I'm breaking this up into multiple posts because I'm all hopped up on Red Bull right now and I want to beat Nick USA's post count. What's he up to now dammit???
Where was I? Oh yeah, skidpad time on a churning stomach.
Instructor: You'll learn how to balance the car at the edge of adhesion with small steering and gas inputs.
Me: I can't do an oversteer slide like in Fast n'Furious Tokyo Drift??
Thank you to the Rutherford Fire Department for sending a pumper trunk to wet down the skidpad so that out tires wouldn't melt. I learned something new about firefighting today. The best fire retardent must be... MUD. Yeah mud, my clean, pristine, waxed and California Car Covered Cayman was covered in MUDDY SLIME after one turn in the skidpad. Yeah, de-snork my ***, if I had de-snorked my engine would have been sucking in the sewage water from the porta-potties.
My first three go arounds on the skidpad were drama free as I slowly picked up speed and tighten the circle. If the car understeered, a decrease of the throttle and straightening of the wheel brought it back in line. A good technique is to hold the steering wheel at 9 and 3 o'clock with just your fingertips. Our steering rack is so sensative you do feel everything. Of course don't be drive with your fingertips when your at the light and some hot girl looks over to check you out. That's when you have to lean the seat all the way back so that only the top of your backwards Porsche cap is visible.
Oh but the way,
PSM is OFF for all these exercises. Since I paid good money for
PASM and
Sport Chrono, I put these on too.
Right before my 4th run I was feeling like a pro, so I jump off the line and promptly stall. Key all the way to the left, restart, off I go. I did the most amazing run on the skidpad after that, nice tight, balanced, blah blah blah. The instructor was amazed. I pull back in line and look down. D'OH!!! After the stall,
PSM came back on,
PASM and
Sport Chrono were off. Talk about a letdown!!
One more thing, if you ever find yourself in a skidpad going counter clockwise, look out the drive window for the cones ahead of you. You're not going to see anything out the windshield. My instructor kept fiddling with the wiper controls to clear the water off the windshield and I told him to stop, I wasn't looking in front anyway. Of course when I finished the run, I had to drive back to the line blind. (MUD, remember???)
Next up, more skidmarks! Err, skidpads!
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PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
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This active damping system offers continuous adjustment of individual damping forces based on current road conditions and driving style.
The driver can choose from two setup modes, ‘Normal’ and ‘Sport’, using a separate ‘damper’ button on the center console. ‘Normal’ mode is designed for general road driving and circuits with uneven tarmac. ‘Sport’ mode is intended for smoother track surfaces, where the harder settings help eliminate pitch and roll.
In either mode, PASM continuously evaluates the current conditions while automatically selecting the corresponding damper rates from the respective set of mapped values.
A range of sensors are used to monitor the movement of the body under acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, as well as on poor road surfaces. The PASM control unit then evaluates this data and modifies the damping force on each individual wheel in accordance with the selected mode. The result is a significant reduction in body movement as well as a better grip on the road.
For example: if ‘Sport’ mode is selected, the suspension is automatically set to a harder damper rating. If the quality of the track surface falls below a certain threshold, the system immediately changes to a softer rating within the ‘Sport’ setup range. When the quality of the tarmac improves once more, PASM automatically returns to the original, harder rating.
Need more information about PASM? Click this link: FAQ for PASM |
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PSM - Porsche Stability Management
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While it can’t overcome the laws of physics, the revolutionary Porsche Stability Management (PSM) system does lend an added degree of balance and control to the Cayman’s mid-engine driving dynamics, inspiring surefooted confidence in corners and extreme situations.
A standard feature on the Cayman and Cayman S, PSM continuously monitors steering input, road speed, yaw velocity and lateral acceleration to calculate the actual direction of travel. If the car begins to steer off line, PSM instantly intervenes with precision brake inputs on individual wheels to help bring the car back onto the driver’s intended path.
If braking alone isn’t enough to correct the vehicle’s cornering line, PSM then calls on the Cayman’s engine management system, adjusting engine output as needed to help stabilize handling. PSM can also compensate in an instant for mid-corner changes in load resulting from deceleration or braking. When Sport mode is selected with the optional Sport Chrono Package, PSM’s threshold for intervention is raised, allowing for greater driver involvement. If you prefer driving without automatic PSM assistance, the system can be set to standby at any time. In this case, it will only intervene under heavy braking, where both front wheels exceed the ABS threshold.
For all of its technical ability, PSM goes virtually unnoticed in everyday driving situations, preserving the Cayman’s natural agility. |
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__________________
Pete
2008
Meteor Grey CS, PASM, Chrono, Sport Seats, Sport Shifter, Sport steering wheel, Xenon,
Fire Extinguisher, Auto Climate and clear bra!
2007
Blue Slate Infiniti G35s 6-speed
