The 981 uses a MacPherson strut suspension at both the front and rear, with lightweight aluminium components and a mid-engine layout that gives it famously balanced handling.
PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management)
PASM is the optional electronically controlled adaptive damping system. It continuously varies damper firmness based on driving style and road conditions, and selecting PASM also lowers the ride height by about 10 mm. A more aggressive Sport suspension / PASM Sport option lowers the car further (around 20 mm) for sharper handling at the expense of ride comfort. Exact lowering figures vary by market and option code, so verify against the spec sheet.
PTV (Porsche Torque Vectoring)
PTV is an optional system that pairs a mechanical limited-slip differential with brake-based torque vectoring. It brakes the inside rear wheel during hard cornering to tighten the line and improve traction on corner exit. On the 981 it could be ordered together with or independently of PASM. The factory LSD is relatively mild (low lock percentage), which is why many track-focused owners upgrade it.
Wheels and stance
Standard wheel sizes step up by variant: 18-inch on the base car, 19-inch typically on the S, and 20-inch standard on the GTS, Spyder, and as an upgrade elsewhere. The GT4 runs wider, more aggressive fitment (245 front / 295 rear on 20-inch wheels). The staggered setup means front-to-rear tyre rotation is generally not possible.
Common wear
The most common suspension complaint is worn front control-arm and thrust-arm bushings ("coffin arms"), which cause a clunk over bumps, plus aging upper strut mounts. PASM-equipped cars can also throw faults from ride-height sensors or leaking adaptive struts.
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