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Some six weeks after the new Type-992 911 Coupe was revealed and fully 38 years after Porsche first displayed a convertible 911, the wraps are off the latest 911 Cabriolet. The new Cabrio comes with plenty of precedent, of course. It was way back at the 1981 Frankfurt show that Porsche first showed a fully open top 911 in prototype form, though it wasn’t until 1982 that it went into series production.
In many ways, the recipe for the latest 911 Cabrio is remarkably similar to the 1981 original. Both are open-top 2+2 sports cars with a 3.0-litre flat six mounted behind the rear axle. But where the first 911 Cabriolet cranked out around 200hp, the new one spews out fully 450 metric horsepower. Just like the Coupe, then, the Cabrio is being launched first in Carrera S and Carrera 4S specifications. The cheaper, less powerful Carrera will follow. Similarly, the new cabrio is for now only available with the 992’s Panameraderived eight-speed PDK gearbox. A manual option will arrive at an unspecified future date.
The performance of the new open-top model is, inevitably, ballistic. Porsche claims 3.7 seconds to 62mph for the Carrera S with Sport Chrono and a top speed of 190mph. The 4S clocks in at 3.6 seconds and 188mph. Porsche says that among other changes for the new model, a new mounting position for the flat-six engine enables an even more rigid structure than before. As a consequence, Porsche has made the Sport PASM chassis option available for the first time in a 911 Cabrio model.
The fully-automatic soft top has an integrated glass rear window and the roof
structure contains magnesium surface elements, known as ‘bows’, which prevent ballooning of the roof at high speeds. The top can be opened or closed at speeds up to 30mph, while new roof hydraulics reduce opening time to around twelve seconds – quicker than ever – and an electrically extendable wind deflector reduces buffeting at speed.
Elsewhere, the new model takes most of its cues from the 992 Coupe. That includes the ‘standard’ widebody styling with a front track that’s fully 44mm broader than the outgoing Type-991. Also featuring is the distinctive rearward recess in the bonnet, which recalls that of early air-cooled 911s. Then there are the humongous 20-inch front and 21-inch rear road wheels. As with the Coupe, this staggered setup has previously only been seen on Porsche’s extreme 911 RS models. The new fullwidth, rear spoiler and seamless light bar finish things off at the rear.
Inside, the strong horizontal lines and driver’s instrument cowling pay homage to the air-cooled era, but apply a thoroughly modern respin courtesy of dual high-def ‘floating’ LCD panels which flank a traditional central rev counter. The main Porsche Communication Management display is also larger and higher resolution, spanning 10.9 inches.
Further highlights shared with the Coupe include a new Wet Mode for the PSM stability control system. Sensors in wheel arches detect wet road conditions, after which the system is preconditioned accordingly and the driver is warned. The driver can then opt to select a safetyoptimised wet conditions mode at the press of a button. Other digital innovations entail the standard camera-based warning and brake assist system and optional Night Vision Assist with thermal imaging camera, as well as adaptive cruise control with automatic, stop-and-go function and reversible occupant protection.
The new models are available to order now from Porsche Centres in the UK. The 911 Carrera S Cabriolet is priced from £102,755.00 and the 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet from £108,063.00 RRP. Customers will also be invited to explore the potential of their new car by participating in a bespoke driving experience around the unique tracks at the Porsche Experience Centre, Silverstone.