sjfehr

I've been trying to find an '09-10 Boxster S with PASM and Sport Chrono (and a couple other more common options), but it's like I'm looking for a unicorn. Were PASM and Sport Chrono incredibly rare features, or are people just not listing it when they sell?

Autotrader is showing 164 '09-10 Boxsters for sale in the US right now. Of those, just 1 has PASM and only 15 have Sport Chrono. What gives?

Note to prospective 981S buyers: I'd be more than happy to help you spec out your new 981S when you order!

A432

When I ordered my '10 Cayman, there was a feeling that the new gen2 std. suspension was improved to the point where PASM was less important than on the gen1. Also, many were trying to go without the "wart" so no SC. You can get one without SC and have it added at the dealer (without the wart) and I still like the R/spyder susp. better than the PASM but that's personal pref. ..Good luck.

mgerber

It is rare to see PASM on any 987 (and now 981). The dealers don't typically add PASM as an option to cars that are for inventory to keep costs down. Many Boxster/Cayman buyers are first time Porsche owners and do not really understand/want/need PASM. So yes, PASM equipped cars are very hard to find. I shopped for many months for a usedPASM equipped 987 and finally gave up. I ordered our base 981 at it has both PASM and PTV - suspect it will be one of a few base cars shipped with that option combo.

BradB

I have PASM on my '07 Cayman S and love it. A LOT! I am toying with the idea of a new 981 CS or possibly a '12 991S. PASM is a must-have option in my search.

fhp911

When I was looking for a Boxster S in 2011 there were NONE in the USA with the 4 performance features I wanted: Sports Bucket Seats for track use, Limited Slip and PASM with Sports Chrono.

So I ordered it from Germany and waited 3 months.

I guess the answer is: few people want PASM. Why? I dunno.

Larry L

My '05 has PSM, but I rarely leave it engaged. It's much more fun to drive without it.

Gooddog

I have a 2005 987 Boxster S w/ PASM for sell on Ebay @ $29,800. The car has a BRAND new Porsche Built; Porsche installed motor with a full Porsche 2-year warranty. I can tell you that the PASM does indeed make a significant difference in my enjoyment of the car.

stevecolletti

I think it's a couple of things.
The base suspension seems to work well for most people new to Porsches, so why pay extra money for the complexity of PASM, and Porsche usually makes a 'sport' suspension (030, GTS, Spyder/CR) available - usually for less than the PASM price.

I've never liked PASM. While it seems to improve with every iteration, it is never right. I prefer the predictability of the conventional spring/shock combination. Porsche does such a good job with their suspension tuning, especially with the 'sport' version, that I'm not sure why they bother with PASM. Once I find the right alternative, I'll replace PASM on the RS.

Tommy 5

When I specified my 2012 Cayman, my SA actually dissuaded me from ordering PASM and encouraged SC! Having looked at a PASM equipped car while configuring my order, I noticed that the ride height was not as low as I wanted it to be, so I decided against it. Ended up installing H&R springs, and from what I recall, PASM won't work with lower springs.

As for SC, I never use it or launch control. But I do make judicious use of Sport Plus

To the OP, it would be interesting to see what the PASM take-up rate is on 911s for comparison. If the percentage is higher for 911s, maybe it has something to do with the price points of the 997s vs the 987s.

Tommy

sjfehr

Aren't PASM and Sport Chrono standard on 997.2S? You could be right about the price points- by the time you get PASM and sport chrono on a 987S, you're into 997 territory.

I want to use this car for SCCA Street Class autocross which restricts what I can do to the suspension- if I don't have PASM, I could swap in adjustable shocks and a GT3 swaybar, but that's about it. I did hear PASM can get whacky & unpredictable in some corners. Anyone have experience with that? Am I actually better off without it? Sport Chrono + PDK seems like a winning combination, though. Wouldn't mind LSD, but that seems to be rare, too.

zedcat

PASM was standard on the 997 S models but not SC. When I bought my C2S in 08 I thought the S was pretty good value with the larger motor/more hp, PASM, 19in wheels and few other bits.

In the 987, few dealer cars for inventory were speced with PASM, probably due to price. For ordered cars, probably most buyers didn't see the value. Stock suspension/ handling were good.

That said I ordered PASM and SC in my 2.9 Cayman in 09 and really liked the combo. In sport mode the car felt much different with the throttle response changed, the much stiffer ride/less roll, harder rev limit and higher PSM threshold. PASM sport though was only good on smooth roads. Still in the end I would say both PASM and SC are nice to have, but not essential. I would say though for a PDK then SC is more desirable.

As always just 2c worth.

stevecolletti

Is a retrofit to the Boxster Spyder suspension legal for the class you want to run (it is an OEM 'Boxster' suspension)? Suncoast sells the kit.

LexVan

Why? To give the 911 guys at least a fighting chance in the twisties!

sjfehr

SCCA stock class/street class requires OEM suspension. The rules do allow a small bit of change: the shocks can be upgraded and one (but not both) sway bars. I'm stock on stock springs, though.

987.2S is classed with GT3, Elise and C6 corvette, unfortunately. I haven't seen anyone autocross a well sorted-out 987.2S pdk yet, though, and the class is going to street tires next year, so it's an open question of just how competitive it'll be in the class, but I'm looking forward to it!

Larry L