PASM - Sport vs Nomal

[sidicks]

Well, I've now had the car for 2 months, so am gradullay settling in, and getting used to the main differences between this and the M3 it replaced.

My initial thoughts regarding the PASM suspension settings were that 'sport' mode was purely for track use, as I found it too stiff for the roads I tend to drive on. However, as I've become more relaxed with the car, I find myself reaching for the PASM button to switch to stiff whenever I've taken the car out on my own for a bit of a hammering. It no longer feels so bone-jarringly stiff and controls the already minimal body roll even further.

I am forced to go back to a normal setting when my wife is in the car, as otherwise she will moan about the quality of the ride........

What do the rest of you think about the PASM settings ??

Cheers

Sidicks

 

[Delbox]

Hi Simon,

Tried it when I had my Boxster 987S - and really found it too hard for Lincolnshire's rural B-roads. To be honest, I haven't even selected it on my 997 C4S - as I find the standard ride ideal.

Del

 

[nsm3]

I find the standard setting too bouncy for anything classed as spirited driving - I had a couple of scares pressing on in standard mode, the car feeling as if it was about leave the road.

I have noticed that the car has less tendency to understeer when it is in sport mode.

 

[sidicks]

ORIGINAL: MBW
Interestingly, I read somewhere that the test times around the ring with Normal PASM were consistently quicker than those using Sport PASM. Reason beinjg that the Ring is not surfaced like a normal track and more closely resembles a normal 'road'.

Maybe they weren't as a good a driver as me...................????!!!!!!!!!

In all seriousness, I probably have PASM in normal road for 75% of my driving, but after initially being sceptical, I now do see some benefits (on certain roads) of the stiffer set-up.

Sidicks

 

[Guest]

I find the sport setting useful for negotiating speed humps! []

 

[Ronnie C]

I use it in sport mode most of the time now. Normal is a temporary thing for particularly bad road surfaces, speed bumps, etc. I find normal too soft for general use. However, if you are 100+mph on say a private stretch of road, then sport makes the car too twitchy. My understanding is that for the 997, there are something like 9 pasm settings depending on speed and the computer decides the exact setting depending on what 'mood' we tell it to go for...sport or normal, so 100+mph in normal is probably the same as 60mph in sport mode (?).

 

[Geoff_Fields]

Nearly correct, see Rob's description.
http://www.porscheclubgbforum.com/tm.asp?m=172300

 

[timhum2002]

I would be worried about the car if I'd had this type of experience, it doesn't sound like normal behaviour of the car to me unless this were on a track day perhaps. I find the sport setting fun for press-on solo motoring although on a motorway its a bit firm!

Tim

 

[timhum2002]

Last post in reply to nsm3

 

[YvesD]

ORIGINAL: Ronnie C

I use it in sport mode most of the time now. Normal is a temporary thing for particularly bad road surfaces, speed bumps, etc. I find normal too soft for general use.

Ronnie,

Do you switch this option on straight away or wait for the car to warm up in the morning ? I have only used Sport a few times and only briefly because I find it way too hard for the road. Is it a matter of persevering ?

Regards

Yves

 

[Ronnie C]

ORIGINAL: YvesD

ORIGINAL: Ronnie C

I use it in sport mode most of the time now. Normal is a temporary thing for particularly bad road surfaces, speed bumps, etc. I find normal too soft for general use.

Ronnie,

Do you switch this option on straight away or wait for the car to warm up in the morning ? I have only used Sport a few times and only briefly because I find it way too hard for the road. Is it a matter of persevering ?

Regards

Yves

Yves, I have a bit of a bumpy drive out to get on to the road so I don't switch it on straight away, but probably about a min after I've started the car, so the car won't be warm yet.

It is definitely a case of getting use to it. To begin with, I found the ride a bit harsh, but once you get familiar with the car, the composure the car has in corners and general stiffer responsiveness of the handling in sport mode, for be outweighs the negatives.

 

[YvesD]

Drove mine to work today after switching Sport throttle and PASM Sport on whilst still sitting in the garage !

All was going well ish untill I arrived in town where my office is to find the car pogoing on the horrendously poorly surfaced roads thereabouts. Switched it off at this point to save myself some embarrassment !

Will have another go on the return journey tonight.

Yves

 

[nsm3]

Tim, to be fair, it was at 100+ on an uphill righthand bend with a severe depression (a bit of an eau-rouge). However, the same feat with the PASM in sport mode felt much more secure.

 

[timhum2002]

Understood, the old bottle trouble will mean I miss that type of thrill.[]

Tim