Same model different driving experience?

[kilarney]

I found the the exact same in 981 2.7. It was the PDK which felt quick nailed but part throttle was dead as a dodo unless in pyscho mode, I suspect in a manual you drive around this but it was deffo the gearbox as a few have commented above with the manual the better drive. PDK for crawling or flat out and the manual for everything in between. Also a thrashed car will always be quicker at least in its early life so a combination ? Sometimes cars come out with slightly different boost levels so maybe that also and finally fuel quality.

[PhantomPH]

kilarney said:

Sometimes cars come out with slightly different boost levels...

Is that still true? I get that once upon a time, but I would have thought in this day and age (and especially given the expected 'automated production line' nature of cars these days) differences like that are all but gone. Certainly 'within tolerance' is close enough to mean only a couple of HP at the most?

I genuinely don't know - perhaps I am assuming a better quality of accuracy in engineering and production these days than actually exists in reality!

[bcr5784]

PhantomPH said:

Is that still true? I get that once upon a time, but I would have thought in this day and age (and especially given the expected 'automated production line' nature of cars these days) differences like that are all but gone. Certainly 'within tolerance' is close enough to mean only a couple of HP at the most?

I genuinely don't know - perhaps I am assuming a better quality of accuracy in engineering and production these days than actually exists in reality!

Din power ratings allow for 5% variation in power from sample to sample, but I would expect most to be closer than that.

[hornbaek]

I think it has to do with how the car has been run in. Whenever I buy a new car I make sure that I get the first 1000 miles down rather quickly and not by poodling around london for 6 months before the initial service. Secondly, taking it on the Autobahn or even on a couple of trackdays makes a huge impact on the responsiveness of the car once it has been opened up properly. I always find, that when i take my GT3 RS 4.0 out of its winter hibernation and drive to Goodwood for a trackday, the drive home after the day on track is miles more entertaining than going down there with the engine just being utterly brilliant. A true testament to the fact that cars need to be driven.

[PhantomPH]

bcr5784 said:

PhantomPH said:

Is that still true? I get that once upon a time, but I would have thought in this day and age (and especially given the expected 'automated production line' nature of cars these days) differences like that are all but gone. Certainly 'within tolerance' is close enough to mean only a couple of HP at the most?

I genuinely don't know - perhaps I am assuming a better quality of accuracy in engineering and production these days than actually exists in reality!

Din power ratings allow for 5% variation in power from sample to sample, but I would expect most to be closer than that.

Interesting - so could be as much as 14-15bhp on the base 718 Cayman? Sounds like a lot when you think about manufacturers doing 'packs' which only add about that much in power (thinking of things like the performance pack in Golf GTIs for example - adding about 10bhp. Or the difference between a 981 Cayman S and a GTS). In come cars, you could be paying more just to have your car make the quoted base bhp!

[Krobar]

bcr5784 said:

Din power ratings allow for 5% variation in power from sample to sample, but I would expect most to be closer than that.

The Porsche How Its Made mentioned engine must meet at least the quoted power. More than 15% over and they are rejected too.

[neilf]

OMV said:

Hi Neilf, what were you thoughts on the difference PASM made to ride and handling?

I'm no expert but here's my two cents...

As far a comfort is concerned I feel there's as little as no difference between the std set up and PASM switched off. PASM on does firm up the ride and would be perfect for the track but I think most would consider too firm for frequent road use.

In terms of handling, the non PASM courtesy car certainly feels lighter on its toes, with a keener turn in (and a smidge of body roll) than my PASM car (hence me starting this thread).

However, my inner boy racer my always choose PASM in future (current Cayman is the first Porsche that I spec'd PASM). Besides the handling difference the 10mm drop in ride height makes a huge, very positive, visual difference.

[bcr5784]

Krobar said:

The Porsche How Its Made mentioned engine must meet at least the quoted power. More than 15% over and they are rejected too.

Interesting - I was under the impression that the "corrected" power output had to be within the 5% tolerance if quoted to Din standards - but Din includes correction factors for temperature and atmospheric pressure, so the measured power might well be outside that nominal tolerance under favourable or adverse atmospheric conditions. I know in the past it was commonplace (particularly on American muscle cars) to quote quite absurd power figures (gross) that bore relatively little correlation with real-world figures, but I thought that had changed.

That said there are some cars (GT86 springs to mind) which seem to underperform relative to their quoted power/weight (even allowing for the fact that it's not a very torquey engine) and others, such as VW group 1.4TSI cars which go far better than you have a right to expect. The base 718, in particular, seems to fall into this latter group.

[LiamH66]

bcr5784 said:

That said there are some cars (GT86 springs to mind) which seem to underperform relative to their quoted power/weight (even allowing for the fact that it's not a very torquey engine)...

I think Toyota may have been trying to keep the insurance premiums down. I was surprised just how much quicker mine could hit 60mph than the "official" 7.8s or whatever it was supposed to be. For a 200PS 1350kg car it seems about right to me. Not terribly fast, but if you stir the gearbox it will just about keep up with the traffic.

Variations between cars in boost and power? 5% would be quite a lot for modern cars, even with small variations in maximum boost for turbos (and that would be really small). I still think PDK vs. manual is the most likely reason the OP's experiences felt so different.

Liam

[DJMC]

Having the manual courtesy car I was more inclined to have a bit of "fun" in it, as it was just for a day, and so I used the revs more than I would usually do just pootling around normally in my PDK in "normal" mode.

That's what made me try the same route home the next day when back in my PDK car, and the gearbox in manual using the gear lever. I could emulate the revs and "fun" this way, with downshift blips (if that floats your boat), faster changes, and no fear of missing a change or messing up acceleration away from standstill. (Mind you, that's in a 981, whereas you'll have the laggy take-off whichever gearbox in the 718 ).

Try this when you get yours back, and also in "Sport" mode too when the box is in Auto.

[LiamH66]

DJMC said:

(Mind you, that's in a 981, whereas you'll have the laggy take-off whichever gearbox in the 718 ).

Unless you have a 718 with launch control. It's an absolute hoot, positive boost pressure before the clutch even starts to engage. I enjoyed it so much at the PEC that I decided I absolutely could NOT have it on any car I bought. Temptation for hooliganism would be massive...

Liam

[Tim bo]

LiamH66 said:

Unless you have a 718 with launch control. It's an absolute hoot, positive boost pressure before the clutch even starts to engage. I enjoyed it so much at the PEC that I decided I absolutely could NOT have it on any car I bought. Temptation for hooliganism would be massive...

Liam

Even without launch control, get the turbine on boost and that torque on take-off is quite insane. The auto-release on the electronic handbrake has its uses for manual boxes where there is no launch control.