Advice Please - Cayman S (gen1) : Should I get PASM or not?
Discussion
Afternoon everyone.
I've been thinking long and hard about a new car, and after much deliberation have decided to scratch the Porsche itch I've had since...well pretty much birth I guess!
Anyway I've decided it's got to be a (gen1 c.2007)Cayman S 3.4:
pro's
Great delicate precise handling / fantastic performance.
Fast, entertaining, educational - genuine trackday weapon.
Everyday reliable, comfortable and usable, acceptable economy.
I love the looks - in the eye of the beholder I know, but the Cayman has really grown on me.
It's the right size - ie small and agile, not the bloated GT the 911 is becoming.
It looks great value, a lot of these specced up 3.4's were £50+ new, now well under half that after only 6 years / 35k.
Porsche quality / reliability (hopefully!)
Reasonableish running costs (again hopefully!) for the amount of performance / premium badge.
Cons
only 2 seats
Limited luggage / esp large suitcase carrying (roof rack an option here).
a bit flash for me TBH.
I'd want a 3.4 so it's pushing my max £20k budget to the wire (and beyond lol).
Anyway what I'm stuck on is; given that I intend to use this beast on 3-4 trackdays a year and want the best handling possible, AND I hate over stiff suspension on everyday road cars should I search out a PASM equiped example?
I know this is the whole idea of active suspension, but I've read so many 'tepid' reviews of 'configurable' cars both on Pistonheads and evo etc that I'm wondering if it's a bit of a gimmick? are both hard and soft settings compromised in different ways? ie under sprung / over damped on hard and over sprung / under damped on soft setting? Is it just another complexity to go expensively wrong? or does it give an appreciable advantage over non PASM - both sharper and more comfortable when you want it?
There's a nice Cayman S locally that I'm tempted to test drive, but it doesn't have PASM. It's hard to dial into the subtleties of damping control on a short test drive anyway - there's so much 'new' stuff to take in, plus there'll be no chance 'explore its limits' lol. So I'm interested in any experiences / advice.
Anyone know how long PASM lasts / how reliable the system is? I dare say there are plenty of coilover and adjustable shocks available aftermarket too, but I think I'd rather keep this one standard. (good intentions
).
Anyone tried PASM on road and track? and anyone tried both PASM and non PASM? what do you guys reckon - worth it?
I've been thinking long and hard about a new car, and after much deliberation have decided to scratch the Porsche itch I've had since...well pretty much birth I guess!
Anyway I've decided it's got to be a (gen1 c.2007)Cayman S 3.4:
pro's
Great delicate precise handling / fantastic performance.
Fast, entertaining, educational - genuine trackday weapon.
Everyday reliable, comfortable and usable, acceptable economy.
I love the looks - in the eye of the beholder I know, but the Cayman has really grown on me.
It's the right size - ie small and agile, not the bloated GT the 911 is becoming.
It looks great value, a lot of these specced up 3.4's were £50+ new, now well under half that after only 6 years / 35k.
Porsche quality / reliability (hopefully!)
Reasonableish running costs (again hopefully!) for the amount of performance / premium badge.
Cons
only 2 seats
Limited luggage / esp large suitcase carrying (roof rack an option here).
a bit flash for me TBH.
I'd want a 3.4 so it's pushing my max £20k budget to the wire (and beyond lol).
Anyway what I'm stuck on is; given that I intend to use this beast on 3-4 trackdays a year and want the best handling possible, AND I hate over stiff suspension on everyday road cars should I search out a PASM equiped example?
I know this is the whole idea of active suspension, but I've read so many 'tepid' reviews of 'configurable' cars both on Pistonheads and evo etc that I'm wondering if it's a bit of a gimmick? are both hard and soft settings compromised in different ways? ie under sprung / over damped on hard and over sprung / under damped on soft setting? Is it just another complexity to go expensively wrong? or does it give an appreciable advantage over non PASM - both sharper and more comfortable when you want it?
There's a nice Cayman S locally that I'm tempted to test drive, but it doesn't have PASM. It's hard to dial into the subtleties of damping control on a short test drive anyway - there's so much 'new' stuff to take in, plus there'll be no chance 'explore its limits' lol. So I'm interested in any experiences / advice.
Anyone know how long PASM lasts / how reliable the system is? I dare say there are plenty of coilover and adjustable shocks available aftermarket too, but I think I'd rather keep this one standard. (good intentions
).Anyone tried PASM on road and track? and anyone tried both PASM and non PASM? what do you guys reckon - worth it?
imho i would source a car i like and not be to hung up on pasm.my cayman s had non pasm suspension and i loved it but it did ride on the 18 wheels which for me was not a problem.when i test drove a caymanR(which also has no pasm) back to back the handling was very similar albeit sharper and flatter in the cr.at £20k you may have more chance of finding a 2007/8 car without pasm and 18 wheels
+1 for "firm ride on 19" without PASM".
My 08 Cayman S with 19" didn't have PASM, and I didn't miss it, but I've had plenty of experience in other cars with similarly sporty suspension. It is one of those options that can't be retrofitted so you would really be best advised to drive a PASM and non-PASM car back to back if you can, and see which one feels better to you. You will likely receive contradictory opinions on how essential it is, as with many "must have" options.
For a trackday car though you might find it better to have "manual" suspension anyway.
My 08 Cayman S with 19" didn't have PASM, and I didn't miss it, but I've had plenty of experience in other cars with similarly sporty suspension. It is one of those options that can't be retrofitted so you would really be best advised to drive a PASM and non-PASM car back to back if you can, and see which one feels better to you. You will likely receive contradictory opinions on how essential it is, as with many "must have" options.
For a trackday car though you might find it better to have "manual" suspension anyway.
Thanks for your inputs guys. Useful to hear a few opinions.
I can live with 'firm', so long as it isn't crashy or harsh and 'breathes'
with our crappy bumpy british roads.
I'm thinking it's maybe not a deal breaker either way, I've never had active suspension so won't miss it, there's an 08 boxster with PASM not far away, I think I'll try a go in that first to see how much difference I notice on the road,even though the less stiff chassis may be an imperfect comparison it should give me an idea.
Maybe PASM is something that is improving with each generation - like PDK etc, and might be better saved for a gen2 or the simply stunning new 981 in a few years time...
I'm not bothered about huge wheels, in fact I'd prefer 18" as light as possible. 18" are standard on the 'S' aren't they?
I can live with 'firm', so long as it isn't crashy or harsh and 'breathes'
with our crappy bumpy british roads.
I'm thinking it's maybe not a deal breaker either way, I've never had active suspension so won't miss it, there's an 08 boxster with PASM not far away, I think I'll try a go in that first to see how much difference I notice on the road,even though the less stiff chassis may be an imperfect comparison it should give me an idea.
Maybe PASM is something that is improving with each generation - like PDK etc, and might be better saved for a gen2 or the simply stunning new 981 in a few years time...
I'm not bothered about huge wheels, in fact I'd prefer 18" as light as possible. 18" are standard on the 'S' aren't they?
When I was trying out Boxsters I tried a non PASM 3.4S and a PASM equipped 3.4S and preferred the PASM equipped car, the ride just felt smoother on A roads. I plan to do the odd trackday this year so will try the sport setting which is too harsh for normal road use. I know people say PASM's not that good on track but I'll see if it suits my driving abilities.
Asterix said:
Mine is an absolute peach and I'd be okay with selling it - you can drive it back from Dubai, no?
It has PASM (which is brilliant!).
hmmm - that would be an awesome road trip to bond with my new baby! lolIt has PASM (which is brilliant!).
what colour is it? how much? (HOW MUCH!! it must be gold plated!....oh, it is...)
how are used Cayman prices holding up over in Dubai? Has the new one caused much of a stir? I bet there must be some amazing used cars in the local classifieds, many bargains?
I had a 2007 S on 19's without PASAM and it did my head in on our crap uk roads so much I sold it, it tracked ok but the advantages of 19's over 18's are just cosmetic imho. So if you buy one on 19's without PASAM make sure your teeth are sound. They are great cars though giving so much feedback through the steering and seat it's just so enticing on good road surfaces, but there are few around now 
My Cayman has PASM and a mates didn't and I got to drive that. Both cars have 19" wheels fitted. PASM is quite a big improvement in my opinion but I would not let it put me off a good car without it. In sport mode it is too hard for all but the best UK roads and but I would have thought on track it's an improvement but have not tracked the Cayman. The other thing is the PASM cars are 10mm lower which you can notice if the two cars are side by side but it's not much.
My 3.4S has PASM on 18 inch rims. As others have said, with PASM switched on the ride is too harsh for most public roads, even on 18's. I say this after coming from a M030 equipped Boxster S which was more compliant. However I have a local favourite back road that was recently resurfaced and PASM (plus Sport Chrono) makes a big difference in the fun factor, with PASM stiffening the car up really nicely. I haven't tracked the car but for road use if I was buying again, I'd definitely go for the PASM + 18 inch wheel combination plus Sport Chrono for the throttle response.
I had a gen 1 Cayman S.
I didn't think the ride particularly comfy, hitting bumps hard. It was a showroom model and I didn't really do too much comparison with a model that had PASM.
On motorways and decent a/b roads it wasn't really any great issues, but on some bad roads it got bounced around a lot.
Looking back, i think I would have chosen pasm.
But having said that I now have a car where pasm wasn't even an option, but I do think the damping is much better resolved.
As for the practicality issues, you can easily get two weeks worth of holiday stuff for two people in with sensible packing. Bought 2 x large softer bags to stack on top of each other for the front boot. Two flatter bags for directly behind the seats and left the back section for odd bits and pieces, but you could easily put two other bags in there.
I didn't think the ride particularly comfy, hitting bumps hard. It was a showroom model and I didn't really do too much comparison with a model that had PASM.
On motorways and decent a/b roads it wasn't really any great issues, but on some bad roads it got bounced around a lot.
Looking back, i think I would have chosen pasm.
But having said that I now have a car where pasm wasn't even an option, but I do think the damping is much better resolved.
As for the practicality issues, you can easily get two weeks worth of holiday stuff for two people in with sensible packing. Bought 2 x large softer bags to stack on top of each other for the front boot. Two flatter bags for directly behind the seats and left the back section for odd bits and pieces, but you could easily put two other bags in there.
Wheel size please 
DS240 said:
I had a gen 1 Cayman S.
I didn't think the ride particularly comfy, hitting bumps hard. It was a showroom model and I didn't really do too much comparison with a model that had PASM.
On motorways and decent a/b roads it wasn't really any great issues, but on some bad roads it got bounced around a lot.
Looking back, i think I would have chosen pasm.
But having said that I now have a car where pasm wasn't even an option, but I do think the damping is much better resolved.
As for the practicality issues, you can easily get two weeks worth of holiday stuff for two people in with sensible packing. Bought 2 x large softer bags to stack on top of each other for the front boot. Two flatter bags for directly behind the seats and left the back section for odd bits and pieces, but you could easily put two other bags in there.
I didn't think the ride particularly comfy, hitting bumps hard. It was a showroom model and I didn't really do too much comparison with a model that had PASM.
On motorways and decent a/b roads it wasn't really any great issues, but on some bad roads it got bounced around a lot.
Looking back, i think I would have chosen pasm.
But having said that I now have a car where pasm wasn't even an option, but I do think the damping is much better resolved.
As for the practicality issues, you can easily get two weeks worth of holiday stuff for two people in with sensible packing. Bought 2 x large softer bags to stack on top of each other for the front boot. Two flatter bags for directly behind the seats and left the back section for odd bits and pieces, but you could easily put two other bags in there.
bleunos said:
Asterix said:
Mine is an absolute peach and I'd be okay with selling it - you can drive it back from Dubai, no?
It has PASM (which is brilliant!).
hmmm - that would be an awesome road trip to bond with my new baby! lolIt has PASM (which is brilliant!).
what colour is it? how much? (HOW MUCH!! it must be gold plated!....oh, it is...)
how are used Cayman prices holding up over in Dubai? Has the new one caused much of a stir? I bet there must be some amazing used cars in the local classifieds, many bargains?
Dunno how that would compare to the UK.
Also, mine was very heavily specified so probably a bit more heavy on the purchase price that I wouldn't expect to see a return on.
The exchange rate is different now though so that begins to change things. I think it was around 7 AED to the Pound then and around 5.5 now.
Edited by Asterix on Sunday 24th March 13:27
You should without doubt try one with PASM to see if it suits you. These cars are a real steal at the moment as most of the depreciation is out of the way and I would say be prepared to extend your budget if you can. I started off with a budget of £15K to buy a Boxster for the odd trackday/soft top summer car, over a period of time I tried various models and was glad I checked out things like PASM etc. In the end I spent £26K on an RS60 Boxster with everything including sports exhaust (really nice sound) Ceramic Brakes but I will say this, it is without any doubt whatsoever the best £26K I have ever spent on a car and I was lucky enough to buy it privately with an official Porsche Warranty still in place for 18 months.
These cars are so much fun for so little money.
These cars are so much fun for so little money.
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