bedrock

Hello everyone,

I will be ordering my first Porsche this week and hope the groups collective wisdom can help me finalize the options for my car. I included both Boxster and Cayman in my title because I struggled for a long time deciding between a Boxster S or a Cayman S and I virtually never see Boxsters with PASM, sports chrono, or locking differentials.

I've never really had a performance car before, although I love speed and could see myself do a few track days a year, (but I've never done that before). Just got a significant promotion which is making this jump possible to a Boxster S from the very old Acura I've been driving.

----My Questions-----

1- How much of a difference does PASM make on 18in tires when not on the track?, i.e. driving hard on back roads?
I've never been on a track, but would like to start doing so a few times a year, but I'm not sure how much I'll get into the racing side of things.
I'm definitely getting sports chrono + PDK, because I want the maximize the power of my Boxster S, but I'm not sure how much I would notice the PASM difference.

2-Same question regarding the option mechanical rear differential. How much would a enthusiast but non-professional driver notice a difference with this in a well-balanced mid engine car, when driving hard on the back roads, and infrequently on the track?

3-Have people thought that the sound package plus you get with the Boxster S to be a decent set of speakers? I'm not an audiophile, and don't turn the music extremely loud but I don't want to buy a Porsche and be annoyed by tinny sounding speakers.

4-Is it worth it for Boxster owners to get automatic climate control if you expect the top to be down 8 months out of the year? The automatic climate control doesn't really work with the top down, right?



Appreciate your thoughts

00r101

1. If you have never had a performance car before and do not plan to autocross or DE then PASM will not be a very cost-effective option for you. The stock suspension is delightful on the road and at sporty but not all-out speeds on the twisties (you should never attempt all-out on the twisties on the street!!!).
1a. Personally, I would skip at PDK but get the Sport Chrono. Porsches are not drag racers. The slight speed advantage on launch that PDK gives you is probably measurable by stop watch only not by seat of the pants. If you are buying this car for straightline performance then you would be better off in a Corvette.

2. I think the mechanical diff is a waste on the street unless you are driving in snow.

3. If you are a typical Boxster owner, you will turn on the radio so infrequently the sound system won't matter. Listen to the symphony in 6 cylinders instead.

4. Automatic climate control - ask yourself how lazy you are. And you are right once the top comes down the ACC is the same as manual.

bedrock

The more I think about it I don't think I'll bother with the Bose system or the climate control. This car is meant to be a drivers car which is why I'm so interested in PASM and LSD, however I still plan to use it as my daily driver as well.

I like PASM for the ability to go from a normal softer ride on the usual daily drive to the sport suspension for backroads fun/occasional track day.

However I'm just an enthusiast, not an experienced track driver and I wonder if I'd really notice the LSD difference on the backroads?

Also wondering how much does the LSD help in snow?. I also live in the northeast and do expect to sometimes be driving my Boxster in the snow as it will be my daily driver.

savyboy

PASM is an investment in a state of the art dampening system. It works great, if you can afford it, you will never regret buying it. It cannot be retrofitted.

Limited slip is always a good investment. No worse feeling than uselessly spinning one wheel (in dry or especially wet!) when trying to take off or get the hell out of the way of an oncoming car. Retrofitting is expensive! There is no reason you would ever regret you DID choose to spec it!

You would be really really really well served to attend the PSDS school in Birmingham AL. If you desire to drive fast then learn how to do so safely and competently. PSDS is the investment that will pay dividends for the rest of your life: http://www.porschedriving.com/Sports-Driving.aspx

Go to the link and sign up for the 2-day "performance" class. Then, do the two follow-up classes.

Oh- PDK is fantastic on a track and great around town. I enjoy every second of tracking my PDK C4S as I can focus on the proper line, brake points, and passing all the non-PDK cars

pdxjim

I am with savy on the LSD and PDK. I do not have the LSD and notice it when I need to move quickly for whatever reason. PDK is quite nice around town and VERY responsive when you mash the throttle.

sjfehr

I think you idealize the typical Boxster owner too much!

As a DD (or even on a long run run), the radio is rather important- after all, listening to the same song over and over, even if it IS your favorite song- eventually gets old. I can't speak for the 987, but the base 986 sound system is terrible, and worthless with the top down. The BOSE is actually quite good, even with the top down, and well worth the upgrade.

Not yet mentioned, but get the heated seats and wheel, it'll let you drive comfortably with the top down in much cooler weather. Climate control as well- it's nice to have heat/AC blowing on your hands, even with the top down. Especially when it gets very hot, wind keeps it comfortable when you're moving, and AC blasting out the vents is very nice when traffic slows.

Dino944

You definitely need to drive a car with PDK and without and then make a decision. I test drove a Boxster S with PDK and to be honest did not enjoy it as much as the manual. Its may be a bit quicker, but for me enjoying a car is the overall experience and not based on 1-2 tenths of a second to 60mph (especially if you don't track the car). If you live in an area with lots of traffic like DC or NYC, then maybe PDK might be a great idea. If you are concerned with having the quickest car off the line then even PDK isn't going to help you that much, as others mentioned go with a Vette.

As for the Bose system, my car came with it and overall I'm happy with it, but it may not matter that much to you. It may be more useful in a Cayman S which is more insulated with its solid roof.

I like PASM in my car, on the softer setting with 19s the car is really quite nice on normal roads. Then on really nicely paved roads with some good twists and bends the sport setting is great. But the standard suspension is great and will do the trick if you want to spend your $ on other options.

I have the sport chrono and I'm undecided at this point as to whether I like it. At the moment it would not be a make or break option on a future car.

I don't use my car all year round so limited slip was not a major concern. If this will be your only car and you will drive it in bad weather it may be a plus. But you'll wanted dedicated snow tires if you live in the northeast. 18-19 inch wheels with Z rated 235s front and 265s are not going to be fun in snow.

Best regards,
Dino

00r101

Great points Dino944.

I think Bedrock should sample PDK before making his decision. The same with PASM. Bedrock, where do you live? Maybe an accommodating forum member could help you out with that if your dealer does not have a tester with those options.

As you can see opinions vary widely even on this board. There are no wrong choices. So do order the options that make you happy.

00r101

I don't have climate control on my Boxster but my AC and heat work fine, I just have to adjust them manually. Automatic climate control provides no more cooling or heating than the manual climate control. Personally I have never found an automotive automatic climate control system that kept me comfortable without having to monkey with the settings anyway.

sjfehr

True, that "auto" button is merely a convenience feature, but it sure is convenient. Click it once at 72, and never have to worry about it ever again.

bedrock

I appreciate everyone's comments. I live just west of philadelphia. I do spend some time in traffic, and my back doesn't do well with repeated shifting, which is part of the reason I'm planning on getting a PDK car. I've driven several PDK Boxsters/Caymans and I'm enthused about the PDK technology and don't feel I'm giving up much to the manual. I would not have wanted to spend this kind of money on a car with tiptronic.

I feel like I've given the PDK technology a good test run and feel comfortable with it. Sports chrono was an easy decision in combination with the PDK. I also just figured out that the newer Boxster S models now have as standard, the upgraded sound package plus, which I think will be enough for me as I'm not an audiophile. (I'd rather spend the money on mechanical options!)

The dealers around here have a few 911s with PASM or LSD, but no Boxsters/Caymans to try with those options. Sounds like PASM/LSD tend to be custom order only options for cars south of a 911.
As several folks have pointed out, you can't have PASM or LSD retrofitted, so I need to decided on this before ordering, which is hard as I've not been able to sample those options in a 987 type car.

Dino944

Hi Bedrock,

Given your back issues PDK sounds with sport chrono sounds like a good package for you.

As for PASM and LSD, I think you don't often find these on Boxsters or Caymans because dealers try to keep the prices of the cars within a certain price range.

I agree with 00r101, about auto climate control. I have it and still fiddle around with the controls searching for a temperature that I'm happy with. I've never found a setting that I can just leave it on and that goes for auto climate control in Porsches, MBs, BMWs, etc. My car came with it, but I generally get it because it for resale as it seems to be something people ask about if you go to sell or trade a car.

If you aren't an audio file than the sound plus is probably fine. If this is a daily driver you want a decent sound system and the sound plus is quite good. A friend with a Cayman S has it and is happy.

Other options I like that might be good to consider:
Heated seats (as others mentioned extends top down drivng season);
Dimming mirrors/rain sensor, I absolutely love the auto dimming mirrors(I've never cared for the rain sensor in most cars but its better on my Boxster than wife's MB) ;
Windstop- keeps it from feeling like a hurricane in the car when the top is down. It makes it easy to have a conversation with the top down even at highway speeds.
I also like the sport exhaust but its something most can live without, or you can go aftermarket. But its nice to be able to press a button and subdue the sound if you wish to.
BiXenon headlamps-I love them! For me they were a must have!

Let us know how things go for you.
Best regards,
Dino

sjfehr

PSM has an electronic LSD built into it that already does a pretty good imitation. You're not going to notice any difference with/without an LSD off the track, so test drive is rather N/A. If you're a serious competitor on the track and need it, you'd probably already know it.

bedrock

PSM has an electronic LSM, that gives you some of the actions of differential? This is the first time I've heard of that. Would love to hear more about that from you or anyone else. Anywhere I could read about it? I've read extensively about Boxsters/Caymans and have never heard about the electronic LSM included in PSM.

BostonDuce

ASR "anti slip regulation". Uses a combo of brake application and throttle control to limit wheel spin, but still an open differential.

Will not transfer torque to the non-slipping wheel like a LSD does.

Trying to check out a LSD on a test drive will likely result in the end of that test drive.

BD

PS. Did you get an '10, or '11 build slot?