Hello all,

This past weekend, I traded in my '05 997 C2S for a lightly used 991 that will be my commuting car about two thirds of the time. I was on the fence about whether I should buy the car because it is equipped with PDCC and SPASM and I live in Southern California, where many of the roads leave something to be desired, to put it mildly. However, I pulled the trigger and, after spending this past weekend driving a variety of familiar routes so as to compare it to my old 997, my reaction is that I am so thankful that I bought it. While it is obviously a matter of personal taste, for anyone who might be on the fence about the PDCC + SPASM set up, my response is - don't be. It is truly a phenomenal setup. I find the ride to be much better and more comfortable than my 997, all the while, giving a sensation that the car is much more firmly planted than my 997 ever felt. I have not bottomed out, even after testing some speed bumps, and even if the front lip does get scraped, Porsche was brilliant in making it essentially a plug and play replacement for less than $180.

The first time I drove a 991 about a year ago, my one complaint was that the car felt too cushy and GT like - almost like a BMW 6 Series. The PDCC and SPASM combination, IMHO at least, completely address this issue and make the car feel more like my old 997, but better (for me at least).

Kudos to Porsche for giving owners so many ways to tailor these cars to their particular tastes. I feel so lucky to be able to drive one.

 

Firstly, congratulations on your purchase.

With regards to your impressions of PDCC and SPASM....Spot on!

I've had zero regrets about getting the combo as well. It really has to be experienced over time to fully appreciate it.

 

I decided to add the PDCC to my C4S cab build and almost did so in spite of all the negative feedback... I'm glad I listened to my gut and the feedback from the very few whom actual have the PDCC (that includes you Haku, thanks!)
It makes me look forward to taking delivery even more! (if that's possible)
Enjoy your new ride!

 

Any track time?

 

Congratulations on your new car!

I do have the SPASM & like the handling + the additional 10MM drop.

Not sure what I'm missing w/o PDCC?

 

I just got my 2nd 991, this time with PDCC and SPASM. The first one, that I got for a little less than a year, did not have these options. The 991 is a great handling car, but PDCC makes it even better: I have never been in a car with so little body roll and stays so planted in all circumstances. I am taking it to the track next Friday and see how it compares in more intense use.

 

Id be interested to see how it handles out on the track? What track you going too?
Im not sure the lack of a bit of roll is actually that beneficial at the track and there will be a lack of feedback through the wheel and your butt.

 

The 997 has great steering feel, but let's face it, the wheelbase is too damn short for comfortable everyday commutes. That issue has been solved. My car has the power steering plus and PDCC with the std PASM. In sport plus, my opinion is that it is actually more rigid than my old 997S in sport mode. The PDCC, I think, gives you that extra rigidity. This 991 is good at everything.

 

I'm greatly looking forward to SM's feedback on this. There are very few folks who have spent extensive time in both PDCC and non-PDCC cars so it should be valuable.

My own track impressions (about 20 track days in a PDCC, non-SPASM) car is that the PDCC is most noticeable/valuable in quick transitions (i.e., chicanes).

 

I ordered my car with SPASM.
Did you notice PDCC created any front and end push? Or that it was too stiff and caused the front to wash out in slow to mid speed corners?

 

Will be at Road Atlanta on 2/15 and 3/2-3, then at barber on 3/23-24. Between the two tracks, a nice variety of slow/fast and tight/wide turns.

This is what my short street experience with PDCC tells me too for now. Should make direction changes more effective, but in high speed - wider turns, body roll is an indicator of where your limit is more than a constraint in itself. This being said (and I may be wrong), having the car more flat, meaning a bigger and more evenly distributed tire contact surface, should result in better lateral grip too. I could go off speculating for a while... we'll see on the track soon enough

 

I will definitely be considering some track time. It is something that I have never done, but with a setup like this, I am tempted now more than ever.

 

I use to live in Atlanta and have a good amount of time at both those track so it will be interesting to hear your thoughts.

 

The car understeers just a little bit if that is what you mean and frankly I like it like that. I'd rather have the car setup like that then get aggressive with trail braking and throttle steer as needed. Also I'm coming from a 9974S and the understeer is nothing in comparison to that.

In my experience the other advantage to PDCC on track is much more even tire wear. I've written about that elsewhere.

 

I'm glad more people are warming up to PDCC! I'm anxiously awaiting my PDCC (but regular PASM) 991S scheduled for delivery in early April.

And the even tire wear is something that Sascha Glaeser mentioned to me as well. It's not something that Porsche officially promotes about the PDCC, but it was a nice side benefit that they noticed while extensively testing it on the track. He said they ended up replacing the tires much less frequently compared to the cars without PDCC.

It would be interesting to see a comparison of SPASM vs regular PASM in PDCC equipped cars. I wonder how the lowered and stiffer suspension would affect the handling in a car that was already equipped with PDCC...