[K-Man Isle]

A REQUEST TO FOLKS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE DRIVING BOTH A GT4 WITH PASM AND A GTS WITH SPORT SUSPENSION:

I am ready to move up to either a Cayman GTS or a GT4. Although I autocross occasionally, it will still primarily be driven short trips on winding mountain roads and in small town traffic. In the past I autocrossed a ’77 911S with stiffer aftermarket suspension and had no problems with driving it daily.


My understanding is that the GTS suspension is lowered 20mm at all times, and the GT4 suspension is lowered 30mm both in “normal” and “Sport” mode. Or does the GT4 lowering change with setting?

I have seen the figures for the GTS Sport and GT4 suspension, but would like to get the “seat of the pants” opinions of people who have experience driving them both.

How does the GT4 PASM in normal mode compare to the GTS Sport Suspension and GT4 PASM in sport mode on:
1. winding mountain roads
2. rural country roads
3. roads in town (not necessarily city - as in Hilo not Honolulu)?

 

[conceptDawg]

The PASM suspension doesn't dynamically raise or lower the ride height at all.
The GTS with Sport Suspension is 20mm lower than a stock cayman.
The GT4 with PASM is 30mm lower than a stock cayman.

So the GT4-PASM is always 10mm lower than the GTS-SS, regardless of PASM setting (Normal vs Sport).

The PASM ride stiffness is a complete unknown for particular instances. Meaning it's computer controlled and varies based on road conditions. Sport mode on the GT4 is likely the same as Sport+ on a Cayman S (not sure though). If that's the case, I think that it varies from as stiff as the Sport Suspension to almost as soft as Normal mode.

For #1 and #2 you would be fine with both. #3 is always the issue for a car that isn't track-only.

Unless you have driven stiffly sprung sports cars for years and/or are very comfortable knowing you're going to get bumped around a lot on normal roads I'd go for PASM. It's a pretty impressive system that is certainly stiff enough when needed but gives you at least a little bit of comfort (albeit less in the GT4 than in a CS).

 

[cajundaddy]

Both are viable sport suspension, the GT4 PASM is more advanced and better both street and track. I would choose PASM for a dual purpose car.

 

[K-Man S]

Both are good suspensions, oddly enough I find the change a little more noticeable on the GTS because the GT4 is overall more hard core to start with, so the change seems a little more subtle, but both are really good suspensions and I'm sure you'd be happy with either...

 

[aramid]

The x73 sports suspension on my GTS was definitely on the firm side for back road use. It can shake your teeth on poor surfaces and with high frequency bumps. However, it's brilliant on track and has a wonderful analogue purity that feels totally on message the whole time.

The GT4 in normal setting is actually more compliant than the GTS but it let's through more detailed noise and texture from the road surface. This may be the suspension mounts etc rather than the springs and dampers. I've also noticed just a trace of float dealing with certain rates of undulation. Overall, It works better across a wider speed range than the GTS which really only comes alive at 60 mph+.

More importantly, the GT4 Cup 2 tyres are spectacularly good.

Considering the strengths of each, I'm intrigued by the idea of a GT4 with a pure sports setup.





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[AdmiralMubutu]

I owned a GTS with x73 and now a GT4. Perhaps it's just me, and/or the roads I drive, but I don't notice a huge difference in the GT4 with the suspension button pressed or not, and seems similar to the GTS although I didn't own them at the same time to directly compare. It's a firm ride either way, but not terrible for daily use. I also have the LWB seats, which I know aren't helping the ride quality any. Those might be an even greater consideration for suitability of majority street vs. track use.

I know that my Nissan GT-R in its firmest suspension setting was almost intolerable on anything but a racetrack, but that car has an angry edge in just about every way.

 

[K-Man Isle]

Thank you all for the feedback.

I've decided that a GT4 might be great for the time it is on a track, but not that great for the roads I drive daily. And, on a more practical consideration, a 30 mm lower suspension would pretty much guarantee that the front spoiler (and maybe more) would be torn up by the speed bumps and driveway inclines in my town. I'm going to look for a GTS.