PASM

[croyde]

Hi

Can't get a consistant answer from Porsche so I'll try the good old forums.

Some say that PASM is only any good for track days and ultra smooth Autobahns, whilst others say that it actually makes the car a more comfortable ride in the normal mode compared to the standard setup.

I've driven a 987 with 18" wheels which felt pretty harsh on country and city roads and I have also driven a PASM'd 987 with 19" wheels that felt very comfortable on the same roads yet well planted on the track.

The instructor with me, it was the Test Drive Plus, told me that having the PASM in Normal mode was the same as the standard suspension yet others have told me differently.

Also the debate rages wether the suspension is permanently lowered on a PASM'd car or only in the Sport Mode.

I have to finalise my spec within the next week or so and I have already gone with 18" wheels but I am tempted by PASM if it does indeed make a city drive more comfortable and not knock my fillings out.

This is a £1000 plus option but if it is as remarkable as some people say then it is worth it, but then there is more to go wrong?

Thanks for any input. :thumbup:

[996TRUNDLE]

The car is permanently lowered by 10mm from non PASM standard suspension

[Highlander]

PASM by itself is very cool. PASM with Sport Chrono is the reputedly the ultimate. Sport Chrono sharpens throttle response (although at least 1 report indicated the effect was much less obvious than on a 997) and increases the amount of fun you can have before the electronic nanny (PSM) cuts in. The increased PSM thresholds have been verified and this will be a boon for track junkies - like me :) Not that I'm planning a 987 anytime soon :(

I have not heard a bad word about PASM other than "yet more expensive stuff to go wrong". Those with PASM on 997's appear to be pretty much unanimous in their advice to combine it with Sport Chrono and every independent review I have read think that Porsche "got it right" with PASM.

If you decide to go with PASM, please share your thoughts once you have driven it for a while.

Good Luck,

Graeme

[croyde]

I will and thanks.

[croyde]

I have had the car for over a month now and I have to say that I am very happy that I went with PASM, especially with the amount of driving around London that I am doing, speed bumps, pot holes etc.

Thanks for the good advice, cheers.

[Highlander]

Fantastic! Congratulations. I'm still waiting for a student to show up at a DE with a PASM equipped car so I can go for a ride :)

Graeme

[Wads]

Well I've now got 2500 miles under my belt in my 987S and feel I can now offer some opinions on PASM.

While getting used to the car I didn't really experiment with PASM for the first 500 miles so the car remained in normal mode for all but a few seconds....... normal mode offers good body control in nearly all conditions and the slightly softer damper set up soaks up the worst bumps you're likely to encounter in the UK without upsetting the car balance. Basically I'm happy with normal mode for day to day commuting as it gives the perfect balance for comfort without compromising the cars sharp handling.

From 500 miles onwards I started to play with PASM sport mode...... initially I found I'd turn it on and almost immediately turn it off again as the extra firm set up is much harder than normal....... however I forced myself to spend time in sport mode and found I soon got used to it........ in fact I often forgot I was in sport mode and had to glance at the button to see if it was on or off! Sport mode makes a marked difference to the handling of the car...... cornering is much sharper and grip levels transform from great to amazing!!!! In some of my favourite test corners at speeds where the car would start to drift wide in normal mode the same speeds in sport holds the line much better. Body roll in sport mode is virtually zero and the nose hardly dips when braking hard...... I could be wrong but I'm 95% sure that braking is also better in sport mode....... when braking very hard in the dry ABS is usually fairly obvious in normal mode (in the last few feet) but when in sport mode ABS hardly ever seems to cut in.

Sport mode is fine for all but the worst roads IMHO and I now have it turned on most of the time....... normal mode only gets used in very bumpy conditions or when the wife is in the passenger seat but even then she doesn't complain at the ride when we go for a spirited drive (sport mode is always on then)..... maybe because shes too busy screaming! :D

Anyone that doesn't mind a firm set-up in exchange for enhanced handling will love PASM sport mode and don't fall for the magazine reviews that say sport mode is best left for track days.

What do other PASM users think?

My next mission is to start experimenting with Sport Chrono......

Edited July 14, 2005 by Wads

[Wiesel]

Well I've now got 2500 miles under my belt in my 987S and feel I can now offer some opinions on PASM.

. . . 

My next mission is to start experimenting with Sport Chrono......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Good writeup re PASM, thanks. I'm definitely going to get PASM with the S.

The unresolved question is whether to get the Sport Chrono option also. Does it make a noticeable difference? In what way?

[stuey]

Well I've now got 2500 miles under my belt in my 987S and feel I can now offer some opinions on PASM.

While getting used to the car I didn't really experiment with PASM for the first 500 miles so the car remained in normal mode for all but a few seconds....... normal mode offers good body control in nearly all conditions and the slightly softer damper set up soaks up the worst bumps you're likely to encounter in the UK without upsetting the car balance. Basically I'm happy with normal mode for day to day commuting as it gives the perfect balance for comfort without compromising the cars sharp handling.

From 500 miles onwards I started to play with PASM sport mode...... initially I found I'd turn it on and almost immediately turn it off again as the extra firm set up is much harder than normal....... however I forced myself to spend time in sport mode and found I soon got used to it........ in fact I often forgot I was in sport mode and had to glance at the button to see if it was on or off! Sport mode makes a marked difference to the handling of the car...... cornering is much sharper and grip levels transform from great to amazing!!!! In some of my favourite test corners at speeds where the car would start to drift wide in normal mode the same speeds in sport holds the line much better. Body roll in sport mode is virtually zero and the nose hardly dips when braking hard...... I could be wrong but I'm 95% sure that braking is also better in sport mode....... when braking very hard in the dry ABS is usually fairly obvious in normal mode (in the last few feet) but when in sport mode ABS hardly ever seems to cut in.

Sport mode is fine for all but the worst roads IMHO and I now have it turned on most of the time....... normal mode only gets used in very bumpy conditions or when the wife is in the passenger seat but even then she doesn't complain at the ride when we go for a spirited drive (sport mode is always on then)..... maybe because shes too busy screaming!  :D

Anyone that doesn't mind a firm set-up in exchange for enhanced handling will love PASM sport mode and don't fall for the magazine reviews that say sport mode is best left for track days.

What do other PASM users think?

My next mission is to start experimenting with Sport Chrono......

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Nice review and I agree entirely. I keep mine in sport mode most of the time. I especially like it on motorways (in the UK) you can literally flick the car from lane to lane with minimal body roll. Especially noticeable at high speeds. I see it as a major bonus. When in roadworks or speed bumps around town you just turn it off. I think the car (in standard guise) feels very tight and secure ... PASM enhances this feeling B) . Money well spent! I'd definitely spec it again.

Hope this helps everyone.