For the people who have tried both options, how much did I screw up by not speccing Rear Axle Steering?

[xyeahtony]

you'll be fine. its a convenience feature, not a must-have feature. Its there just to make parking and u-turns easier. Without it, you have a wider turning radius. Big whoop.

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[f1eng]

you'll be fine. its a convenience feature, not a must-have feature. Its there just to make parking and u-turns easier. Without it, you have a wider turning radius. Big whoop.

Actually the parking and U-turns being easier is a side effect of the Porsche system whose principle function is to improve low speed corner response and high speed stability.

You are probably right though that this convenient side effect is probably the only thing the vast majority of drivers will actually notice

 

[annieland]

My use case? Always making a wrong turn down a narrow road and being able to spin back around in one take. Parking? Forget it. I couldn’t park a Mini in an aircraft hangar anyway. So no help there.

 

[Gwaihir]

I notice the horrible noise- in colder weather - from the tyres on full lock far more than RAS!

 

[Archimedes]

I have it, but to be honest, I doubt I would notice if you suddenly took it away. It only turns like 4 degrees. But I’ve never driven a car without it.

The car is so heavy so it will never handle like a 911.

While I don’t think RAS is a must have option, you would absolutely notice it if you took it away. It has a huge impact on how the car feels making tight, low speed maneuvers. Drive cars with and without it back to back and it would be obvious. Again, not a must have option, but one that has real impact.

 

[tchavei]

I notice the horrible noise- in colder weather - from the tyres on full lock far more than RAS!

I don't need cool weather. Just a particular spot on a inclined roundabout. It's precisely at one spot where you have to turn full lock to the left while the weight is mostly on the right side. You hear a distinctive "clack" as one of the front wheels skips on the asphalt.

I can only imagine how it will be when my first winter approaches.

 

[Genau]

I don't need cool weather. Just a particular spot on a inclined roundabout. It's precisely at one spot where you have to turn full lock to the left while the weight is mostly on the right side. You hear a distinctive "clack" as one of the front wheels skips on the asphalt.

I can only imagine how it will be when my first winter approaches.

… the Ackerman effect?

https://www.longacreracing.com/articles/text/Ackerman.pdf​

 

[Rainforest]

While I don’t think RAS is a must have option, you would absolutely notice it if you took it away. It has a huge impact on how the car feels making tight, low speed maneuvers. Drive cars with and without it back to back and it would be obvious. Again, not a must have option, but one that has real impact.

In that case I will need to try a car without it.

 

[daveo4EV]

I have a 4S as my first Porsche and I admittedly did not do as much research as I should have into the options and got a vehicle without RAS. I saw a 4S in the color (Gentian Blue) and wheels (Spyder), I wanted, and just went full steam ahead not looking at anything else.

The car does feel heavy, but it still drives great. I was scouring the web and I noticed people say it's a must have. For the people who have actually tried both, how much am I missing out on?

RWS is nice but not a huge difference - it's a small benefit in certain circumstances - I'm ordering it again - but would not stress if I didn't have it.

 

[RMB]

I ordered RWS because I outfitted my Cross Turismo to be as off-road as possible, i.e. off-road package, wheels, etc. The shorter turning diameter was the logic. Also expect to enjoy it in the chicanes on road. While I don't expect this vehicle to be as athletic up and down the slopes as my Cayennes a few feet shorter turning diameter sure helps in tight switchbacks and hairy ruts.
People sure freak out when they see a Porsche at the end of difficult road. They don't realize the capability of off piste equipped Porsches off pavement. Adjustable air suspension and power steering plus is recommended for these endeavors.
Look at the 911 Dakar and Trans Siberia Cayennes.
Over 20 years I've challenged these vehicles through two feet of mud and 20 inches of water in my 1rst and 2nd gen Cayenes. Several Ice storms and blizzards at down to 30 below zero and blowing 50 mph.
Highest unpaved roads in several Western States. No problems or damage except light brush scrapes in the clear coat which buffed out.
So whether you are going gravel or sport mode for spirited touring get the RWS.

 

[kmcdonal]

I bought my Taycan without RAS because I like a heavier steering feel. (I still love the feeling of those 40+ year old 911's which had super heavy steering .) That said, I regretted not getting RAS and will absolutely get it on my next Taycan. The Taycan is a long car, and if you park a lot in tight spots, the Taycan can be a handful.

 

[RAHRCR]

RAS takes some getting used to…especially when parking. Once you are get used to it, it’s easy to forget that it is there. Good but not essential.

 

[Cowtownhusker]

I moved from a panamera 4S ST to a taycan 4S CT, both without RAS. Two of my biggest questions when speccing the car was wheel size (21 vs 20) and RAS. Even without RAS, this care is more nimble than my panamera IMHO. I specced this car without RAS after I read on this forum the 4 wheel alignment can be quite costly with RAS, although other members were not certain of this. My dealer would not confirm the cost of RAS alignment.

 

[Derip88]

Return it and get one with RAS!

C’mon!! Haha

 

[Derip88]

I come from a big Lexus GX and I didn’t want to order that extra since I live in Costa Rica, a country which has a big taxes on cars so that option wasn’t a must have for me, I went bananas on interior extras. I’ve been driving big cars my whole life so I’m guessing this will be another one…if the dealer would kind advice when the car is actually getting here.. Jokes aside health to enjoy!

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