Irit8ed

I am preparing to oder my 991.2 in the spring. I have been obsessing over AWS. I plan to keep this car for the long haul and I have concerns about this systems longevity. Thoughts?

Also thank you.

Bradley Scott

It's gonna break, one day.

ATLBond

Take comfort in the fact Porsche has been offering this feature in the GT3, Turbo and 918 variants for some time now. My 991.2 C2S with just over 3K on the ODO has AWS (got the car in Mar 2016). Do I notice AWS? Frankly don't know what to look for. This is my first Porsche and I don't track my cars. Why did I want it? The idea sounded really cool and I trust Porsche to execute it properly. PS: one feature I do notice and use all all the time is Front Axle Lift. I believe it should be a default / standard option.

randr

Rear axle steering provides a real step up in handling and improved corner speed (on track - hence its standard on GT3/RS). However, in this situation, you will only notice it if you drive RAS equipped Vs non-equipped back to back around a track - you don't feel anything happening per se, you just appear to be able to pull more lateral gs and go through corners sharper and with higher VMAX (thus your laptimes drop as you gain most time going round/through corners - ideally you should combine RAS with S-PASM, PDCC, PDK (PTV-E) and SC if you want maximum attack).

It does make a noticeable difference at low speed, for example, when parking (reduces the turning radius by a fair bit).

IMHO its well worth having (I have a CS2 on order with RAS )

ATLBond

My G meter has recorded lateral g-values of 1.18 and 1.16 (this is not from driving on the track, just spirited driving for fun). Maybe AWS contributed to these values. I do have SC with Manual Transmission but no S-PASM or PDCC. The turning radius when parking seems compact but am unable to compare it with a version without AWS.

chiffonade

all wheel steering is very noticeable on my turbo, especially with the awd too. the car feels like it's pivoting on an axis - the rear feels like it is rotating like the front. it takes some getting used to but once you identify it you can rely on it to go faster through corners.

the same-direction rear steering on the highway is less noticeable, not really sure why they developed it. kind of a gimmick. maybe it reduces tire wear.

NVRANUF

As will everything else at some point! As long as it outlives me I'm fine with that!

I have AWS... or RWS in Porsche Speak on my Turbo and love it! I'd definitely order AWS if it was optioned.

Homeles

On the GT3, you really don't appreciate it unless you're driving it hard. Coming into turns, you need to come in hard and transfer the weight to the front using the brakes to really make it function.

djcxxx

That was my experience as well in the GT3, and I was surprised by the more perceptible contribution of the RWS on my .2 C2S. The RWS makes the car feel more compact and nimble with a sharper turn in. Not just a track benefit, as even in everyday driving the car feels sharper in the turns. If you pass on the RWS then the base Carrera is more than adequate and you can save $14K over the S.

ipse dixit

There's no reason not to get it.

I can think about 10 other things that come standard on a 991.2 that are more prone to breaking than the RAS. Like the active front aero grills.

seattle_sun

Go to 4:55

I've read or heard somewhere that in his opinion, the RWS is much more noticeable in the Carrera vs the Turbo or GT3. The journalist's opinion was that the Turbo and GT3 were going so fast or he was too scared that he didn't notice it as much.

RWS was the main reason I went for the S.

Porsche_nuts

+1

jlee504

My biggest regret is not custom ordering my 991.2 so I could get rws. Loved it on my TTS and GT3, makes a huge difference.

DMOZ

I thought long and hard about spec'ing my S with RAS. There's no doubt it shortens the wheelbase in the parking lot and lengthens it at high speed. But by how much? I couldn't find any empirical data on similarly spec'd 991.2s that show a "x" foot reduction in the turning diameter in a parking lot or a "y" second reduction in time on the track. I'm not questioning if it's better - just asking by how much and then measuring that benefit against your personal needs (i.e. do you track and if so, are you already pushing the limits of your car, are you keeping the car short term or long term and concerned about maintenance, are you watching $ during your build, etc). In the end, I opted out of RAS to keep things simple (didn't want a hydraulic RAM controlling a steering function), to keep weight lower (particularly behind the rear wheels), and to have the option of running 19" wheels at a later point in time. Not trying to be combative here, just offering an alternative point of view.

NVRANUF

IMO you really needed to try it for yourself, only then could you make a truly well informed decision.
In your words, not trying to be combative, just pointing out the obvious in your POV.