Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Whilst we\'ve been getting ourselves all hot and bothered about the marvellous new 991 GT3, Porsche has been finalising the car that is probably its direct antithesis as 911s go : the Turbo Cabriolet.
Revealed today ahead of its LA debut, the 991 Turbo Cabriolet follows basically the same approach as previous modelsbecause, well, why would Porsche change it? We can preach to the hills about the virtues of small wheels, three pedals and a roof but its money that does the real talking and Porsche has to build what its customers want. So let\'s put our prejudices to one side and see what\'s what with the latest 911 Turbo Cab shall we?
The \'panel bow top\' roof with its magnesium frames is the same used on other open 991s, and that\'s good news; it means the 911 cabriolet finally looks good with the roof up or down. Similarly also, it can be operated at up to 31mph and takes 13 seconds to be raised or lowered. The standard 991 Cabriolet carries an extra 70kg over the coupe, so we\'d expect this to be identical for the Turbo and would push it to 1,675kg. Eek.
Despite this, that combination of a rear-engined traction, 4WD, PDK, lots of clever electronics and even more power make the 911 Turbo Cab astonishingly fast. Porsche claims the standard 520hp Turbo is capable of a 3.5-second sprint to 62, with the 560hp Turbo S another three tenths quicker. Top speed for both cars is 198mph.
There are marginal penalties as far as CO2 and economy are concerned if you want a 911 Turbo without a roof. The coupe\'s 227g/km and 29mpg become 231g/km and 28.5mpg for the cabriolet.
The coupe\'s rear-wheel steering and active aero are also carried over. And in case the badges, exhausts and wheels don\'t give the Turbo away, those suggestively swollen rear arches (28mm wider than the C4) should do the job.
Following the LA debut (seems like an appropriate debut location, no?), the 991 Turbo Cabriolet will go on sale in December. Porsche has so far only German prices; the standard Turbo will cost 174,431 euros and the Turbo S 207,989 euros, the loss of the roof costing you 10,376 euros or 12,733 euros respectively. Take the £118,349 for the Turbo coupe and £140,852 Turbo S coupe charged in the UK and extrapolate/speculate accordingly...
Suffice to say it won\'t be cheap but there can be little doubt the 911 Turbo Cabriolet will sell to certain customers regardless of the price. It\'s always been hugely fast, but can it really push the buttons of 911 enthusiasts? Should it even attempt to? The floor is yours...
Source: Pistonheads