Hi,

I just bought a 2006 non S carrera without the PASM. I find the suspension very hard. I have also a 911 SC and drove the 996. Both seem to be a bit softer. (The roads in my area are notoriously bad).

My question is: Is the normal mode in the PASM cars more comfortable? At least like SC or 996?

 

I probably shouldn't be answering at all, since you asked a question about relative comfort, and I've never driven the earlier models except briefly now and then. I can say that our 2009 S with PASM is what I would call stiff but comfortable. At least it is now that I changed the tire pressures.

The dealer who sold it to us put them at the fully-loaded pressure spec, and although I'm pretty hefty at 200 lbs, Cindy isn't even 100 lbs, so we don't even come up to the "medium load, two persons" specification for pressures. I changed them to that 34/40 spec and the ride is much better.

Actually, I would go further than "stiff but comfortable". That is true of many traditional sports cars with passive suspension. This PASM is different. 'Stiff' ignores the supple compliance it shows on rough roads, which is much more reassuring than the usual stiff suspension needed in the past for handling on tracks. I like the PASM a lot. It is not only comfortable, but reassuring. It feels like it is retaining the tires in firm contact even when the road surface is doing its best to escape. If that makes any sense.[g]

You might check the manual and be sure you have the pressures at the level specified for the load you actually carry.

 

PASM has evolved since its introduction in 2005. The latest version in the 997.2 is just right. PASM Normal is great for the street. It is not wobbly or cushy as it is responsive and corners reasonably flat but it absorbs high frequency stuff, such as expansion joints, very well. It is a much better suspension both from a performance perspective or comfort than my 996 C4 was. PASM Sport is fine on good surfaces as it is stiffer and offers further control.

I usually drive on the road in the so-called Schumacher mode - SC in Sport and PASM Normal.

 

That fits with my brief but veteran experience. The PASM on our 2009 is very effective, though I can see where it might have been less so as it was developed through a couple of model years. Computer algorithms like that are very much seat-of-the-pants efforts. You can't get simulations that tell you as much as knowledgable customers putting on millions of miles, so it takes a couple of generations to get a system like that 'tuned' right.

The car we wanted didn't have the sport suspension option, but it sounds like we wouldn't use it often anyway if Adias rides in normal mode most of the time.

 

I have PASM on my 2008. My understanding is that the 'normal mode" is a bit softer than the standard suspension on the base model. The "sport mode" is significantly harder than the standard suspension. I also understand that for the 2009 the PASM is a bit softer in sport mode compared to the 2005-08. I rarely use the sport mode in my car unless the roads are very smooth.

 

My thoughts exactly. I have a 2008, and I only engage sport on a perfect asphalt highway. Even on a smooth concrete highway, it feels very bouncy, which is fun for showing people how stiff it is, but it gets tiring if you're not pushing the car.

 

Thats exactly what I do. As I start up I hit Sport and then change SPASM to normal. Its much less jarring than my 996 40th. Although that variant was stiffer than a regular 996.

 

That was my understanding as well.

 

There was an article some time ago in "Excellence" that stated that non PASM equipped cars with 19" wheels are a bad mix.

 

Good point.

Muf, The non-PASM equipped cars with 18" wheels are, however, nicely buttoned down with a proper balance b/w handling and comfort.

Which size wheels does your Carrera have? If 19's, you may be able to solve your dilemma as relatively affordably as replacing the wheels with a set of 18's.

 

If you want 19" wheels on a non-PASM car, are'nt coilovers the solution?

 

My 2009 CS with PASM in normal mode is significantly softer than my 2007 without PASM. In fact my wife hated to drive in the 2007 because of the stiff ride, whereas she likes to drive in the 2009. I also keep the tire pressure in the 40/34 range as recommended by Porsche for lighter loads.

 

+1. Same car here, same results.

G