Advice about PASM, potholes, and speed bumps

Mike (BLKBOXS) with 6 points, MikenOH with 4.5 points, Richard986pei with 2 points. RickJ came in a close 4th.

The car:

2014 Boxster S (6,000 miles, in-service date - April 2014)

Equipped as follows:

Amaranth red, with black interior

14-way power sports seats

20" Carrera S wheels

Wheels painted platinum satinmat

Porsche Torque Vectoring

PASM

Porsche Sport Exhaust

Sport Chrono (with PCM)

Navigation/Infotainment with Bose

Premium Package

Park Assist (front and rear)

Seat Ventilation

Voice Control







Thanks to everyone who provided me with many helpful tips/comments/experiences regarding their 981, including, but not limited to: Guenter, MikenOH, Bill (Laz), Mike (LawDevil), Scott (Burg Boxster), SciGuy and Yellowesty

Wow Roger...The real Winner is you!!

It is a beauty!

Congrats and enjoy.

MIKELLIG

Beautiful car, Roger.
Despite all your hints, I missed Amaranth red. .
It's really decked out..even PTV.
You'll have to get it on the track .

Quote
MikenOH
Beautiful car, Roger.
Despite all your hints, I missed Amaranth red. .
It's really decked out..even PTV.
You'll have to get it on the track .

Thanks, Mike.

You did, indeed, have a momentary lapse, given you'd actually provided some positive feedback on the colour a few weeks ago. And, of course, if once I see the car, I'm not in love with it (fat chance), it'll ALL be on your shoulders. Pssst, Guenter, don't tell Mike you too had seen one, which you described as 'beautiful' (for a non-silver. )

BTW, Mike, I gave you a half point for the 'red' part of 'Guards Red.

I'll get it to the track, but probably not ON it.

Congratulations on a terrific find, Roger. I sense your excitment because you forgot to tell everyone what kind of transmission it has. You never know who might be surprised.

It's great to see how you were able to turn that trunk full of lemons, you were handed, into dilectible lemonade. I know you're going to love this car right from the first time you turn the key with you left hand.

You're right, Guenter, I overlooked that, though it was front and centre in my quest.

Here's the window sticker. '6 speed manual transmission' is hidden over on the left, in the list of standard equipment, right above 'McPherson Struts Suspension System'. Not quite the place of prominence it deserves.



In Canada, the dealers generously add another $1800 before very reluctantly offering $2000 off the sticker.

The sticker for an identically spec'd 2016 (but with a different colour metallic paint - Amaranth Red is gone for now) is $96,675 CDN (before dealer's add-on of $1800).

Of course, by this time next year, the flat-6 will apparently be a thing of the past on anything but the GTS.

I've always enjoyed a manual transmission, and though I flirted briefly with the idea of getting a PDK, I knew in my heart that, as long as I can drive a manual, that's what I want in my sports car.

I confess, though, that my heel/toe rev-matching is mediocre at best, and often involves moving my foot off the brake pedal, which tends to interfere with slowing down.

So, although purists will (quite understandably) balk at notion, sport chrono's rev-matching feature appeals to me (AND it can be turned off)

Guido, at 7:40, sold me on the Sport Chrono

[www.youtube.com]

Beautiful car. I have never seen one in that color. It must be a bit on the rare side.

Quote
Vince
Beautiful car. I have never seen one in that color. It must be a bit on the rare side.

Thanks, Vince.

You're right; it's not a common colour. In recent history, Porsche offered it only one year - 2014.

In advance of purchasing this one long-distance, I looked at photos on the net - the colour varies depending on the light.

[www.planet-9.com]

[www.6speedonline.com]

From page 2 of the second link, one fellow wrote:

"This past March I bought a CPO'd 2012 Carrera Cpe. (991) from the local dealer. Anthracite Brown Metallic/Luxor Beige. I was blissfully enjoying my “new” Carrera, until I saw the new Amaranth Red Metallic, and knew I had to have that color. In April, even though I had the 2012 C2 for just a month, I went back to the dealer and “pre-traded” for an ordered 2014 C2S: Amaranth Red Metallic/Luxor Beige."

Colour is subjective, but those who like amaranth red, seem to like it a lot.

That's an absolutely beautiful Boxster S, Roger. Congrats on a great find. Looking forward to your driving impressions and more photo sessions. Enjoy your new ride to the fullest!

Best regards, -rick.

Thanks, guys.

I was pretty bummed at the loss of my 987. And I was equally bummed that a new 981, equipped as I'd like it, would be about $110k here, after taxes (our sales tax is 14%).

The reason I was toying with a custom order is there are a number of options I really wanted to have, and one standard feature (6 speed) which was also vital. Despite looking hard, every day, I just couldn't find a used 981 equipped with those options. And with the US $ at a 30% premium, that superb market was out of reach.

So, when this low-mileage 2014 981S came along, with over 2.5 years of warranty remaining, and 98% of the options I wanted (ideally it would have had 'adaptive sport plus' seats and sport design wheel - I can fix the latter), in a colour which was among my preferred choices (silver, agate and blue were also on the list), I really felt it was time to brake out the crowbar and pry open my wallet.

Given the less than pristine roads here, I would have been just as happy with 19" wheels, in silver, but platinum might hide the ever-present brake dust, and PASM should help take the edge off the potholes.

I can tell you, it's going to be wonderful to be back in the fold again.

PASM in the Normal setting will make generally rough, patchy, concrete or high gravel-mix asphalt more comfortable than a standard suspension equipped car. After a while you'll be able to make judgment calls when approaching speed bumps and potholes as to using the Sport mode. Chances are you're already familiar with local area culprits, so while it's best to avoid potholes no matter what, you can "experiment" with how fast and which setting is the best combination. My experience is that it's better to use Sport to let the strong chassis (torsional rigidity and all that) absorb the greater transmitted shock while having less chance of hitting the bump stops. Believe me, hitting them sounds awful and harmful in some way, and is a lot more alarming than the Sport's sharper bounce.

This is all said with 44,000 miles of experience driving the 981 Boxster.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/06/2015 10:48AM by Laz. (view changes)

Good tip. I'd never thought about using sport in that context.

I know what you mean about that sensation when the suspension runs out of travel. ugh.

Question - on the sport setting, are the wheels going to be at greater risk? Maybe not. Once the suspension travel is exhausted (bump stops are reached), then I guess it's left to the chassis, tires and wheels to duke it out with momentum and gravity.

PASM on Sport might keep the suspension from hitting the bump stops in a situation where it would hit if on the Normal setting. It's always a judgment call, but I'd rather chance the wheel maybe getting damaged while the suspension still has some place to go, than having all the force applied to the affected wheel, bushings, chassis, etc.

Very nicely equipped. You are not helping my temporary Boxster withdrawl.

Thanks. I dare say, your GTS will be a worthy successor!

It is a looker. A shame all those performance options won't get exercised at the track. Hint, hint

Noting your self admitted penny squeezing, Roger, will you come clean with what those amazing contest prizes are, or what you negotiated the price of your new beauty down to???

"A mile of highway will take you one mile. A mile of runway will take you anywhere."