Cayman S stiff suspension ( vs non S )

Hey guys: Just joined the forum....guess what yesterday I went to the dealership to see a Cayman S and after hours of debating trade in value and all the owner of the dealer told me to test drive the car for the rest of the weekend..... Question....is the non S cayman suspension that stiff also ......I love the CS but i just have a little dislike bout the stiffness. I drove a non S Boxster ans it was a little more confy........ BTW Im going from a BMW 335 to Porsche.......

It's not going to be like a 335, it's a sports car. That stiffness is what makes it a Porsche .

Agree...but like I said I test drove a Boxster non S and it was more soft...is it maybe the roof ??

I am quite pleased with the firm suspension on my non-S Cayman , and having driven a CS several times the lower tire profiles on 18"and 19" rims has some considerable effect on the brick-like ride. The 17" tire sidewalls do act as shock absorbers on the road, and that's where I do most of my Cayman driving.

So far Im assuming that there is no diference ( mechanical wise ) between the suspension set up. Is just a matter of weight and probably soft to hard top......not to forget tire size....

Hopefully a summary that helps.... Any Boxster version will be a bit less stiff due to structure and suspension. Base Boxster / Cayman will be slightly less stiff to its S counterpart due to suspension. What you need to focus on..... As SY987CS said, going to a Porsche form even a good sport sedan such as a 335 is a lot of difference. Wheel choices are 17" (base), 18" (base/S), and 19" (base/S). As you go up in wheel size, ride characteristics will shift from most comfortable to most stiff no matter what model or version you have. Standard suspension vs. PASM . When test driving any Boxster/Cayman you NEED to know which suspension it has......standard or PASM. The standard suspension is a great compromise between ride and sportiness, but if you go with 19" wheels it will be a fairly stiff combination, some like it, some don't. I chose the standard suspension and like it a lot. PASM is an electronic suspension that is always on in either 1 of 2 modes. "Normal" mode is meant for everyday driving and will offer the best ride with any wheel size. If you want 19" wheels and/or drive on bad roads it will be an option to look at, however when in "Sport" mode it offers the stiffest suspension and is pretty harsh on the street. Tire pressure. Make sure all tires are inflated properly, this will make a big difference in how harsh the ride with any wheel/suspension combo will be. Tell us a little more about the car the dealer is letting you drive,.....what suspension and what wheel size,....then we can help you a bit more.

When the Cayman S was launched, I recall reading that it's suspension was 10% stiffer than the Boxster S . The extra rigidity of the chassis also impacts the ride stiffness.

From what I understand at least for the "S" versions of the Boxster and Cayman is that the Cayman suspension actually has a second smaller "supplemental" spring on the struts compared to the Boxster . If you look closely at the supsension you can see it. I have not looked at the parts guide for main spring relationship between the Boxster/Cayman , but I believe they are about the same.

The non-S felt slightly softer, mostly due to 17"s. But this is a small difference. I think PASM normal mode will go further towards comfort. I felt that on 19's it was a bit softer than my non- PASM car on 18's. Conversely, the sport mode is almost unusable on bad roads.

So don't drive on bad roads . . . duh!?

I've had a CS on 19's, no PASM , for over a year. It's stiff as hell and I can feel everything. I don't always like it cuz it feels like everything's gonna fall apart, but it's a sports car and I love how it turns on a dime and grips. I have a 545 I use for daily commuting, so I don't think about it too much but even that car has run-flat tires that make the ride harsh also. But if you want a sports car, there'll be compromises. But on the other hand, sometimes I wish I got the PASM , didn't think too much about it before my purchase. It was an impulse buy.

Check the tire pressures - the CS is very sensitive to pressures above the suggested ratings. Some dealers keep their on-lot stock @ 50psi to keep the tires from flat spotting. And then you take it for a test drive and think the ride will keep you from even considering the CS...

Well, you've just pricked me at a sore point. We're not so lucky in the NY/NJ area, and likely the entire Northeast... The roads are just bad. Somehow the taxes we pay end up somewhere else.

When I bought mine I drove a couple of cars and one was noticably stiffer/rougher riding to me. The only difference was 19" vs 18" tires (18" was better ride IMHO).

It has been reiterated on this forum multiple times, and I've even had dealers tell me the exact same thing. A Boxster or a Cayman riding on 19" will not be very comfortable at all compared to one riding on 17" or 18". PASM cars are softer and sportier at the same time than non- PASM ones, and PASM is the only way you can get away with 19" and comfort. A 18" car with normal suspension is perfectly fine, in either car. A 18 with PASM is even more cosseting. A 19" with PASM is similar to an 18" normal, just sportier but still comfortable and a 19" without PASM is rather compromised, but sporty. Some like the 19"/normal suspension harsh ride. Some not. It is, however, unquestionably harsher than either any other configuration, be it 19" PASM , 18" PASM , or 18"non- PASM . Be also aware, like a poster above noted, PASM is not a switch-toggle affair; PASM is not either "hard" or "soft" like aftermarket adjustable suspension. It constantly checks accelerometers at the corners of the car and wheel sensors to understand what you're doing and alters the hardness of the shocks up to 20 times per second to give a ride that's supple yet stiff when cornering/accelerating/braking. This is totally seamless. It's honestly the best of both worlds. The difference between the Boxster 's chasis stiffness and the Cayman 's is a very minor issue compared to the difference wheel diameter and suspensionmakes to ride.

It is the entire northeast but politics isn't the only reason. The "freeze/thaw" cycle causes volume changes in the material (frost heaves) and makes the road surface brittle and subject to potholes. The wetness of the northeast (particularly in winter) contributes to the continual degradation of road surfaces. Combine all of the weather related problems with high traffic volume and you have a tough problem indeed.

My Cayman S on stock suspension and 19" wheels is at the dealers at the moment and I've got a Boxster non-S as a courtesy car. The ride was much more compliant and at the end of my first hour long drive expected to see that the wheels were 18" (non- PASM car) - however to my surprise it had 19". I always thought the suspension on boxsters was harder (to make up for less structural rigidity) but it appears not. Hope this helps.

I have 19" on my CS without PASM . The ride can be harsh on rough roads. PASM would have been nice in retrospect, but it is a sports car and I use it as my daily driver in the warmer months up here. I didn't like the 18" rims that are standard and I like the way the 19"ers fill up the wheel wells. It's all personal opinion.

The Boxster and Boxster S have different suspension set-up. The Boxster being much softer. With the Cayman , it is my understanding that they are the same, with the S having thicker sway bars. So there you go, with the same size wheel, the Cayman and CS will ride the same. The Boxster and Boxster S won't.

I recall reading that the Cayman S had 10% stiffer suspension tuning (not sure if that's springs, shocks, or both) when it was released.

Does your 19" tires have the 35 or 40 sidewall? This would also make a difference in the ride.

Like others have said, the Cayman or Boxster will be stiffer than your 335. I have a 981 C on 19" standard suspension. It is, as memory serves, around the same stiffness as my 08 CS on 18's. It is certainly more compliant than the Cayman R I had on 19s. As a DD, the ride/handling balance is just about right for me. My wife and I both prefer stiffer riding cars and even at approaching 68 years of age, find the ride that gives the incredible handling well worth whatever minor inconvenience it might represent.

Hey there all you Porsche aficionados. I have just acquired my first Porsche Cayman , 982 ( 718 ) manufactured 2019, automatic, 19" wheels. I have noticed with great interests the posts in this forum. I love the car and the way if performs, and it's good to see so much written about the stiffness of the suspension and the roughness of the ride. The roughness of the ride was a surprise, and I understand that some people really like it. If I were ordering a new Cayman , I'd definitely get the PASM , but given that any suspension additions will be retrofitted, I'm looking at various options. These include: (1) SPL front and rear lower control arm kit, (2) Bilstein B6 sports shock absorbers, and (3) KW suspension height assited spring kit - variant V3 suspension. I was wondering whether anyone has any knowledge or experience of these options. Also wondering what people have found the ideal tyre pressure gives the most comfortable ride and whether Nitrogen is better in the tyres. Many thanks, John

Can you tell me what differences are to be expected between the two sidewall tire sizes you posted?

Hi there. Thanks so much for your reply. The front tyres are: 235/35ZR20 (88Y), and rear ones are 265/35ZR20 (95Y). So the sidewall is 35, and tyres are actually 20", not 19 sorry. I've been doing some reading in these forums and it seems that the Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 come highly recommended. Thanks for your thoughts, John.