Review of the new Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

Even if you ascribe to the view that convertibles are for posers and wannabes, the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet can't fail to quicken the pulse. With 480bhp on tap from its 3.6-litre engine, deployed via four wheel drive to devastating effect, the Turbo will hit 60mph in 3.8 seconds and run on to 193mph. Quick enough for you?

Porsche customers are a tough crowd. Dynamic excellence is taken for granted. The cars must have something else, a spare purity of essence with no fat or excess trimmings. For many, the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet has been categorised alongside the Cayenne as a sideline; a rather regrettable necessity that is required in order to keep the company in profits so it can build 'proper' sports cars. Chances are these same people would ditch the dogma if they ever drove cars like the 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

With the hard top '997 generation' Porsche 911 Turbo having been on sale for more than a year, it was about time the Weissach company got round to producing a drop top version. With typically meticulous attention to detail, Porsche refused to rush the car through the design process, instead concentrating on ways to improve on the success of its 996 series predecessor. Not for Porsche the compromises of a folding metal hard top, the engineers preferring the lighter weight and lower mechanical complexity of a fabric roof.

Some see a soft top 911 as a bit of a sullying of the bloodline, harping on about body flex and the additional weight these cars have to carry to try to stop this negative side effect of awing the roof off. If you've ever driven a contemporary 911 cabriolet, you'll know quite how good they are. Few have the driving ability to exploit the car to the extent where these shortcomings have any dynamic effect.

One thing that hasn't changed in the Cabriolet is that magnificent 3.6-litre 'boxer' engine. Yes, it still looks like the guts of a tumble dryer when you hoist the engine cover but it's got plenty of muscle, with peak torque now pegged at 620Nm. Compared to its predecessor, it's a lot more flexible too, with maximum torque now available between 1,950 to 5,000rpm. The turbocharging system of this model uses variable turbine geometry technology to increase engine performance across the rev range, a method that was originally developed to improve the efficiency of diesel cars.

"It's devastatingly effective.."

Performance is predictably concussive. Just 3.8 seconds is all that's required for the standard 0-60mph sprint and the Tiptronic auto version is even quicker, shaving a tenth off that time. Stopping the clock just 0.1 seconds later than the Coupe version is the small penalty for a 70kg weight disadvantage. Overtaking? Well only 3.8 seconds are required for the most powerful series-built 911 model of all time to accelerate from 50-75mph in fifth gear. Porsche has tweaked the dampers specifically for the Cabriolet and the aerodynamics are such that the company claims the Turbo Cabriolet is the only standard series convertible that generates negative lift over the rear axle. In other words it glues itself to the road at speed.

Porsche isn't a company that likes to mess with the 911's brand equity and bringing a hastily-engineered Turbo Cabriolet to market just wasn't on the cards. That's why it has spent time developing features such as the rear spoiler that extends a further 30mm rearwards compared to the Coupe, why the chassis strengthening has been done so as not to upset the car's weight distribution and why Porsche insisted on a three layer fabric roof that is light, yet insulates the cabin both aurally and thermally. Fully automatic, the hood will raise and lower in twenty seconds and can be operated while trundling forward in traffic.

Hood down, the 911 Turbo is a prettier car than its 996 predecessor, the rear appearing a little less hunchbacked and the 19-inch forged alloy wheels a good deal more attractive, to this eye at least. The cleaner front end with ovoid headlamps and a more cohesive air intake design is also a big improvement. The build quality of 997 models has stepped forwards a good few degrees, and the fascia of this Turbo Cabriolet makes a 996 generation car look very old. Space is reasonable too with a decently sized front boot capable of swallowing a couple of squashy bags. Don't take the asset of 2+2 seating too seriously as Porsche appear to have based this claim on people without legs.

The development of the GT3 and GT2 models as standard bearers for the hardcore 911 fans has allowed the 911 Turbo to assume rather more of a Grand Touring role and it's for this exact reason why I no longer have an issue with this soft top Turbo. Yes, it's still savagely rapid but it also possesses an element of refinement. You certainly wouldn't think twice about heading across Europe in one. In a 911 GT3 RS, you'd be pencilling in appointments with your chiropractor.

At £106,180, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is a serious financial undertaking but it's not materially slower than a £350,000 McLaren Mercedes SLR roadster in a straight line and would probably show the McMerc the way home around the Nurburgring. The 911 Turbo Cabriolet is fitted as standard with bi-Xenon headlights, air conditioning, a wind deflector, a top tinted windscreen and the Porsche Communication Management set-up (PCM) complete with a satellite navigation module and colour monitor. You also get a Bose Surround Sound System and a leather interior. There's also a Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), a vehicle security package approved to Thatcham Category 5 standard and a Porsche Driving Experience programme as part of the list price.

Owning a 911 Turbo is never going to be a shoestring affair, but the Porsche doesn't fall into quite the same eye-watering bracket as many Italian exotics. Fuel economy probably isn't going to be a massive concern if you can afford to stump up over £100,000 for what is, in effect, a plaything but should you be interested, the Turbo Cabriolet will manage 21.9mpg on the combined cycle. Give both of those turbochargers a good workout and that figure will dip but it's still a very decent return for a car that will do 193mph.

Depreciation is a trickier one to put a finger on. Residual values for soft top 911s have always been a little softer than you might imagine, given the upfront price premium over their hard top siblings, and if you load the car with options such as the PCCB ceramic brakes, you'll see values drop proportionately quicker. Insurance is a top of the shop Group 20.

The 911 Turbo has long held a claim to be the best 'real world' supercar on sale if, indeed, such a thing can be defined. It retains an element of practicality, has true all-weather, cross country ability yet is also savagely rapid, handles brilliantly and doesn't draw undue attention to itself. Scrub that last point if you choose a Cabriolet as it's an eye catching thing, especially if you choose Speed Yellow. Yes, the chassis is a little less focused than the Coupe's but get a Porsche test driver to demonstrate the abilities of the Cabriolet and you'll realise that complaining about the torsional rigidity of this car is a little churlish.

It's far from the purest 911 you can buy but if you're not too hung up on provenance, bloodline and the historical rectitude that many 911 owners wear as a badge of honour, you'll find little to dislike about the Turbo Cabriolet. It's devastatingly effective.

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