[Barryng]

I did not order PTV because I assumed it is a feature that would not serve any purpose except for very aggressive cornering. My driving is limited to street use and I do not consider anything beyond mild to moderately aggressive driving appropriate for public streets. Is not ordering PTV something I am going to regret? In other words, will this feature provide noticeable active cornering assist during normal to moderately aggressive street use? If it will make the car feel more glued to the road during normal driving I will order it. My order is not locked so I can still add this but have no desire to spend another $1,400 for something that will probably never be needed.

 

[R Doug]

I believe you'll find very few dealers order cars with PTV. Because I do track days and love to blitz mountain and canyon roads on weekends, PTV was high on my list. When I purchased my car, very few cars on dealer lots had PTV. That's part of the reason I ordered mine.


So, no, I do not believe you'll regret not having it if you're not going to use it.


Enjoy your new car when it arrives!


Cheers!

 

[duegatti]

Keep in mind it also gets you a limited slip differential, which some people would consider a useful feature on surfaces with compromised traction. I may be more on the moderate to inappropriate end of the spectrum. I've had my back end slide several times, and the car serenely sorts itself. I really have no idea what combination of the nannies and my driving technique is doing all this, but I'm glad for it.

I guess the question would be - what metric triggers rear wheel braking in PTV? We know that locking wheels trigger ABS. What makes the PTV operate?

 

[JakiChan]

At the end of the day, I chose not to get it. One of the options I kinda regret. If there was separate options, or a way to turn off the brake thing, I might have done it just for the LSD. From what I hear it chews up rear pads like crazy.

 

[Baka1969]

Remember that PASM must be added in order to get PTV. It cannot be had as a stand alone option. So, essentially, it costs over $3,000 to get the PTV.

When I finally order a Cayman I will not be getting PASM or PTV. I will be ordering on a fixed budget and must stick to it. I've configured a Cayman probably 16.367 billion ways and can't figure how to include PASM and PTV without going over budget.

Although some have claimed that PTV can also be used as a safety feature in inclement weather, I don't plan on driving it when there is significant snow and ice on the ground. I may even evaluate whether or not to drive when the roads are salted. So, since I'm not planning to track a Cayman, I don't see those options as must-haves. I will get plenty of enjoyment without them and it still will be the best sports car I've ever owned. Which will also give me the Cheshire Cat Syndrome that many who own a Cayman seem to be inflicted.

 

[Third]

At the risk of fueling another "LCA" debate, I have PTV (which I believe requires PASM, so the package is expensive) for the additional peace of mind it brings. While I may never track my car, I'm happy to have all available stability management features should things get dicey, eg, wet pavement on high speed on and off ramps. Like Duegatti, I don't know what combination of features may one day save the day, but I'm happy having all bases covered when it comes maintaining traction and control. That said, is PTV necessary for a daily driver? I'm sure not. Nice to have? I think so.

 

[johan]

I did not have PTV on my 718 BS but i have on my 718 CS, and Yeah there is a difference in handling.


With PTV the car feels as a pivot when i turn in to corners, i guess that rear wheel steering feels the same.
It can feel od the first couple of times then you will get used to it.
They say that the slip diff in Porsche aint the best but the grip/traction out from corners is better then without.
Last winter i did not have any issues at all driving in the snow

PTV has a limit in speed but Porsche does not say what the maximun speed is, my guess is that it works up to 80-100 km/h
But i know for a fact that if you track alot the rear brakes wares really fast.

 

[RGM718]

Wow, that picture speaks volumes. You make a good point with this picture! I enjoy sunny Florida and aside from the occasional hurricane , enjoy pretty nice year round driving.

 

[Nosmo]

@johan I take it you use winter tyres? What did you fit?

 

[don]

I've driven an 718 S without PTV and a GTS and for mild to moderately aggressive driving on the streets as OP mentions I don't think you need PTV, particularly if your focus is as a daily driver. The S drives very well as is. If you are doing aggressive canyon and mountain driving with tight off-camber hairpins then I think the LSD will start to play a greater part with acceleration out of the corner.

Otherwise 718s don't really have any traction issues unlike most rear wheel drive front engine cars. If anything what I notice is that the suspension/PASM is more important, but you can always firm up the suspension later if you find the need.

Also all 718s have PSM which acts as a type of electronic diff lock adjusting power and braking so in a lot of instances you probably wont notice the lack of LSD and in most cases you will find the car quite drivable in the wet without PTV. There are some youtube videos show the effects of PSM on and off.

If you want to get the most out of your car in the mountains then I think PTV should be on the list and SPASM.

 

[johan]

Wow, that picture speaks volumes. You make a good point with this picture! I enjoy sunny Florida and aside from the occasional hurricane , enjoy pretty nice year round driving.

You got to love snow !
Top down when its snowing

@johan I take it you use winter tyres? What did you fit?

@Nosmo
Good question!
Common sense says that you should not go for wide winter tires, my winters tires have the same width as the summer but on 19" rims.
The model is Continental Inter conti.

 

[Michael1]

Porsche torque vectoring is a rather crude system that uses the rear brakes. It doesn't have a true torque vectoring differential. In fact, it is not even an electronic limited slip differential. The Cayman has enough rear weight bias, that a limited slip differential isn't needed in all but rare circumstances. I wouldn't pay anything for torque vectoring on a Cayman unless there was some specialized need. Save your brakes.

 

[johan]

Porsche torque vectoring is a rather crude system that uses the rear brakes. It doesn't have a true torque vectoring differential. In fact, it is not even an electronic limited slip differential. The Cayman has enough rear weight bias, that a limited slip differential isn't needed in all but rare circumstances. I wouldn't pay anything for torque vectoring on a Cayman unless there was some specialized need. Save your brakes.

I dont have the same opinion
It is a crude system thats for sure and you have to drive pretty hard for it to kick in.


I have alot curvy roads where i live plus two tracks 10 min from home so i use the system every week.
Also on wet/damp roads the mechanical diff helps, especial under braking

 

[ArchiProf]

I agree with what several others have noted - PTV is not necessary for normal, day-to-day driving. But it is nice to know it is there when needed.

 

[Calimerus]

In my opinion a sport car can't come without an LSD.

I've got a VERY aggressive Titan LSD on my Caterham and, it "makes the turns for me" ...
I don't need to turn the wheel, just play with the gas pedal.

In the past, I also fitted a Torsen lsd on a front wheel drive car that come without it, and, of course, it became so so funny to drive.

I'm pretty addicted to it.

For track driving it's essential.

But if you like to drive "dirty", play with oversteer, play on the rain, run on the mountains.. you'll love it.

I haven't tried yet the PTV, that is supposed to be an electronic LSD on low speeds + mechanical LSD, but I never considered to not having it.. especially on a Porsche.

So I bought it, of course.

It should have come as standard equipment.

 

[splinter]

...but have no desire to spend another $1,400 for something that will probably never be needed.

Ours is PTV Plus equipped.

Given Porsche’s substantial engineering prowess and chassis’ dynamic provenance it’s false economy not to avail yourself of each desirable performance option at build imho.
To wit PTV is standard equipment in upmarket 911 variants.

I’ve retrofit LSDs into other vehicles. Doing so is invariably far costlier than having the factory configure them in initially.

Possible performance benefits while approaching the limits of lateral and longitudinal adhesion notwithstanding, safely negotiating a bend during those frequent Florida wet spells will have resulted in amortizing the additional investment quite nicely, yes?

PTV is worthwhile addition to PSM as the two interact seamlessly and compliment each other appropriately.
fwiw excessive rear brake pad wear has not occurred in my experiences. PCCBs may help with that, too.

Attached are (981) OE recipes for various anti-roll bar hardware configurations with respect to other specified options.
Point being just how fully integrated and engineered into Porsche's parts bins the PTV and PASM upgrades truly are.

$.02

 

[Wine.O]

Given Porsche’s substantial engineering prowess and chassis’ dynamic provenance it’s false economy not to avail yourself of each desirable performance option at build imho.
To wit PTV is standard equipment in upmarket 911 variants.

PTV is worthwhile addition to PSM as the two interact seamlessly and compliment each other appropriately.
fwiw excessive rear brake pad wear has not occurred in my experiences. PCCBs may help with that, too.

Huh? It's only false economy if one assumes that w/o PTV you're going to crash your car or somehow have to pay a fortune later. Otherwise, it's saving $3k and that's honest economy. If you've endless cash and don't care what your spending, then sure, why not get absolutely everything the car might be able to do. Did you seriously suggest $7,500 brakes to possibly reduce wear??? (FYI, the discs are carbon/SiC. The pads are the same, as is the wear.)

PTV can be great, but if in fact you're trying to intelligently use your resources to get the most bang for the buck, it can be omitted w/o much (or indeed any) impact on your smiles per gallon. I love seriously aggressive drives on twisted mountain roads. I haven't missed it.

Of course with all of us adding in our $.02, you'll have enough to afford those brakes soon enough

 

[johan]

While were at at it
Sport Chrono, thats a "must" for many, there you have an option thats does not give you much at all.


Launch Control
With connect+/Navi you can do your own maps for timing.
The go fast button only changes the ECU to Sport+
It does not "prime" the turbo or such
It does not add any Hp

 

[splinter]

Huh? It's only false economy if one assumes that w/o PTV you're going to crash your car or somehow have to pay a fortune later. Otherwise, it's saving $3k and that's honest economy. If you've endless cash and don't care what your spending, then sure, why not get absolutely everything the car might be able to do. Did you seriously suggest $7,500 brakes to possibly reduce wear??? (FYI, the discs are carbon/SiC. The pads are the same, as is the wear.)

PTV can be great, but if in fact you're trying to intelligently use your resources to get the most bang for the buck, it can be omitted w/o much (or indeed any) impact on your smiles per gallon. I love seriously aggressive drives on twisted mountain roads. I haven't missed it.

Of course with all of us adding in our $.02, you'll have enough to afford those brakes soon enough

Haha. Sheesh.

There’s likely reasonable rationale behind the NHTSA mandating all new U.S. passenger vehicles be equipped with ABS and stability controls, as even the most skilled amongst us lack the capability to manually brake one wheel individually. Nevertheless, I do hope no one operating a motor vehicle crashes. Ever.

Is it reasonable to conclude that our OP has sufficient discretionary wherewithal to configure and subsequently purchase a new Porsche? For many of us that’s not something typically done on a whim as it represents a significant expenditure.

Had the good fortune to purchase exactly the 718 Porsche my heart desired. The incremental costs associated with Porsche configurator option pricing was not a deal breaker given the S’ ~$70,000 opening ante. Sport Chrono, PTV and PASM were musts on mine. Included some ‘while you’re in there’ stuff for their smile per gallon factors. I did opt out of the smokers package and luggage net in passenger footwell to stay within the accounting department’s good graces.

After piloting PTV and non-PTV equipped machines at the Porsche Experience Center Los Angeles on their “low-friction circle” and “low friction handling circuit,” I came to understand PTV was a desirable option for me and my intended driving. And the ‘low-friction” aspect of the various surfaces’ configuration merely lowered the forces required for intervention as PTV functions similarly at dry (track) speeds. Hustling through WSIR’s T2 at ~85 & 1.1g is a kick in the tail. Not something the OP will likely ever experience.

Can’t be certain if you read the other responses in this thread but my brake reference specifically addressed two previous contributions by respected and well-meaning contributors who ostensibly lack PTV on their cars. I’ll repost them here for convenience:

…From what I hear it chews up rear pads like crazy.

…Save your brakes.

My personal and firsthand experience is that PTV does not cause excessive brake wear. No, I did not “seriously suggest $7,500 brakes to possibly reduce wear.” lol

I will defer to your “the pads are the same” brake hardware expertise, of course.

As an aside kindly note, however, that my rear PCCB rotors are 350 x 28mm whereas the 718’s iron iterations are 299 x 20mm. Rear pads are PN 997-352-948-00, specifically delineated in the PET for PCCB 718s and other Porsche PCCB iterations. Fact is they’re sourced directly from Pagid under their P40-3FF designation. Pagid claims that they are optimally formulated for and exclusively for use with ceramic composite applications. I have taken the liberty of inspecting the pads for wear (and verifying PNs for eventual replacement) when flushing fluid in preparation for HPDEs. Be that as it may, perhaps they’re at least partially responsible for the minimal dusting almost universally reported by PCCB users.

Happy motoring!

 

[gtfish]

Porsche factory LSD's are known to wear out very quickly with agressive use. I am going to do an aftermarket Guard or Torsen Differential. It isn't cheap but cheaper than paying for a suboptimal factory option that has to be rebuilt.