If picking one option: PSE or Sport Chrono on a PDK 981 - Page 2 - Boxster/Cayman - PistonHeads UK

Which would be your preferred one option out of PSE or Sports Chrono on a used 981 PDK?

We chose PSE, 9 years later and still happy with that decision. It sounds incredible.

Pse

PSE. You can enjoy it every time you drive it. Sports Plus mode can be added but engaging it can be a bit extreme if you aren’t on a track. Sports Chrono also opens you up to the almost inevitable engine mount failures.

Neither. SC pointless. Sports Plus is sufficient unless tracking it. PSE if you like to cause yourself a headache at motorway speeds. I have neither out of choice. Had a 2 day test drive before purchase in an SC car - pointless. Had two courtesy cars with PSE. The Boxster particularly gave me a headache with its droning. Go for extended test drives in cars with both options to decide for yourself.

PSE every time, and I have never found the official Porsche sports exhaust drone on the motorway. I would stay away from aftermarket as drone is a problem but PSE is fab.

PSE sounds incredible on acceleration, never had droning in mine, but the overun pops/bangs can be tiresome/embarrassing.

Does standard exhaust sound muted versus PSE closed valve? I’ve been told the PSE pops and bangs a bit OTT if not wanted. Good point on SC engine mounts if that’s the thing it controls too? Similar to PASM , I assume similar to Audi adaptive dampers, so as wear and tear these are more expensive to fix when required

celica88 said: Does standard exhaust sound muted versus PSE closed valve? A little, but I love how my 2.7 981 screams when accelerated hard. I don't need anything more, and in my racing days I sat next to open headers from my V8.

There’s plenty about with both. Here’s my low-down on the options on my 981 Cayman S (manual). I wouldn’t be without either. One makes for a better drive (particularly on a manual/in manual PDK mode). The other is for better sound. I’d also not be without PASM (I’m a road user, not track - it’s superbly calibrated). I also like having PTV. But it only really comes into its own when you’re really going for it. Can do without. On the interior - Burmester is great - but it’s always going to be drowned somewhat by sharing the cabin with an engine (Cayman here) and having 4 wide tires. 18-way seats are superb. 3 memory settings which I have for ‘caning it’, motorway, and wife. 14-ways are great but I need the shoulder support. I’d rather take the sport seat plus (which is the basic seat with shoulder support) than the 14 ways as a result. Extended leather. Not a dealbreaker, but does enhance the cabin. Personal choice. Split-zone AC - for me, essential. My wife and I apparently have very different circulation systems. GPS/phone prep - in the modern world, nice to have, but honestly just upgrade whatever you have to Apple CarPlay. Parking sensors - not essential, but as I sit low, the bonnet being long means I can’t see past the hump of the headlight arches. Rear vis when reverse parking isn’t the best, but I’d be fine without it. For modifications - I have the GT4 short shifter (not applicable to OP’s PDK conundrum). GTS tail-lights. They do look better to my eyes than the big red splotches. Zunsport grills to protect the ludicrously exposed AC condensers. To summarise - I’d personally be insistent on SC/PSE/PASM. After that baseline I’d see what else I could get and weigh it up.

PSE - sounds brilliant and great for resale, most people want it. No SC = no hassle with active engine mounts. Win win

No SC : notably diminished throttle response and less-taught chassis. Not a win. Wouldn’t dream of going without it. I care how it drives more than how it sounds, not least with a ‘chassis’ car. Mine haven’t acted up in 4 years of blasting around. If I need to replace them, I really don’t care. As I’ve said elsewhere, if replacing a transmission mount puts you in a pickle, Porsche ownership is not a sensible proposition.

Royal Jelly said: No SC : notably diminished throttle response and less-taught chassis. Not a win. Wouldn’t dream of going without it. I care how it drives more than how it sounds, not least with a ‘chassis’ car. Mine haven’t acted up in 4 years of blasting around. If I need to replace them, I really don’t care. As I’ve said elsewhere, if replacing a transmission mount puts you in a pickle, Porsche ownership is not a sensible proposition. The OP has asked for opinions and that is what he is getting, your opinion isn’t worth more than any other.

981Boxess said: The OP has asked for opinions and that is what he is getting, your opinion isn’t worth more than any other. And neither is yours. The point I am making, is that a car with SC is, objectively, a better performing car. A car with PSE isn’t. So no, it isn’t a ‘win/win’, or anything of the sort. Edited by Royal Jelly on Monday 26th August 13:16

981Boxess said: Not in my opinion. It’s faster, with a better throttle response and a more taught chassis. Your opinion doesn’t matter. That is fact.

Royal Jelly said: 981Boxess said: The OP has asked for opinions and that is what he is getting, your opinion isn’t worth more than any other. And neither is yours. The point I am making, is that a car with SC is, objectively, a better performing car. A car with PSE isn’t. Not in my opinion. It is just potentially hassle you could have avoided.

Royal Jelly said: 981Boxess said: Not in my opinion. It’s faster, with a better throttle response and a more taught chassis. Your opinion doesn’t matter. That is fact. I will leave that to the OP to decide, he asked the question.

981Boxess said: I will leave that to the OP to decide, he asked the question. He will decided what is more important to him, obviously. He isn’t deciding whether SC makes the car objectively better. That is already fact. So, to conclude, PSE with no SC is not a win/win - as you so clearly tried to assert.

Royal Jelly said: 981Boxess said: I will leave that to the OP to decide, he asked the question. He will decided what is more important to him............. Perfect, so he has the answer to his question

Royal Jelly said: 981Boxess said: Not in my opinion. It’s faster, with a better throttle response and a more taught chassis. Your opinion doesn’t matter. That is fact. OP, Welcome to Pistonheads

Had SC on a manual 7.1 2S ages back. Found it completely irrelevant and never pressed the button again after trying it out a few times. At the time FWIW SC only made the trrottle pedal more sensitive and set dampers to firm, what you can do with the damper button in any case. Perofrmance was not impact though. Edited by Dr S on Monday 26th August 16:58

My 14-way seats have shoulder support. In fact the shoulder support is rather intrusive and the only negative of these seats. 18-way seats are rather cramped as the adjustable side bolsters are narrower on their widest settings than the standard or 14-way non-adjustable bolster seats. Also some people, particularly women, find climbing in over the seat side bolsters uncomfortable. For these reasons 14-way seats are the most comfortable seats of any seats and because I say they are, they are, and I must be obeyed. No other opinions allowed on this by order of me as I am the most knowledgable 981 owner that ever existed, so there!

Dr S said: Had SC on a manual 7.1 2S ages back. Found it completely irrelevant and never pressed the button again after trying it out a few times. At the time FWIW SC only made the trrottle pedal more sensitive and set dampers to firm, what you can do with the damper button in any case. Perofrmance was not impact though. Edited by Dr S on Monday 26th August 16:58 Unsurprisingly, a 987.1 is less developed in every way to a car that’s 1.5 iterations more modern. among other things, SC stiffens the transmission mounts on 981s based on throttle. It’s noticeable to anyone with tactile acuity in the normal range. Acceleration is faster with PDK.

DJMC said: …some people, particularly women, find climbing in over the seat side bolsters uncomfortable. That’s a new one. Women, toddlers, men. Don’t recall anyone struggling to get in Obviously, one is a more adjustable version of the other - with actual shoulder support and housing - which was introduced on the 14-ways for the 718. On the 981, they’re the shape of the base seat - missing the shoulder bolster. The 18 ways, the same shape as sport seat plus. If you’re a massive fatty or a particularly obscure shape, I’d advise trying them all. If you’re shaped reasonably normally, you’ll fit just fine in any of them.

Never ever noticed any drone on my old 3.4 sport exhaust. I would try to find a car with both, but if it came down to only one option it would be PSE over SC. Extended leather and heated seats would also be high up in the must have options list. Plenty of good cars out there with most options, so I would keep searching, rather than accept a lesser spec and prices are going to start to readjust as we come out of the summer period.

PSE, makes godly noises.

PSE excellent, valves can stick occasionally if not kept lubricated

I think the results are in…..

I'm really pleased I got a car with the PSE. It's switchable for anyone worried about drone. Not an issue at all.

celica88 said: Does standard exhaust sound muted versus PSE closed valve? I’ve been told the PSE pops and bangs a bit OTT if not wanted. I am new to 911 ownershiop (not a 981) and mine has a standard exhaust and Sports Chrono. The PSE system will be a selling point, but in my experience the standard exhaust sounds pretty lovely! Plus, I am probably done with shouty cars, so it suits me to only roar when really pushing on.