GreggT

And quad tips ..... want mine?

RavenDog

How about the option of order LSD alone with no PASM, and then adding an aftermarket coilover suspension. Would this setup perform better than Sport PASM/PASM?

Minok

So the added $8k past the PASM gives you:
1) 3.8l motor
2) bigger brakes

It wasn't something that made sense for me, so I've got the base model, but for others, that may be a selling point.

hellgelb

I'm fairly sure the S no longer has bigger brakes, and that the C2 / C4 brakes have been upsized to match the S models. Certainly read this in an '09 review. Somewhere...

GreggT

S has 13" rotors ..... non S 12.5

Le Chef

If you track that 1/2" is likely of value, if you're a cruiser then it's probably not worth it.

RonCT

I read as well in a magazine that the brakes on the C2 and C2S are now the same, but that's not what the Porsche brochure says and shows. There's a photo and the black brakes are very different looking... Maybe the rotors are the same sizes now?

Minok

The brakes form the 2 to the 4 are a bit of a puzzle as there was lots of confusing and contradictory information out there before the 997.2 launch. I guess I should go measure mine to know what I have on my car.. not that it matters to me that much.

I recall seeing documentation indicating that all 997.2's would get upsized brakes, and the 3.8l would get bigger calipers or something... but then there was an issue for that being ROW and the North America market would not get larger brakes on the 997.2 3.6l cars. So in the end I don't know. I know the calipers are black.. which is groovy, and the 3.8l's get red calipers.. which I assume are probably beefed up (maybe more pistons).. though not sure if that means anything about the rotors.

Fahrer

I believe the rotors are the same diameter but they are thicker on the S?

stout

Press materials with re: to brakes are a mess.

In the C4/C4S book, the rotors on the S are indeed larger in diameter and in width.

As to the original question: previous experience with 987/997 cars suggested that 19s and no PASM were a very bad call, as the damper valving couldn't keep up with the spring rates once the heavier wheels were in place.

The setups that worked from 2005-2008 were:
-18s with standard suspension
-19s with PASM
-18s with PASM

I did get a response from a reader back then suggesting that the type of 19 mattered due to truly light 19s leveling the playing field, which sounds plausible to me. YMMV.

With the new cars, I just don't have the seat time in the various setups to make a solid suggestion. And if I don't...few will. Porsche is becoming very lean in its press fleet, which makes getting useful information for you, its customers, from reliable third-party sources and drivers (i.e. the press, or at least some of it) is not getting any easier. There was one article in a British pub on a loaded and non-loaded 997, and that's all I've seen. Porsche GB's press office made it possible via smart ordering for its press fleet.

It looks like the U.S. isn't getting a SPASM press car, which is a pity. I'll be working on them...

So, based on previous experience, I suspect 18s and PASM would offer the most compliant ride, and that PASM would work well with 18s, even though it is clearly optimized for 19s.

I wish I could be more helpful here...but hopefully this is at least a little helpful.

pete

Cpa4S

the brakes are no longer bigger on the S - they are just painted red rather then black.

you also get dual tail pipes if that is worth anything and alum gauges vs black; finally the inside stock trim bits are a different shade of alum/metal.

RonCT

Not so - they are a totally different caliper design. Both are 4-piston, but the C2 is a closed-top design with "bulging" points where the pistons are, where C2S gets the same old "Big Red" type.

mdrums

RonCt, I seem to keep hearing that the rotors are not the same thickness between the 2 either and the S brakes are superior still to the standard Carrera brakes. Also like you mentioned the calipers are totally different amkeing pad changes in the standard Carrera a pain.

I will take the S red brakes any day.

casaforte9

Excemag,
Thx for the analysis, I think u r accurate when u say PASM and 18" wheels will give the most compliant ride and probably 19s and PASM are optimal from a ride/handling perspective

I felt a targa C4s and PASm in Normal mode had the best ride over other 19s and PASM but cleraly S has that extra mid range that deifnetly can be felt though