20 Jun 07
So what exactly is the 911 Turbo Cabriolet, the latest and probably last addition to the 997-era 911 family? Like the coupe version it has electronically managed four-wheel drive and a choice of six-speed manual or five-speed Tiptronic automatic gearbox. It also keeps the coupe's distinctive air intakes and LED lights in the front bumper. And it has the same 3.6-litre engine and two turbochargers with variable turbine geometry, designed to maximise the power and torque available at all times.
This is the first open-top Porsche to have the same low lift forces (with the roof closed) as the coupe equivalent and the world's only production convertible that generates aerodynamic downforce on the rear axle. It has reinforcements, chiefly in the side sills, to compensate for the lack of a proper roof. It's pretty stiff, with some shake when you drive over bumps, but in normal fast driving, the 911 Turbo Cabrio always feels extremely composed.
Those reinforcements make it 70kg heavier than the coupe, at 1,655kg, but compared to the previous 911 Turbo Cabrio, the 996 version, the new car is 5kg lighter (or 10kg in the case of the auto). It's also 53bhp more powerful. It has 473bhp at 6,000rpm and 457lb-ft of torque, available everywhere between 1,950 and 5,000rpm, delivered with very little turbo lag - it's a smooth, insistent and very strong sensation. The previous version made do (very nicely, thanks) with 413lb-ft.
It goes on sale on 8 September priced at £106,180 for the manual and £1,800 more for the Tiptronic. Included in that price there's a top-quality alarm and tracking device, six airbags, rollover bars that automatically pop up from behind the rear seats if the sensors reckon you've lost control, and you get some high-performance driving tuition designed to keep those rollover bars in mothballs. It comes with 19" alloy wheels, sat nav, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, leather seats (the rear two of which are too small ever to be used as seats), a tyre pressure monitoring system and a wind deflector.
The fabric roof is made of three layers that manage to keep out a lot of noise and maintain a steady temperature. It opens or closes in about 20 seconds, and you can be driving at 30mph as you do so, although it won't make you any friends. It comes with a heated glass rear window.
