Cayman/Boxster PASM vs non-PASM - thoughts?

[Plugger2]

So, been looking at 987.1 Cayman S models, and I've been reading a bit about PASM. Sounds like a nice option for comfortable city driving, while allowing for a stiffer setup when the driving conditions are suitable -- in practice, much like the double-valved KWv3 set up I currently have on my 944 S2 (and like very much).

But obviously, PASM is a more complex and sophisticated technology. Any downsides? For example, are there limitations if wishing to go with alternative shocks at some later stage (I realise the PASM would no longer work), but would, say, ordinary Cayman sports shocks fit? Are the PASM shocks serviceable, and by whom?

Any insights appreciated.

[Raven]

I have it on my 997 S  and rate it gives you the best of both worlds and work fantastic for high performance road use ,,,not sure about servicing or replacement never had an issue with it ..............

[Apogee]

Bilstein make PASM compatible coilovers if you wish to go third party later on.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bilstein-parts/coilover-suspension-kit/49-122046~bil/

 

[Plugger2]

Bilstein make PASM compatible coilovers if you wish to go third party later on.

https://www.ecstuning.com/b-bilstein-parts/coilover-suspension-kit/49-122046~bil/

 

Thanks, very useful info!

[Ian718]

I have it on my 997 S  and rate it gives you the best of both worlds and work fantastic for high performance road use ,,,not sure about servicing or replacement never had an issue with it ..............

Hey Raven, I'm looking to buy a 718 Boxster for my first Porsche, and am possibly interested in PASM.

When you say PASM gives the best of both worlds do you mean turning it on sport makes the rides stiffer/more responsive than a car without PASM, but leaving PASM on normal mode actually make it more comfortable (for driving to the shops) than a car without PASM? Or is PASM normal mode already stiffer than without PASM, and PASM sport mode just ridiculously stiff (for track)?

 

Also does PASM lowering a Boxster/Cayman by 10mm mean you start scraping the front undersurface of the car all the time on speed bumps and driveways?

[Raven]

Hey Raven, I'm looking to buy a 718 Boxster for my first Porsche, and am possibly interested in PASM.

When you say PASM gives the best of both worlds do you mean turning it on sport makes the rides stiffer/more responsive than a car without PASM, but leaving PASM on normal mode actually make it more comfortable (for driving to the shops) than a car without PASM? Or is PASM normal mode stiffer than without PASM, and PASM sport mode just ridiculously stiff (for track)?

 

Also does PASM lowering a Boxster/Cayman by 10mm mean you start scraping the front undersurface of the car all the time on speed bumps and driveways?

Yes if I turn it off I get a more comfortable and softer ride and on our Sh*ty roads that gets used often ,I have some really rough roads in my area ,,,,when I turn it on the car becomes very stiff with no give perfect for the track but sometimes to stiff for public roads ,,you get the choose of what you think is best ..........Also if you have sports chrono with it the activation of the Traction control is raised to a much higher thresh hold before the electronic nanny,s intervene  and you can  get the car to move around a slid a little before the TC takes control again  

Porsche Factory documents explaining the systems 

FOR 2005, PORSCHE EXPANDS
THE TECHNOLOGY ENVELOPE

Sports Chrono Package Plus lets the 911 driver dial in preferred performance parameters
For Porsche, the ultimate challenge is always to push the limits of possibility. From the company’s
very beginning, Porsche has explored and expanded the limits of performance, through competition
on the racetrack and with innovative technology engineered to enhance the driver’s daily experience
on the road.
Throughout its proud history, Porsche has been respected for the dynamic quality of its vehicles and
for the engineering expertise and technological innovations that make those vehicles so safe, so
secure and, yes, so exciting to drive. Now, for the 2005 model year, an already impressive list of
engineering innovations expands with the introduction of the Sports Chrono Package Plus.
Porsche Active Suspension Management for the 911
There are two versions of Porsche Active Suspension Management, one for the Cayenne sport utility
vehicle and the other for the 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera and 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera S.
For 2005, Porsche Active Suspension Management is standard equipment on the 911 Carrera S and
optional on the 911 Carrera and uses active damper technology to provide both a comfortable yet
sporty suspension setup for regular driving and very aggressive settings for performance driving.
Compared with the standard suspension, PASM lowers the entire car by 0.39 inches (10 mm).
Further, by pressing a button on the center console, the driver can chose between normal and sport
settings.
The normal setting provides a more comfortable damper setting that changes gradually to a sporting
mode as the driver adopts a more dynamic style of driving. For example, when cruising down the
freeway, the normal setup absorbs minor and medium bumps more smoothly than the standard 911
suspension.
On the other hand, the sport mode activates a firmer damper control map for agile, dynamic driving
styles and minimizes body roll to the point that lap times in testing on Germany’s famed Nuburgring
racing circuit were reduced an average of five seconds per lap compared to the standard 911
suspension setup.
Porsche Active Suspension Management for the 911 links adaptive dampers and a pair of
accelerometers that track vertical movements of the body with a control unit. Active dampers have a
similar structure as standard shock absorbers, but also have a bypass valve in addition to the regular
opening in the main piston so oil flow can be increased or reduced as needed to infinitely adjust
damping forces. In the event of a system failure, the valve closes automatically and PASM maintains
its hardest position to provide the safest dynamic driving mode.
2005 Porsche Technology / 2
One accelerometer is mounted on the top of the right front damper dome and the other on top of the
left rear dome. The control unit compares reading from these accelerometers with lateral
acceleration, steering angle, road speed, brake pressure and engine torque to determine optimum
damper control for each wheel.
PASM has five specially developed software modules to assure excellent performance in all driving
conditions:
• The lane change module responds to fast movements of the steering wheel and instantaneously
increases damper forces on both axles to better control lateral forces and improve handling in
extreme dynamic situations.
• The vertical control module does two things: in the normal setting, it increases damper forces
whenever vertical movement of the car’s body exceeds a certain threshold, for example, on a bumpy
road; in the sports mode, the system slightly reduces the damping effect to maintain better wheel
contact to prevent the car from “jumping” around while assuring good ride comfort.
• The lateral acceleration module increases damping effect through a turn as a function of road speed
and lateral acceleration to enhance driving precision.
• The brake module responds as soon as the driver starts to apply the brakes and switches to a
harder damping effect to reduce body “dive” to assure faster transmission of braking forces to the
road to optimize braking performance. Then, during brake application, the system switches to a
softer control setting after a certain period, applying different forces to the front and rear axles as
needed. This is particularly effective on bumpy roads, where it assures better surface contract and
shorter stopping distances.
• The load change module switches damper control maps and establishes different damping forces on
the front and rear axles in all-out acceleration, when the driver lifts off the accelerator or shifts gears.
This prevents the car from developing too much “squat” in normal driving. In the sport setting, the
system briefly switches to a softer damper response to improve traction when accelerating on a
bumpy road.
Sports Chrono Package Plus: Much more than a stopwatch, it sets higher dynamic parameters
A clock-style gauge mounted on top of the dashboard of the 2005 Porsche® 911® Carrera® or 2005
Porsche 911 Carrera S signals that this car is equipped with Porsche’s newest technological
innovation: the Sports Chrono Package Plus.
While there are several sports cars available with a built-in stopwatch, Porsche’s Sports Chrono
Package Plus does much more than record sprint or lap times. Of course, Porsche’s Sport Chrono
Package Plus does include a stopwatch and lap-counting function, and uses the Porsche
Communication Management (PCM®) system to provide graphic display of such information. But
Porsche’s Sports Chrono Package Plus also allows the driver to engage more aggressively set
electronic control maps for the Motronic engine management system, for the Porsche Stability
Management (PSM), for the Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and for the Tiptronic®
S transmission (on vehicles equipped with these options).
By pressing a button on the center console, the driver engages Sports Chrono Package Plus to take
driving dynamics to a standard never before available. Under Sports Chrono Package Plus, changes
are effected to the gas pedal control lines, engine speed limiter, engine throttle butterfly, PSM, PASM
and Tiptronic S.
When the Sports telltale lights up on the center portion of the gauge cluster, the driver knows that the
E-gas control line has switched to a steeper configuration that puts the Tiptronic S in its manual mode,
thus the throttle butterfly responds more quickly to movements of the gas pedal and the driver enjoys
even more spontaneous response from the engine. Should the driver keep the accelerator pedal fully
depressed without shifting gears, the engine speed limiter in gears 1-5 intervenes far more abruptly
than in routine driving. Shifts become less oriented to comfort and the throttle butterfly closes faster
2005 Porsche Technology / 3
when the driver lifts off the accelerator pedal, thus providing a more dynamic driving experience, more
similar to the feedback a racer gets from a car on the track.
The operation and intervention of PSM also changes to provide greater agility. For example, when
accelerating out of turn in the Sports mode, higher anti-spin control thresholds allow more slip from
the rear wheels. This can result in even faster acceleration because PSM does not intervene as
quickly. Likewise, other PSM thresholds, such as those that control the anti-lock braking system, also
are raised to a level that allows more dynamic control by the driver before the system intervenes. And
the particularly skilled driver retains the option of switching off the PSM system and taking manual
control of the car’s dynamic direction.
Under the Sports Chrono Package Plus, the PASM also switches automatically when needed to a
sports program that provides firmer suspension settings, reducing even further body lean through
corners and enhancing contact between the tires and the road surface. However, there are
circumstances, such as on wet or snowy roads, in which an aggressive driver knows that a “softer”
suspension setting can enhance traction and thus the PASM button can be pushed to put the car in its
normal setting even when the sports mode is active.
So the driver can graphically verify the improved dynamics of the 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera and 2005
Porsche 911 Carrera S equipped with Sports Chrono Package Plus, the driver can push a stalk
attached to the left side of the steering column to record various route segment times, which can be
reviewed graphically on the PCM screen.
The Sports Chrono Package Plus is just the latest in a long list of Porsche technological innovations
available on 2005 models of the 911, Turbo or Cayenne® sport utility vehicle. Information on other
technologies follows:

 

[Ian718]

Thanks Raven. PASM sounds like the way to go!

[Raven]

It was an option I had to have along with Chrono  took me a while to find it too most 911 I looked at didn,t have either ,,,changes the character of the car dramatically ..