What is PASM – Porsche Active Suspension Management?

What is PASM?

How Porsche Active Suspension Management helps improve your car’s ride

February 7, 2025

Porsche 911 Carrera in Lugano Blue on twisting German road

With its ability to be controlled to suit all conditions, this electronic active damping system from Porsche improves your car’s drive and ride quality

Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is a Porsche-developed technology that’s designed to enhance both performance and comfort.

How does PASM work?

PASM is suspension technology that constantly makes adjustments to the dampers on your Porsche. It actively and continuously controls the damping force according to the road condition and driving mode you choose. Traditionally, dampers – also known as shock absorbers – could either provide comfort or be suited to dynamic driving.

The PASM dampers, however, can do everything from sports- to comfort-oriented damping as well nuanced levels in between. Some have described it as being a bit like having a co-driver in your car, constantly reading the road and adjusting the dampers immediately. Sensors monitor such variables as steering input, how you accelerate and brake and the road conditions, for example. PASM can then automatically adjust the suspension settings for the appropriate handling and ride quality in just milliseconds.

Technical image of steel spring with PASM in Porsche Macan — This cutaway image shows a steel spring with Porsche Active Suspension Management in the 2025 Porsche Macan Photo: Porsche

How do you control PASM from your Porsche?

For current models, you can choose the chassis settings for PASM via the instrument cluster on your Porsche. The appropriate button has the logo of a shock absorber. Click this and you will be able to switch between the different modes. You can also access the chassis options using the Porsche Communication Manager (PCM) to then switch between the PASM driving modes. For older models of Porsche fitted with PASM, please refer to the original owners’ manual for full details.

?si=zcKVIF4jOkl1JSUb

What is PASM Sport?

On certain 911 models (as of January 2025), an enhanced PASM system – called PASM Sport – is available. This reduces the vehicle height by 10mm and has a more sport-oriented damper setting, which further improves the dynamic driving experience, particularly when driving on the track.

911 GTS models, for example, come with the PASM sports suspension as standard. It incorporates firmer springs, specially-tuned dampers and GTS-specific anti-roll bars which compensate for the weight of the hybrid system and enhance the trademark Porsche agility and balance characteristics.

Porsche 911 Carrera in Lugano Blue drives through a bend — With PASM, your car makes real-time adjustments based on your driving and the conditions by automatically adjusting damping forces to each of the four shock absorbers Photo: Porsche

What are the Porsche driving modes?

Porsche driving modes are different depending on the Porsche car you drive. In the 911, for example, there are five settings available: Normal, Sport, Sport +, Wet and Individual. Switching to these adjusts the damper settings accordingly. For example, Normal provides supple suspension characteristics, while Sport + stiffens the suspension (while also affecting other characteristics, like quicker gear shifts and throttle response), so is particularly suited to track driving.

Meanwhile, in the Taycan there are three main driving modes – Range (perfect for efficient and consumption-optimised driving); Normal (great for everyday use) and Sport (for higher, dynamic performance).

For Taycan cars fitted with the Sport Chrono package there are two more options – Sport Plus and Individual. Select the former for even more dynamic performance while the latter allows you to configure settings to your individual needs. For Taycan Cross Turismo drivers there’s an additional driving mode – gravel – for help driving on unpaved, gravelly or muddy roads.

Consumption and emission information

911 GT3 with Touring Package (WLTP): Fuel consumption combined: 13.8 – 13.7 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 312 – 310 g/km; CO₂ class: G. 911 Carrera (WLTP): Fuel consumption combined: 10.7 – 10.1 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 244 – 230 g/km; CO₂ class: G. 911 Targa 4 GTS (WLTP): Fuel consumption combined: 11.0 – 10.8 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 250 – 244 g/km; CO₂ class: G.

Porsche Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo driving on dirt road

Spot On: what are the different Porsche Taycan driving modes?

Porsche Taycan drivers have a number of different driving modes to choose from. Find out what they are, what they do and when to use them with the Porsche Spot On video guide

Men with Porsche summer wheel and tyre set on Cayenne E-Hybrid

The Porsche guide to summer wheel and tyre sets

Discover how choosing summer wheel and tyre sets from Porsche can help improve your car’s performance and efficiency in the warmest months

Front view of Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo, driving at Nürburgring

Watch the Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo break the Nürburgring lap record

In 2018, 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Timo Bernhard set the fastest lap of the Nürburgring Nordschleife in a Porsche 919 Hybrid Evo. A record that remains unbeaten to this day