than a stock GTS) S2000 with no issues. I guess it's more of knowing the roads and the techniques to approach each "challenge" than the car's ground clearance per se.

As far as the distance between the car's bottom to the ground is concerned, the S with PASM and the GTS should be the same (both -10mm from stock). However, I believe the GTS has a lower front bumper than the S. For this reason, I think the S will be a bit easier to handle the bumps, waves, ramps and such.

20" or 19" wheels will not make a difference in ride height as long as the tires' overall diameters are the same. 19", because of the fatter side wall, will give you a slight advantage in negotiating pot holes but the 20s look so much better IMO. PASM is supposed to work both ways: it will harden or soften the suspension depending on the road conditions and how the car is driven. I think it is a good option for the OP.

I drive into the NYC weekly in my 718BS with both 19” and now with my 18” winter tires. Non-PASM and I’ve had no issues with bottoming out and potholes. The roads up here are bad but the car is very compliant.

Rippey

I've only driven into Jersey City once in a rented Mazda3, but I make frequent trips into DC, for what that's worth. I have a Boxster GTS with 20" wheels and X73. It's doable. I have yet to scrape and have only bottomed out once on a road that was being prepped for re-paving (hit an exposed manhole cover). No permanent damage but terrible roads can get irritating from a ride quality perspective. Most normal roads are perfectly fine though; you're not going to find a better compromise between performance and driveability.

Also worth mentioning, I had an M4 that actually had worse clearance than my 20mm lower-than-standard X73.

I scrape in my '16 CGTS and I live in Allentown PA, which has better roads than NYC. You're screwed man.