You're right Cecil - PASM Sport mode is suitable only for ultra-smooth surfaces like the track as I found out when mine failed due to a pinched cable (an assembly problem) - it defaulted to Sport mode.! Porsche's take on this was that "you may want to drive the car in a sporting manner". Right.....as if you would with a fault light on! The basic PASM suspension settings will be for the non-Sport mode and the additional stiffness in Sport mode changes the primary and secondary ride frequencies to produce a somewhat knobbly ride on all but the smoothest road surface. The Spyder/R suspension setup is of course optimised for fast road and track use and is less compromised in this respect. Interesting what you say about your experience with the LSD because from new I’ve experienced a handling quirk which I think is similar to your observations. When exiting a roundabout under power I sometimes get what I can only describe as a “hip wiggle†- nothing drastic but a little disconcerting at times when there are other vehicles around - which generally needs little or no correction on my part. I’m not using anywhere near full throttle but it is more exciting when the Sport Chrono is activated, since the throttle map is more aggressive. PSM is activated and the wiggle happens in dry conditions when good traction is available. I believe that the diff has a locking factor of 24% under load and 27% on the overrun (I think that these are fixed, although the overrun may be ramped using a split planet carrier) which tends to induce mild understeer under power and reduce lift-off oversteer. I’m wondering if the effect is due in part to a conflict between the mechanical locking of the diff and the electronic ABD as I go from right part-lock throttle off to left part-lock whilst applying power. To me, LSD and ABD seem to be counterintuitive but I’m sure that Porsche have addressed the potential conflicts involved. It would be interesting to sample a 981 with the PTV/LSD option. Good luck trying to get your PC to remap the DME. Although, theoretically, it's possible I doubt that they'd be able to get the necessary software update from the factory, even if it was available. Too many warranty/liability issues I would suspect. Because of the necessity to tune the engine for different markets where fuel quality is more variable than that available in say western Europe, the mapping is very conservative and of course is tailored to minimise emissions and fuel consumption. A number of companies offer DME remapping which can be tailored to meet an individual's requirements and which claim to increase power, torque and driveabilty. Superchips for example claim an additional 18bhp/19Nm and improved throttle response and fuel economy on a Cayman R for a discounted price of £199 in December. However, the biggest benefits tend to be for turbocharged petrol and diesel applications - a Superchipped 197bhp/280Nm Mk5 2.0L petrol Golf GTi jumps by 62bhp/86Nm. Impressive! JeffORIGINAL: flat6Thanks Jeff. My gen 1 Cayman S had PASM and as you say, it's the better option for ride comfort compromise, but in Sport mode on the road it caused oscillations that the passive Spyder/R suspension doesn't, which reserves the Sport mode solely for track. (PASM is not an option on Spyder and R but they ride better than PASM Sport mode). Oh you have LSD. I do notice some going on at the back sometime when i'm on the edge, which my non LSD Cayman didn't do. Felt as if the power was going to one side then the other and the car skips and then settles, or feels like oversteer, whereas the non LSD car would have spun up it's wheels more and i'd have to back out the throttle more. I agree that the Cayman cabin is more expansive roof up. Took a while to get used to turning around to find that the cabin ends just behind the headrest. But i'd give it up for the Spyder without a 2nd thought[ORIGINAL: MotorheadHere's what I said about about this over on the other thread Cecil: As you say, the R has slightly more power - albeit at higher revs - than the S/Spyder but they have identical torque figures. I'm sure that this is achieved by the R's revised (freer flowing?) exhaust manifold, which would tend to enhance the top end performance, and also by DME tweaks since the engine developers have so many tunableable functions which are controlled by the DME: 1) DFI - Fuel can be injected at dfferent times and in varying quantities throughout the power stroke; 2) Inlet valve timing and lift - +/- 20deg of crankshaft advance/retard in conjunction with low and high lift camshaft lobes; 3) Ignition timing; 4) Intake resonance manifold operation - to optimise induction airflow and boost mid-range torque. I suspect that Porsche have tweaked the first three to boost the R's power but have left the fourth option alone. Relatively small power gains are a regular feature of model year upgrades and are part of the normal development cycle. For example, Porsche have boosted the power of the 981 Cayman S by 5hp compared with the Gen II car. I run a Gen II Cayman with PASM (10mm lower than standard), LSD, Sport Chrono and 19" wheels and I'd be very interested to see how that would stack up against the Spyder and R on track with PASM in 'Sport' mode. The R wasn't available when I purchased my S and I've only driven an R briefly - but enthusiastically - at the PEC Silverstone, but on the road (where mine's used for 99% of the time) I reckon that the S probably has a better ride and handling compromise. And I wonder how many R owners were brave enough not to specify PASM, aircon and a radio to minimise weight? Whilst I admire your and Daro's choice of car, I have to say that in our climate it couldn't be my choice. One reason for choosing the Cayman over the Boxster was that I found the latter a bit claustrophobic with the hood up compared with the general spaciousness of the Cayman's interior; so I just can't imagine what it's like driving the Spyder with the "hood" on in addition to not even having the convenience of opening/closing it at the touch of a button. Although I like roadsters, I guess that I'm really a tin-top chap at heart.! Enjoy your cars in whatever fine weather we mange to get in 2013. JeffORIGINAL: flat6 Comparing the engines below, it’s only above 6000rpm that the Cayman R’s pulls away on the graphs. Therefore, you need to be approaching the red-line on the revs to access the extra power. (Both have the same peak torque at 4750 rpm but the R's peak power is at 7400rpm vs the Spyder's at 7200rpm, as per the Cayman S)
] Headroom isn't a problem in the Boxster roof up though. I was expecting my (crash) helmet to touch the roof in the Spyder but it didn't. So how easy do you think it would be to convert the 320 to 330hp tune? I mean what Porsche have done, not an after market alternative. Do you think an OPC could do it (if they were allowed)?
