Ride Comfort: Cayman vs. 911

Lately, I’ve been sharing on the blog how my husband responds to questions from readers, and this time I’d like to introduce a question and his reply about the ride comfort of the Cayman and 911.

Here’s the question we received:

If driving about 200 km in total, which would you recommend for ride comfort, the 911 or the Cayman? Recently, I had a chance to ride in a 911 Carrera S (997.1) with my wife, and she said, “My butt and lower back hurt!”
It’s true that compared to the Cayman S (987) I test drove before, the 911 felt a bit more jarring. I wondered if it’s because of the model year. I’d appreciate your thoughts as a reference for choosing which model to buy.

When I asked my husband about this, he said:

Between the 911 and Cayman, generally speaking, I feel the 911 offers better ride comfort. That’s because the 911’s rear-engine layout means the front is lighter, allowing the front suspension—which greatly affects ride quality—to be softer and more compliant, smoothing out road surface irregularities with less vertical movement of the driver’s viewpoint.
Also, the 911 seems to be set up more like a GT car, better suited for comfortable long-distance driving.
If someone finds the 911’s ride worse, excluding individual differences or suspension wear, it’s often because the wheels are large-diameter optional wheels, which tend to worsen ride comfort. Another key point is whether the suspension has PASM or is a sports suspension.
Without PASM or with sports suspension, the ride tends to be firmer. Also, compared to the 981 and 991 generations, the 987 and 997 models generally have a slightly firmer ride. The 991 and 981 generations made a big leap forward in ride comfort.

That was his take.

A 911 (992) Tuned for Sporty Driving

Next, I want to share some valuable feedback from a reader who drove the same test car my husband recently experienced—a rather hardcore 911 Carrera S (992 model) at the dealer.

I also test drove the 992 Carrera S recently, and I completely agree with your impressions. Compared to my 991.2 GT3 RS in hard mode, my first impression was “This is stiff!”
The 991.2 GT3 RS in hard mode has plenty of suspension travel even in full bump situations during high-speed sporty driving, allowing the suspension to move very well and maintain perfect composure. But the 992 S has too high a spring rate and shock damping can’t keep up, plus the short suspension travel means limited movement, which makes it feel “hard.”
I’m not sure if the car had the optional Sport Chassis or PDCC, but I think it was the former. I’m considering a 992 Carrera/base as a “little brother” to the RS and have test driven various cars at different Porsche Centers, so I can really tell the differences due to varying specs.

It’s rare to get impressions comparing it to the GT3 RS, so I found this very interesting.

In response, my husband said:

The Carrera S my husband test drove probably felt stiff because it had PASM Sport suspension. Also, from my research, reviews tend to say that cars with RS Spyder wheels have worse ride comfort. (Including overseas reviews. It might be coincidence, so I can’t say for sure.)
That particular car felt great and flat at higher speeds, but the way it absorbed bumps at very low speeds wasn’t so good.
It might also be that the suspension and bushings on the test car hadn’t fully broken in yet.

He continued:

The 911 is generally a sports car with good ride comfort. So it’s rare to find any spec that’s so uncomfortable you’d get fed up with it.
However, within that range, options and wheels geared toward sporty driving can make the ride softer or firmer. So if you’re buying a 911 as a daily driver or for your wife’s shopping trips, a softer setup is probably preferred. If you prioritize circuit or winding road driving, a firmer setup is likely better.
It’s best to carefully check options and wheels and choose according to your own purpose and preferences.

That was his advice.

Even within the 911 lineup, ride comfort and feel can vary dramatically depending on specs and options. I thought it would be fun to consider which 911 suits me best in preparation for the day I buy my own Porsche (though that day is still a ways off, haha).