Dear Unregistered, the permission changes should be complete, if you notice any issues with your access on the site please let us know and we will check into it.
Hey Unregistered it seems that you haven't posted a message in our forums yet. Please join in on the fun and post a message!
Dear Unregistered,
We've noticed that you are not yet a member of our Cayman Insiders group. This group provides a number of additional value-add services via this website for a very low annual fee. You can find out more about this group here:
Insider Announcement
You can join the Cayman Insiders Group here:
Insider Enrollment Form
We hope to see you "Inside" soon!
Cayman CompetitionAuto Cross, Club Racing, DE, this is the place to discuss the Cayman on the track
Your Donation Will Be Used To Pay For our ever increasing bandwidth costs, our hosting Service, domain registration, software licensing fees, maintenance costs and product evaluations Only!
Please enter your donation amount above, and then click on the donate button below.
New here. Be kind please. I have been educating myself on Porsches for about a year. I really only want to buy a Porsche for DE events. My problem is headroom, not budget. Though a GT3RS is beyond my financial comfort and "look at me" comfort given I have DE no experience. I have the torso of someone 6'6" and the legs of someone 5'8". I have been targeting the 996GT3 and Cayman S because neither have sunroofs. I did PSDS 3 weeks ago and the school 997s and 997Ss were not comfortable enough for me to want to own one. I didn't want to put Euro GT3 seats in a 997 and lose access to the back seats. With Euro GT3 seats I fit in the 996GT3 with a helmet on. Same with a Cayman with aftermarket seats that I have sat in (ty JoelCS!). But until today I assumed the Cayman had the side airbags in the door only, like the 996GT3. I don't know how I overlooked that, guess I just assumed all Porsches were the same as I have spent much time lurking on the Rennlist 996GT3 board trying to figure out fit issues etc. Same with the 997 now that I looked into it, side seat airbags. So I have now discovered the new to me Sport Bucket Seat option for the Cayman and 997 and thought "Eureka!". So my question is this, does anyone know how much, if any, headroom is gained with the new Sport Bucket seat option vs. the manual Leather Sport Seats? I've emailed Porsche NA to see what they say but trust Porsche owners more. I'm hoping these seats will get me in a Cayman. Also, how much headroom does the Brey-Krause mounting bracket (or something similar I am unaware of) get me in a Cayman. I'm apprehensive about starting my learning process in a 996GT3 and loved the AX time I had at PSDS in the CS. So I am hoping I can make a CS fit me and keep the side protection as Porsche has intended it to be.
Much thanks! More questions to follow I'm sure if I go the Cayman route. To PCCB or not to be, PASM etc. I know, read the threads. I have! But they are old.
PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
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
AFAIK, the new sport seats you can order (known by many as the GT2 seats) go onto the same rails and are the same height as all the other seats you can get from the factory. If you fit in a Cayman with sport seats, odds are you'll fit in one with the special order seats, too.
Imo, you are probably correct in wanting to have a Cayman rather than a 996 GT3 with the lack of track experience you have... while the 996 GT3's are splendid cars, on the track, they are not for the faint-of-heart or the novice - I've seen and heard of many experienced drivers having a variety of off-track excursions in these cars...
As for your upcoming questions - yes, read the threads... most folks still don't recommend the PCCBs for serious DE or racing - if they do come apart under this use, they're ridiculously expensive ($6k per wheel) and Porsche has a history of not paying warranty claims for PCCBs used on the track. PASM - read, read, read... there's much to read through on here... the threads may be old, but not much, if anything, has changed about PASM or the PCCBs since they were last discussed here.
brad
PASM - Porsche Active Suspension Management
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
__________________
21-year PCA Member
PCA DE Instructor
Thanks Brad. I actually need to gain headroom compared to the manual sport seats. So I am hoping the Sport Bucket seats actually get my butt lower. Hopefully someone has them or PCNA gets back to me with some measurements. I think the BK mounts might get me an inch but I'd love to hear from a Cayman user that has used them (if in fact there is lowering bracket for Cayman seats, I know there is for the 997 and I think 996). I hear you about the 996GT3. It intimdates me. As a beginner I like the idea of having PSM to save my bacon. I know many will not agree with me but I am of the opinion that PSM will never kick in unless I have made a mistake. And with Sport Chrono it kicks in even later. So why not have it there for my inevitable mistakes? But first I have to find a way to fit into a CS, preferably with all airbags functional.
Sport Chrono and Chrono Plus
This optional package is a valuable addition for trackday use. Available in conjunction with the CDR-24 CD radio, it includes a swivel-mounted analog and digital timer unit which is centrally located on the dashboard. All functions are easily accessible via the control stalk for the on-board computer. Analog dials measure hours, minutes and seconds, while a separate digital field displays whole seconds, tenths and one hundredths of a second. A second digital display runs in parallel in the instrument cluster. Click this Link to visit the FAQ entry for Sport Chrono.
PSM - Porsche Stability Management
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.
The new Sport Bucket Seats (aka GT2 seats) are so new that I doubt anyone actually owns a pair yet. A few people on this board have seen/sat in them at Posche events, but I don't know if anyone will have an accurate enough memory to be able to answer your question about headroom vs the normal seats. Hopefully I am proved wrong.
I was hoping to get some of these new seats myself, but was told it would be at least until Summer before they are available as a retrofit from the parts counter, and obscenely expensive. In the meantime I put 996GT3 seats in my car (losing the thorax airbag in the process as you so rightly pointed out). I have the standard mounts on one side and the BK lowering mounts on the driver's side. The BK mounts do help add about 1" or more to the headroom.
Good luck. I hope you find some stats on those seats. I would like to know the answer too!
As an aside, don't over-value PSM for track usage. The only thing PSM knows how to do is help the car stay pointed straight ahead. If you are turning a corner at a track, then that is unhelpful. I always turn it off at the track, (but I am a PCA instructor who has been doing this for 10 years and learned to drive on a track with older cars that didn't even have ABS, so YMMV). Imagine you are trying to use trail-braking or lift-throttle to get a car to rotate sufficiently to achieve an apex: PSM will resist you, and might actually understeer you right off the outside edge of the track (in the worst-case scenario). But at least PSM will make sure you hit the wall nose-first! :-)
Q
PSM - Porsche Stability Management
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.
PCA - Porsche Club Of America
The Porsche Club of America - http://www.pca.org
CaymanClub.Net members who are also PCA members should request access to the PCA Member only forum by filling in their PCA Member ID# into their profile and then requesting a group membership addition, both of which can be done in the User Control Panel (User CP)
I saw the new sport seat (GT2 Seat) in a Cayman S at the Rennsport Reunion. It seemed like the ability to tilt it back is limited by the bulkhead, but if your legs are really short, maybe you can gain some headroom by moving the seat forward. I was told the seats won't be available until summer as an order item (other with with a car) at about $1,200 each.
A buddy of mine ordered the GT2 seats through Napleton Porsche of Westmont (IL). They are fantastic, but I guarantee these things were well over $1200 a seat. I think they are closer to $3000 a seat. He had him put in his 997 GT3. You can get them immediately if you got the cash.
Yes, you can order the sports buckets now on a CS. Do a search, someone tried them out and they sat so low in the car they couldn't see out...so they must get your butt lower. I saw a price of $2,7xx on my dealers computer screen for the option, don't know if that represents his or my costs. Dealers should begin getting their GT2's in a month or so. Many are presold, but they will probably let you try the seats out.
Yes, you can order the sports buckets now on a CS. Do a search, someone tried them out and they sat so low in the car they couldn't see out...so they must get your butt lower. I saw a price of $2,7xx on my dealers computer screen for the option, don't know if that represents his or my costs. Dealers should begin getting their GT2's in a month or so. Many are presold, but they will probably let you try the seats out.
If they buy me headroom I'm sold! Getting to keep the thorax bag and use a harness will be well worth it.
I just went through this with a 996/997 x51 motored no sunroof car. If you want headroom/helmet room, your best bet is to go aftermarket, not factory GT2. Race buckets like Ultrshield Road Race Deluxe aluminum seats are a great choice because they can be ordered in widths and cost about $450, the real cost is you buy brey krause track mounts $120, recaro sliders $80, and then you have to spend about $300 per seat to have a good welder (read someone who knows how to weld aluminum) put a brace on the bottom of the seat to attach the slider. All in you are about $1K per seat, but they will be much lower than the GT2/3 porsche factory seat and much more supportive...this is a real race seat, so you may not like it, but I think it is great, as does my wife, we just had a local shop make a 1 inch foam pad for her that we velcro in when she drives. If you send me a pm I will can email you pictures and more details. Note - the issue with the other popular alternatives like the Recaro Pole Position or Sparco Evo2 seat are while the seat exteriors are wider than the ultrashield 17 inch width or even 18 inch seat, the interior of the ultrashield has more room and is taller. Also the sparco and evo can't go as low as the ultrashiedl without losing the abiity to run a slider.
VMAN
Evolution Motorsports
http://www.evoms.com
We exist to satisfy our customers' addiction to speed and passion for high performance. We engineer, manufacture and offer the highest quality performance components for an elite group of extreme individuals. We are o
Sport Bucket Seats
Augie
