About PASM

Following my recent posts, Should You Get Porsche’s Popular Option Sport Chrono Package? and Should You Get Porsche’s Popular Option Sport Exhaust?, this time I’d like to write about the PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) option.

PASM is a chassis (suspension-related) option. According to Porsche’s official site,

The electronically controlled damper system PASM enhances driving stability, comfort, and performance. It continuously adjusts the damping force of each wheel’s damper according to road conditions and driving style. Additionally, the ride height is lowered by 10 mm. PASM offers two damping modes, “Normal” and “Sport,” which can be switched using a button on the center console. Normal mode prioritizes comfort and performance, while Sport mode firms up the suspension for a sportier setup.

Other sites describe it as:

“A shock absorber with a wider damper range that further improves stability during high-speed cornering, enhances comfort through more precise responsiveness, and improves road holding for dynamic driving.”

In other words, opting for PASM means you get a smoother, more comfortable ride in normal driving, and when switched to Sport mode, the suspension stiffens significantly, increasing road contact and enabling a more sporty driving experience.

Still, the fact that it continuously adjusts damping force in real time is pretty amazing. By the way, here’s what the PASM switch looks like:

Is that an illustration of a damper?

Looking at online reviews, the overwhelming consensus is that “You can manage without PASM, but if you can get it, you definitely should.”

When driving a car without PASM, I noticed harsh jolts over bumps on the highway, but in a PASM-equipped car, those impacts are noticeably softened, making the ride much more comfortable.

My Porsche-Driving Husband’s Take on PASM

All of our Porsches come with PASM, including those with it as standard equipment. I’ve occasionally driven test cars without PASM, but I didn’t consciously notice any difference, so I can’t really comment on it…

When driving on highways, I find it convenient to have PASM because even if I don’t switch to Sport mode, just firming up the suspension makes driving easier. (Not very deep insight, I know…) My husband says:

There are differences depending on the model, but overall, I think the ride quality is better with PASM.

When we recently visited the dealer to look at a Cayenne, he said, “You definitely want to get PASM on the Cayenne too.” When I asked him about PASM, he explained:

From my experience with the 718 Cayman, the car without PASM felt slightly stiffer than the one with PASM in Sport Plus mode. But the term “stiff” is tricky because PASM electronically varies the damper’s damping force, so depending on the situation, it might feel similar to a non-PASM car or even stiffer at times.
The key is that PASM is an active damper system that continuously adjusts damping force, so rather than just “stiff” or “soft,” it actually makes the ride feel more comfortable and stabilizes the car’s posture and tire contact during cornering.
Also, while a car without PASM might seem more hardcore and sporty, if that were true, then “GT3s wouldn’t come standard with PASM.” Since they do, PASM must help you drive faster while staying comfortable.
I’ve also heard that retrofitting PASM is quite difficult, so it’s definitely an option you want to get from the start. Personally, I always get it.

I still have a lot to learn about car mechanics, but even just thinking about the comfort of passengers in the front and rear seats, I feel it’s better to have PASM installed.

Next, I wonder which option I should review… If you have any requests like “Please write about ○○!”, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section.