# Calling all Porsche experts



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

After my recent experience with the Mechatronic Control Module failing on my 3 year old, 33k miles TT, it's really got me thinking about what to do with the car once it's repaired.

I've spent the last few days scouring the net for Cayman S examples, and have seen quite a few nicely specced cars for around the Â£40k mark.
I visited a Porsche dealer in Glasgow yesterday to have a look at the car "in the flesh", and I must say I like it a lot.
I've to contact him if I want to arrange a test drive, although with it being a Porsche dealer I've found the prices to be about Â£3k-Â£5k more expensive than non-Porsche dealers (such as Bentley).

My questions really, are what are the best extras to look for in the car?
My only stipulations are that I would like it to have the following:

Colour: Preferably Arctic Silver
Type: Cayman S (3.4l)
Transmission: Tiptronic
Interior: Black leather

Other than that, I don't really mind, although the Sat Nav upgrade could be useful.
I've read about active suspension something-or-other which is supposed to be good for softening up the ride a bit.

Anyone got any advice on them?
I'd be looking to spend about Â£40k, but will go a few Â£k more if it's a nice example. I'll probably look to buy just after Christmas, once I've returned from Australia.

Rogue


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

I've recently sold my Cayman S and was told that the two things that make it more desirable (according to Glasses Guide) were sat nav (Porsche Communication Management) and 19" wheels. Mine had neither.

Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) reduces the ride height by 10mm as standard. Not sure what it's supposed to do whilst on the open road.

Sports Chrono is supposed to sharpen up the throttle response. You also get a stop clock mounted on the dash so you can time yourself on sprints or laps of a track.

Bi-xenon lights aren't standard so make sure you get a used example with this option.

Sports Seats aren't standard either. I had them in mine and they're great. I reckon they'd be a little too snug for a big chap though.

Bose. Not brilliant in the Cayman S if I'm honest. Certainly not as good as it was in the TT.

If I was to buy second hand I would look for Sports Seats, PCM, PASM, Bi-Xenons and 19" Sports Chrono Wheels.

Ian Cameron at www.cameronsportscars.co.uk bought my Cayman off me for around Â£3k more than Porsche offered and sold it for around Â£3k less than Porsche would of. Keep an eye on his stock list. He doesn't have any Cayman's at the moment though.

I'll try and answer any other questions you may have so just give us a yell 

By the way - excellent choice


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

I drove a Porsche with PASM and Sports Chrono and one without back to back. I couldn't tell the difference on normal roads. Neither could Tiff on the track.


----------



## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

...the CaymanS looks best with the 19" wheels as the arches are vast! The best set up is 19's with PASM (Porsche Active Stability Management) and gives you the best of both worlds...in 'Normal' setting it still adjusts but is a softer ride than stock suspension and in 'Sport' mode it still adjusts but is fundimentily harder and more useful than stock suspension. Would of thought the sat nav and telephone module would be easy to pick up in a used one at zero extra cost which for a Â£2.2k set of options is quite a good deal! 

The Tiptronic S is far inferior to Audi's (Porsche designed) DSG and it annoyed me, not worth any of the extra cost over manual.

Awesome car the 3.4l flat 6, won't get 20mpg so be warned but every trip is an event.

D


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

Thanks for the info, fellas.
I'm still waiting on Audi getting back to me to see if they can sort me out with a courtesy car while we sort out my DSG problems, and after chasing up the Service Manager TWICE today already, and STILL not having had a call back (he said this morning he'd call me back ASAP), I'm getting to the end of my tether with Audi.

Fuel consumption of the Cayman is something I'd thought about, as I do around 250-300 miles per week, which is currently about Â£55 a week with the TT. However, I definitely wouldn't let 20mpg stop me from buying it :wink:

Rogue


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

V6 TT said:


> The Tiptronic S is far inferior to Audi's (Porsche designed) DSG and it annoyed me, not worth any of the extra cost over manual.
> 
> D


Can I ask what it was about the Tiptronic that annoyed you?

Rogue


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

V6 TT said:


> PASM (Porsche Active Stability Management)


I don't mean to appear a pedant, but I think you'll find I'm right :wink:


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

V6 TT said:


> Would of thought the sat nav and telephone module would be easy to pick up in a used one at zero extra cost which for a Â£2.2k set of options is quite a good deal!


A car with both 19s and PCM typically fetches Â£1500 more than those without, so I'm told.


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

Wasn't that Walter gadgie quicker round the Nurburgring in a Cayman S without PASM and on standard 18s?


----------



## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

I'd have a word with Dave (Jac-in-a-box) about using a Porsche through a Scottish winter


----------



## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

Widget said:


> V6 TT said:
> 
> 
> > PASM (Porsche Active Stability <- oops! Management)
> ...


...did you ever drive or press any buttons in your Porsche? Don't think you understand your abbreviations... P.A.S.M. = Porsche Active Suspension Management (10mm lowered from the factory and when the button is pressed the led indicator will light and 'PASM Sport' will read on the dash with a shock absorber symbol and instantly firms up the ride and extremely noticieable, not even up for debate, if you can't feel the difference the cars stationary! - acts in the same manner as Audi's Magnetic Ride) ... P.S.M. = Porsche Stabilty Management (ESP, traction control, etc.)

The Sports Chrono feature and stop watch is a complete waste of space and just remaps the throttle with zero performance gain and in fact most owners I speak with don't even bother with it on the track, one of the reasons I couldn't be bothered to spec it in my 911.

Walter Rohl, or 'Sir' to you :lol: , actually did the fastest time round the Ring in a CaymanS on 19" Sport Designs (lightest 19 Porsche wheel), PASM and ceramic brakes, it was his prefered set up.

D


----------



## vassy (Jul 31, 2006)

Personally i wouldn't go for the Tip since it's slower & costs more than the manual.


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

V6 TT said:


> ...did you ever drive or press any buttons in your Porsche?


I didn't have any buttons.


----------



## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

Widget said:


> V6 TT said:
> 
> 
> > ...did you ever drive or press any buttons in your Porsche?
> ...


...so justifying your lack of PASM and SC then? Next to the Sport Shift (or Short Shift) option, PASM is the most usable feature for not much outlay of cash and buying 2nd hand it's a no brainer. Now on my 2nd Porsche and wouldn't own one without it. CaymanS' on 18's and no PASM look dreadful. The extra 10mm lower makes a fair bit of difference to the stance.

Tiff also said on the 5th Gear review that 'by pressing the button on PASM it lowers the car by 10mm', like it did it on the fly!? He went on to say he couldn't tell the difference on the open road...he's not the most informed motor journo and it's hardly rocket science! :roll:

D


----------



## The Silver Surfer (May 14, 2002)

My brother did a fair bit of research/digging before he bought his Boxster S and the general consensus from Porsche Forums was that without PASM, the ride on a car with 19" wheels is too hard.

PASM, therefore, was a prerequisite when he was looking for a car.

Having been in my brothers car, I have to say, the ride quality is very good, considering the car rides on 19" wheels.

Other than Bose, which I'd be inclined to go for as I've heard that the standard system is poor, the spec that Widget has listed appears to be spot-on.


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

Have you had a bad day Dean?



V6 TT said:


> ...so justifying your lack of PASM and SC then?


No. Prior to ordering, I test drove 2 997s one with and one without. I had as much fun in the one without as I did in the one with, and therefore based my decision upon that. However, maybe I do regret it which is why (as already mentioned), if I was looking to buy second hand then I would be looking for PASM.


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

The Silver Surfer said:


> Other than Bose, which I'd be inclined to go for as I've heard that standard system is poor, the spec that Widget has listed appears to be spot-on.


Nice one, I forget to add Bose. Although it isn't brilliant in the Cayman it is the best on offer (from the factory), so yeah, Rogue, defo be looking for Bose too


----------



## Jac-in-a-Box (Nov 9, 2002)

vassy said:


> Personally i wouldn't go for the Tip since it's slower & costs more than the manual.


LOL! :wink: Urban myth

Tip' is perfect. The naysayers have inariably never taken the time to understand its capabilities - and it'll take more than an hours test drive to understand just how flexible it is.

Clever box of tricks and I really enjoy it

Manual faster? Not really...not unless you want to be really brutal with your clutch (and can live with the smell of burning and subsequent clutch replacement cost)
Tip - hang onto the wheel and let the electronics take care of the shifting. It won't up/down change through corners like a conventional slush box. Adaptive programmes (6 I think) kick in according to driving style.

Not as slick as the DSG but more reliable :wink:

I'm sure all Caymans come with some sort traction control (Porkers old PSM that lives under some other acronym now) which will help in winter...even so, going from the security of quattro to rwd needs a respectful right foot in the cold/wet/snow!

Otherwise, I think you've been given some sound advice on what to look for.

Dave


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

Jac-in-a-Box said:


> vassy said:
> 
> 
> > Personally i wouldn't go for the Tip since it's slower & costs more than the manual.
> ...


Hey, if my car can't make it out the street then I'm not going to work, so it's a win-win situation! :wink: :lol:

After getting used to an automatic with the DSG, I wouldn't go back to a manual. In the stop-start traffic of rush hour you spend more time changing gears than driving.

Rogue


----------



## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

Widget said:


> Have you had a bad day Dean?


...no my friend, just a little confused by your comments as the difference between a PASM slung Porker (in Normal and Sport modes) and one without is pretty apparent.

FWIW I paid the Â£890 for BOSE in my old CaymanS and as good as it was I didn't feel it was worth such high cost and in comparison to the Sound Package Plus (standard in the 997S) which has a cost of Â£390 in the CaymanS, it's more than adequate in a sports car. Saying that, the standard set up's not too shabby really.

D


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

V6 TT said:


> Widget said:
> 
> 
> > Have you had a bad day Dean?
> ...


One of the cars I looked at on Sunday had BOSE, but it's always better to know real people's experiences of the equipment.
I've noticed that quite a few have something like a "Premium Sound Upgrade" or something like that.

I might have to think about getting the iPod hooked up to it though, I'd miss that from my TT.

Rogue


----------



## Sussex_Paul (Aug 1, 2007)

I've driven (but not owned) a lot of Porsche's over a lot of miles during the past few years and would would offer the following into the mix:
1. Most important options for sale/resale as far as I'm concerened are a good colour/wheel combo. Nothing looks worse than a garish colour (on the wrong model Porsche) and under-endowed wheels.
2. Tiptronic S is nothing like DSG. For a start it's only a 5 speed box and I have always found that it is much slower at changing gears and therefore gives away a few temths of a second to the manual box. Think of it as an automatic with a manual function rather than a semi automatic or sequential gearbox. 
3. PASM does make a difference to the feel of the car when you press the button to switch it to sport mode. The ride is certainly firmer and the throttle response is sharper. I think it makes the car come alive on fast road or track driving.
Cheers.
Paul.


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

Sussex_Paul said:


> I've driven (but not owned) a lot of Porsche's over a lot of miles during the past few years and would would offer the following into the mix:
> 1. Most important options for sale/resale as far as I'm concerened are a good colour/wheel combo. Nothing looks worse than a garish colour (on the wrong model Porsche) and under-endowed wheels.
> 2. Tiptronic S is nothing like DSG. For a start it's only a 5 speed box and I have always found that it is much slower at changing gears and therefore gives away a few temths of a second to the manual box. Think of it as an automatic with a manual function rather than a semi automatic or sequential gearbox.
> 3. PASM does make a difference to the feel of the car when you press the button to switch it to sport mode. The ride is certainly firmer and the throttle response is sharper. I think it makes the car come alive on fast road or track driving.
> ...


Cheers for that, Paul.
19" wheels are definitely on my list of "wants" now, as almost everyone has mentioned them. As has PASM. 8)

Rogue


----------



## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

...the Premium Sound Upgrade consists of 10 speakers and it's the perfect balance for a Porker, Bose just overkill for that sorta wonga IMHO especially having owned this version since March '07.

Oh yeh, Porsche have just released an Ipod connection which can be retro fitted, it's located in the rear central storage compartment.

D


----------



## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

Sussex_Paul said:


> I've driven (but not owned) a lot of Porsche's over a lot of miles during the past few years and would would offer the following into the mix:
> 1. Most important options for sale/resale as far as I'm concerened are a good colour/wheel combo. Nothing looks worse than a garish colour (on the wrong model Porsche) and under-endowed wheels.
> 2. Tiptronic S is nothing like DSG. For a start it's only a 5 speed box and I have always found that it is much slower at changing gears and therefore gives away a few temths of a second to the manual box. Think of it as an automatic with a manual function rather than a semi automatic or sequential gearbox.
> 3. PASM does make a difference to the feel of the car when you press the button to switch it to sport mode. The ride is certainly firmer and the throttle response is sharper. I think it makes the car come alive on fast road or track driving.
> ...


...couldn't of said it better myself!! :wink:

D


----------



## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

Rogue said:


> 19" wheels are definitely on my list of "wants" now, as almost everyone has mentioned them. As has PASM. 8)
> 
> Rogue


...my top 3 ranking 19's on a CaymanS are:

1. Sport Designs (as on my 911)
2. Turbo (great on grey cars as inner sprayed grey so free wheel to body colour match option!)
3. Carrera Sport

D


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

V6 TT said:


> Rogue said:
> 
> 
> > 19" wheels are definitely on my list of "wants" now, as almost everyone has mentioned them. As has PASM. 8)
> ...


I really like the Sport Designs wheels. They suit the car.
That's excellent news about the iPod connector too.
I presume it's a similar one to the Audi, in that it replaces your 6-disk changer?

Rogue


----------



## jbell (May 15, 2006)

Nice Boxster just appeared on Pistonheads

http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/221976.htm


----------



## The Silver Surfer (May 14, 2002)

jbell said:


> Nice Boxster just appeared on Pistonheads
> 
> http://www.pistonheads.co.uk/sales/221976.htm


That's a nice spec for the money. Just goes to show how much money these cars lose.


----------



## Widget (May 7, 2002)

Rogue

Have you considered the Porsche Design Cayman S. I think it looks great, has 19" 997 Turbo Wheels and PASM. Generally seems well specced and is <Â£50k.

It's on the home page at the moment:
http://www.porsche.com/uk/


----------



## kev'scoop (Jul 6, 2006)

Rogue said:


> V6 TT said:
> 
> 
> > Rogue said:
> ...


Watch the Bentley garage most of its cars are imports, thier finance is not that great and its owned by parks nuff said 

I bought my boxster s from glenvargle in march its the 3.4s with 19" turbos on sports suspension in dark blue. I love it. It has also got the Bose and it is very good

Kev


----------



## jam (May 8, 2002)

Sussex_Paul said:


> I've driven (but not owned) a lot of Porsche's over a lot of miles during the past few years and would would offer the following into the mix:
> 1. Most important options for sale/resale as far as I'm concerened are a good colour/wheel combo. Nothing looks worse than a garish colour (on the wrong model Porsche) and under-endowed wheels.
> 2. Tiptronic S is nothing like DSG. For a start it's only a 5 speed box and I have always found that it is much slower at changing gears and therefore gives away a few temths of a second to the manual box. Think of it as an automatic with a manual function rather than a semi automatic or sequential gearbox.
> 3. PASM does make a difference to the feel of the car when you press the button to switch it to sport mode. The ride is certainly firmer and the throttle response is sharper. I think it makes the car come alive on fast road or track driving.
> ...


What he said!!

I do like my tiptronic though - I do loads of city and town driving and I find it perfect.



V6 TT said:


> Oh yeh, Porsche have just released an Ipod connection which can be retro fitted, it's located in the rear central storage compartment.


Anymore info on this mate? Can it still be fitted if you have a CD changer?

Cheers


----------



## Sussex_Paul (Aug 1, 2007)

jam said:


> Sussex_Paul said:
> 
> 
> > I've driven (but not owned) a lot of Porsche's over a lot of miles during the past few years and would would offer the following into the mix:
> ...


I should qualify things by adding that the Tiptronic isn't a nightmare choice by any stretch of the imagination, and if you are likely to do lots of town / trafficjam driving then give it some serious consideration!!
It was just a personal choice of mine to spec the manual box whenever I had the opportunity!!


----------



## Rogue (Jun 15, 2003)

To be honest, I'll probably be using the TT as a trade-in and paying the rest cash, unless there are any decent finance options out there.
Cheers for the tip about the imports though, I'll remember that if I have to visit Bentley.
That could explain why their cars were priced quite a bit less than most other places I looked.

Rogue



kev'scoop said:


> Rogue said:
> 
> 
> > V6 TT said:
> ...


----------



## V6 TT (Sep 24, 2002)

jam said:


> V6 TT said:
> 
> 
> > Oh yeh, Porsche have just released an Ipod connection which can be retro fitted, it's located in the rear central storage compartment.
> ...


...from what I've read and seen (can't find exactly where now!) it can run in any set up as it takes over the '0' position on the Radio screen and shown as 'Ipod' (although this is not an FM modulator)...no idea on costs sorry fella or if it displays the track name etc.

D


----------

