-/+ 10mm suspension option - GTS 4.0

[samwich]

Hi folks

I am looking at purchasing a Cayman or Boxster GTS 4.0 and was able to spend a few hours driving one properly on B roads. It felt great, super controlled but compliant and I had it in Sports Plus most of the day, with the ride on poor B roads surprisingly good. Having seen the spec sheet for that particular vehicle I see that for some reason it has the -10mm suspension option, which might have been chosen in error as it actually raises the height by the same amount. That is because the standard PASM lowers the car by -20mm and the -10mm option reduced that drop. The way the option shows on the configurator is very misleading and I bet many buyers have selected the -10mm suspension option thinking they are lowering the car and making it handle better. The Porsche website says: "For slightly added driving comfort and ground clearance, the standard "PASM sports suspension (20 mm lowered”) is replaced with "Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) incl. ride height lowered by 10 mm” for no extra charge. With this option the ride height of the GTS 4.0 models rises compared to the standard set-up”

So, my question is... Is there anybody who can provide the technical differences to the springs/shocks/ARBs etc that makes this option more comfortable, or who can give some insight as to just how much difference that makes in feel/ride/handling? Having only driven this particular GTS 4.0 I don't know whether the standard setup would be much harsher and/or less controlled on my favoured B roads and whether in actual fact this option might actually be the better option? I've asked the salesman at the OPC and that was not helpful, he though the option dropped it -10mm too until I proved otherwise.

 

[MrDemon]

looks alone you need 20mm drop !

I am sure the 20mm one has stiffer ARB's also

so GTS the 20mm drop is a must have imo.

sales people are totally cluless which is a shame.

 

[Motorhead]

Sam,

You’re correct in your interpretation of the -10mm option compared with the standard -20mm and which has confused a lot of people, unfortunately - and inexcusably - many sales staff!

I can’t give you a definitive spec for the springs, dampers and ARBs of the two options but clearly for the -20mm set-up the springs and probably the ARBs will be stiffer, and most probably the dampers will be recalibrated to suit. I’ve not seen any complaints of a harsh ride from those who have chosen the -20mm set-up, nor mention of any grounding issues due the lower ride height.

At the end of the day it’s a personal choice and it would be best to seek out an evaluation of the -20mm set-up if you feel that it’s going to be an issue.

Jeff

 

[mikeg]

FWIW I spec'd -10mm and I'm very pleased with it (having also had -10mm on my 718 S). I find it just right for B road driving - with Sport Plus selected - but also not too harsh on poor surfaces. You will find lots of diverse opinions from both pro's and anti's on most options - just chose what you feel is right and enjoy it

Interestingly the USA configurator for the same option (and code 475) says Raised ride height of 10mm in relation to the standard -20 mm suspension. The stiffer anti-roll bars are replaced with softer 718 GTS anti-roll bars which to my mind is a lot clearer and the UK version doesn't say anything about the ARB's.

 

[AndrewT]

Would I be right in thinking that apart from ride height the difference would be in the damping, so the PASM option would default to comfort mode and when switched on would go into sports mode?

Wouldn’t that be like the 987 range where the standard ride height was x mm and standard dampers, the PASM option with -10mm and active dampers, the “R” with -20mm and sports dampers?

 

[Twinfan]

Not quite right. Both -10mm and -20mm options on the 4.0 GTS are PASM/active systems unlike the old X73 -20mm sports option that was passive.

 

[MrDemon]

You buy the 20mm one really and anyone specing the 10mm did it by mistake lol and will find it harder to sell. plus they look way to high with that wheel arch gap !

I had a 20mm one for a day it's not a hard ride at all in fact PASM on is still softer than my GT3 PASM Off.

I did not buy the car as I hated the gearing issues and on a £80k car I could not get past it and the torque limit flaw.

A 80% car ruined by that old gear box and 20" wheels.

my mate bought a green one , sold it within a Month said the gearbox was stupid, a very high spec car but only got £67k for it. So a bitter lesson.

I think his cars up at £80k now at an OPC !!!!

people telling me they won't loose money on a Porker and I will loose my shirt on my Z4 are in cookcoo land

Give it 18 months and we will SEE BIG corrections on every thing, buying now in a bubble is scary, investers oare offloading every thing as are people on finance,

14 718 SPyder for sale 34 718 GT4's !!! it's a bail out at the top of the market and it's not just Pork, Ferrari, Merc etc etc all the high end stuff is not selling really at these new daft prices.

 

[Wollemi]

You buy the 20mm one really and anyone specing the 10mm did it by mistake lol and will find it harder to sell. plus they look way to high with that wheel arch gap !

I had a 20mm one for a day it's not a hard ride at all in fact PASM on is still softer than my GT3 PASM Off.

At risk of being a pedant it’s worth pointing out that you cannot switch PASM off and on.

PASM is always on, the switch alters the programming from normal to harder

 

[Motorhead]

Quite so Graham … a very good point to make, and not always appreciated by owners. The PASM system always remains active, adjusting for the “driving style” continuously - even in Sport mode I believe?

Jeff

 

[Twinfan]

Yep, it's constantly adjusting in both modes.

 

[samwich]

I did not buy the car as I hated the gearing issues and on a £80k car I could not get past it and the torque limit flaw.

A 80% car ruined by that old gear box and 20" wheels.

Gearing issues? Do you mean the overlong gearing? It is a shame but just using gears 1-3 works fine for me. You can always swap the ratios out for shorter ones, RPM Technik have an option available.

Old gear box? I thought it was very good, the manual anyway.

What is the issue with the wheels? I'm assuming you would prefer smaller lighter wheels with a higher sidewall?

 

[MrDemon]

You buy the 20mm one really and anyone specing the 10mm did it by mistake lol and will find it harder to sell. plus they look way to high with that wheel arch gap !

I had a 20mm one for a day it's not a hard ride at all in fact PASM on is still softer than my GT3 PASM Off.

At risk of being a pedant it’s worth pointing out that you cannot switch PASM off and on.

PASM is always on, the switch alters the programming from normal to harder

Yes its daft to question it, it's the PASM mode button you press it on or off. While the active part works all the time, it's still the PASM button you press on and every one here knows what PASM is. You press it a light comes on , that's on in my book. Does what it says on the tin the PASM mode button

”button” a small device on a piece of electrical/electronic equipment which is PRESSED to operate it. ;-)

”pedant” a person who is excessively concerned with stupid details for effect on forums !

 

[MrDemon]

I did not buy the car as I hated the gearing issues and on a £80k car I could not get past it and the torque limit flaw.

A 80% car ruined by that old gear box and 20" wheels.

Gearing issues? Do you mean the overlong gearing? It is a shame but just using gears 1-3 works fine for me. You can always swap the ratios out for shorter ones, RPM Technik have an option available.

Old gear box? I thought it was very good, the manual anyway.

What is the issue with the wheels? I'm assuming you would prefer smaller lighter wheels with a higher sidewall?

Yes long gearing made worse by 20” wheels and it’s also torque limited so having a 4.0L engine becomes moot as you cannot access the torque which would be available with a whopping 4.0L lump.

it for me makes a shit drive for a £80k sports car and my mate who bought one hated it also, its daft Imho.

 

[PaulJ]

Thanks for clarifying the obvious mistakes I and other GTS 4.0 buyers have so obviously made MrD. I guess we'll just have to spend the rest of our time with the cars knowing others are pitying us due to the absolute duffers we foolishly chose. []

 

[Dylan1]

Sounds like a case of sour grapes from mr D that he couldn’t get a GTS 4.0 as he mentioned on another thread,so got a shit Z4 instead

 

[MrDemon]

Sounds like a case of sour grapes from mr D that he couldn’t get a GTS 4.0 as he mentioned on another thread,so got a **** Z4 instead

I could have got a Cayman GTS 4.0 I had one for a day and did not like it, it also came 7th in Evo car of the year from the last 8 for the same reasons I did not like it, it's feels just like a normal car and even duller than the GT4 i owned. I wanted a 718 SPyder, But I would re-gear the gearbox for £6k to make it the car Porsche should have built. I did ask for a Boxster GTS before I drove the Cayman GTS for a day and was told no. but after a test day in one would not want one hence buying a Z4 as at the time GTS 4.0 were £69k and 30+ for sale so easy to pick one up in any colour you liked as new.

MY mate bought one, (i told him not to) he sold it within 2 months thought it was a stupid car with a crap box it what it is. he was hoping to rekindle his Cayman R owner ship but it falls VERY short of that car.

owners will always big up their own cars, but the GTS 4.0 is average to a point I even thing the turbo 2.5GTS might be the better car it's def faster and makes a better daily.

The Z4 is a great car btw and rare as hens teeth, I bought it as a stop gap but totally impressed with it. The engine, roof and tech are far far better than the Porsche Boxsters.

while it's not a pure sports car is better than Caymans/Boxster as a daily in every way which was a shock, so a great end result.

read EVo car of the year it came out after my thoughts but backs up every thing I have written about it.

could have been a great car sadly it was not, it's now just a nice car and you buy the badge esp if you went 10mm shocks option and have zero interest how it drives.

 

[MrDemon]

Thanks for clarifying the obvious mistakes I and other GTS 4.0 buyers have so obviously made MrD. I guess we'll just have to spend the rest of our time with the cars knowing others are pitying us due to the absolute duffers we foolishly chose. []

if you like it you like it, if you don't, sell it & buy something else it's a sellers market atm. We all like what we like, while I like the GTS 4.0 it's not a stand out car and from the sort of cars I own and drive it fell very short for me for the money Porsche want for it.

 

[Brian_Innes]

"owners will always big up their own cars, but the GTS 4.0 is average to a point I even thing the turbo 2.5GTS might be the better car it's def faster and makes a better daily." (Mr D).

[/quote]

I must admit to having a wry chuckle at this extended controversy concerning the 982 GTS 4.0. (I refuse to call it the 718 as that is a moniker historically associated with the 4 cylinder Porsches.) Pedant? Quite possibly guilty!

My interest in this thread has grown as I'm hoping to return to the sports car world next year as my Macan Turbo will soon be on its way to a new owner. After 13 months and 8700 miles I've discovered it's not the car for me. Besides the values are stratospheric at present and making hay while the sun shines is always a good plan.

Getting back to Mr D's quote regarding the 718 2.5t GTS possibly being the better car and faster into the bargain. I completely agree with this statement. As a previous owner of this much lamented model, I have considerable personal experience of the 718 2.5t Cayman GTS. With PCCB, -20mm Sports PASM, PDK Sports Chrono, this car was an absolute blinder on track days, especially Knockhill where the flowing undulating nature of the track so suited the torquey 2.5t.

When my sports car quest commences in the first quarter of 2022, I can say for a fact that the 982 4.0 GTS Caysters will not be featuring in my short list of possible contenders. As with the Macan Turbo, they are not the car for me personally.

In conclusion, retuning to the original thread topic, I found the -20mm Sports PASM combined with the wider spec 20" alloys absolutely on the button for road and track use. Most of my miles in the car were on Highland rural roads, and I found the combination of suspension compliance and excellent body roll control ideally suited to the car's performance capabilities. I never experienced any ride hight issues either. As for the looks, the -20mm is the business.

Brian

 

[Mcmikey62]

Must admit I deliberately went for the 10mm knowing exactly what it did. I was very early and didn’t get the chance to drive either but for me personally it’s been fine. I went in my son’s M240i, a car I had found more compliant than my previous M2 and found it really harsh after the GTS. I think for my needs the comfort levels are perfect, lots of cruising and some brisk driving on North Yorkshire A/B roads. I’m sure if you are looking for a track car the 20mm is best, testers I respect suggest there is a significant difference, but I’m not sure my skill level would ever spot it.

I chose this spec because I knew the car would be used for more general driving than perhaps most would and therefore anticipating interactions with speed bumps etc. Last weekend I was in a hotel where even at 10mm it still scraped a little. I see the comments on it looking better, I’ve never been one to prioritise appearance over function so don’t feel the difference would ever trouble me if it avoided me badly scraping the underside but each to their own.

 

[Wollemi]

When my sports car quest commences in the first quarter of 2022, I can say for a fact that the 982 4.0 GTS Caysters will not be featuring in my short list of possible contenders. As with the Macan Turbo, they are not the car for me personally.

Would you be considering another 2.5T GTS if they were still being made, I wonder?

If not, why not - other than perhaps you have already had one?