PASM and/or Sport Chrono?

[SoCal]

Down to some final decisions about options before ordering 987S. I keep flipping on whether I want PASM and/or the Sport Chrono.

I don't plan to track the car. I'm pushing 50 and want a comfortable ride. But I do look forward to the Porsche experience.

As far as I understand it, the Sport Chrono option doesn't do much except change how far the gas pedal needs to be depressed to open the throttle. Does it do anything else?

How often is the PASM suspension stiffening engaged in day-to-day driving? Is it good to have it just as a safety feature? In other words, if I were to take a corner at too high a speed, would it help me maintain control of the car? (Do you need the Sport button function to best utilize PASM?)

I know these topics already have been discussed somewhat, but I thought I'd ask again, especially since some of you have broken in your new 987s and may have refined your perceceptions. Your opinions are valued. Thanks.

[rickhuizinga]

Don't have the Sport Chrono, but I have PASM on 19" wheels. I haven't driven 19" without PASM, but I do find that the normal PASM mode makes for a comfortable ride for day to day driving. With PASM (normal mode), hitting bumps or potholes while cornering doesn't upset the car (or the driver).

I attended a driver education event where the PASM sport mode worked great on the track. Really buttoned down the car and eliminated unwanted movement.

In other words, PASM provides the best ride for the street & track.

Rick

[eslai]

PASM makes the car ride even softer than the standard shock setup, but tightens things up when you get into a corner, so yes, I highly recommend it.

I stiffen up the shocks whenever I'm driving... aggressively. If you're not planning on driving on a track, you won't use the stiff setting very often.

The Sport Chrono is a "nice-to-have". If you have the moolah to burn, I'd say get it, even if the wart is ugly as hell. But if not, I wouldn't sweat it.

Bottom line, you want the PASM.

[SoCal]

Looks like the pro-PASM vote is leading.

The extra money for the Sport Chrono doesn't really matter in the end. I agree that the clock on the dash is a little silly looking, but I don't hate it as much as others apparently do. (I save my hating for the wind deflector, which I will get anyway -- since I've taken my beating on that one.)

But, what does the Sport button actually do? I'm not getting the PCM, so there will be nothing to read out digitally on the dash.

Does the Sport function do anything other than change the relative position of the gas pedal / throttle opening? Or, does pushing the Sport button cause the PASM suspension to stiffen, regardless of how aggressively the car is being driven? Even if so, why would anyone want that?

I can't quite figure out what the Sport Chrono does that would make it a good thing to have.

[eslai]

The Sport mode also supposedly puts PSM in a less-aggressive state, but i haven't been able to notice that.

Yeah, if I were to do it again, I may very well just not get Sport Chrono. The more responsive throttle is NICE, but then, I should just be able to tell them to give me the more aggressive, less "smooth" throttle tuning--it's an ELECTRONIC THROTTLE for crying out loud--it's just a SOFTWARE change.

Argh.

[ho2go]

On a related note, is it considerably more expensive (parts and/or labour) to have the shocks replaced if you have PASM? (e.g. Is there some sort of electronic calibration that needs to be done after installing new shocks on a PASM car?)

What's the expected life of regular shocks vs. PASM shocks?