For the PASM suspension I know there is a normal and a firm setting but are the shocks constantly adjusting within each setting like say an MR or air suspension?

Or is it one setting and then a firmer one and that's it?

I drove a C2 without PASM and to be honest I couldn't tell a difference in ride quality between the normal PASM mode and a car without PASM.

 

My understanding is that it's two settings, "comfort" and "sport". It's not air or MR, AFAIK. Actually, I know it's not air, and 95% sure it's not MR. I suspect that the C2 w/o PASM is probably somewhere in the middle, leaning more toward the sport than comfort settings.

That said - I can tell a difference between the two. Maybe you were driving on really good roads (or really bad ones)? It's not a huge difference between cars, but if you drive a PASM car and switch between the two settings, that should be pretty noticeable.

 

Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)

Optional PASM, the electronic damping control system, actively and continuously regulates the damping force for each wheel according to the road conditions and driving style. In addition, the suspension is 10 mm lower than that of the standard setup.

The system is always active in the background, ready to assist you automatically without you having to switch it on. Nevertheless, two modes are available at the push of a button so that you can adapt handling to suit your preferred driving style: ‘Normal’ which is a blend of performance and comfort, and ‘Sport’ where the setup is much firmer. Depending on the mode selected, therefore, PASM can be sportier and more comfortable than the standard chassis. The PASM control unit evaluates the driving conditions and modifies the damping force on each of the wheels optimally in accordance with the selected mode.

Sensors record all wheel and body movements. This enables intelligent adaptation of damper stiffness for the selected mode, optimizing contact between each individual tire and the road for even less roll and pitch.

In ‘Sport’ mode, for example, the suspension is set to a harder damper rating. On uneven roads, PASM immediately switches to a softer rating, thereby improving contact between the tires and the road. When the road surface improves, PASM automatically reverts to the original, harder rating. If ‘Normal’ mode is selected and the driver’s style becomes more assertive, PASM switches to a harder rating to increase driving stability and road safety.

 

I can definitely feel the difference. Unlike most cars, switching to the firmer setting gives you a noticeably different ride.

 

My question is not so much is there a difference between normal and firm setting on a PASM car. It's that a car with PASM on normal felt the same to me than a non PASM car which is why I was wondering if maybe they use the same shock absorption and just go firmer on the sport mode.

I have a family member with a 2014 boxster S with PASM so I know there is a noticeable difference between normal and sport.

 

Based on this answer it sounds like the PASM is always adjusting like an MR system does within the normal and sport modes.

So that probably means I definitely should add PASM to my lease build. I have to go drive that non 911 PASM car more to see.

 

IIRC the non-pasm car is essentially a regular "comfort" suspension and a pasm car on normal prior to any driving adaptation is more towards that same comfort selection so I wouldn't be surprised you didn't feel any difference. Once you begin to aggressively drive the pasm car in normal it would be interesting to see if you still feel no difference.


I can't remember whether when you move to an S you also get a get a firmer set of coils or that is only with sport pasm. There certainly is a noticeable difference when that happens though.

 

PASM has an internal valve that moves hydraulic fluid to make for slower (softer feeling) or faster (harder feeling) rebound. It is always "on" but, driver can select fast setting by pushing the button and keeping it in Sport mode. Car is programmed to select fast setting in reaction to dynamic signals from sensors when certain thresholds are exceeded because some chassis wizard thinks thats what you really want/need (and is right).

 

I disagree. I have driven both PASM and non-PASM cars, and there is a difference.

My understanding is that a base car with PASM is the same as an S which comes standard with PASM. I researched this quite a bit before ordering my car. Sport PASM has a different set of springs and is slightly lowered from the regular PASM, which itself is slightly lower than a base car.

 

Also it seem sport PASM has added an adjustable lower lip and higher lift on the rear wing like on the porsche turbo.

 

Yes, the rear wing/spoiler extends a bit more with spasm but I don't know if that would make a difference to your "feel" question on pasm vs non-pasm. One of the other big influences you should keep in mind is the effect tire pressure and outdoor temperature has on the feel. If I leave pasm on the normal setting and vary the tire pressure from comfort to standard to full there is a huge difference in how the car feels and responds.

 

http://www.germancarforum.com/commun...fi-pasm.26864/

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