Porsche 911 continues tradition by going topless

– Six weeks after the Coupe’s launch, Porsche has announced the official start of sales for the 911 Cabriolet.

The open-top 911 continues a long tradition, established when Porsche unveiled the prototype of the first 911 Cabriolet in September 1981 at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. A year later, the first 911 convertible rolled off the production line.

Initially available as the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet and 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet, the latest softtop versions of the brand’s iconic sports car include all the innovative features of the Coupe, along with convertible-specific elements, such as new hydraulics responsible for opening and closing the roof quicker than ever before.

The open-top version of the iconic sports car echoes the modern lines of the Coupe, though it remains unmistakably a Porsche 911 in Cabriolet form. The fully automatic soft top has an integrated glass rear window. Its structure contains magnesium surface elements known as bows, which reliably prevent ballooning of the roof at high speeds. The roof can be opened or closed at speeds up to 50km/h. New hydraulics reduce the opening time to around twelve seconds, while an electrically extendable wind deflector ensures that necks are shielded from wind impact.

The new 911 Carrera S Cabriolet with rear-wheel drive and 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet with all-wheel drive both rely on a 2 981 cm³ turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine with 331kW of power at 6 500 rpm and 530Nm torque between 2 300 and 5 000 rpm. Due to an improved injection process, drive efficiency has been increased while emissions were reduced.

Other optimisation measures include a new layout for the turbochargers and charge air cooling system.

The power is delivered by a newly developed eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The 911 Carrera S with rearwheel drive and Carrera 4S with all-wheel drive are available for order now. – Own Correspondent