2008 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

Okay, however unsurprised we may be with the Porsche Turbo Cabriolet’s appearance, it’s not as if we’re not salivating. We find the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet as delicious as the current Porsche 911 Turbo coupe. The convertible will be powered by the same frighteningly powerful 480-hp 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged flat-six as the coupe and offered with the same choice of six-speed manual or Tiptronic S automatic transmission.



The additional weight and rigidity compromises of the convertible will dampen performance just a tad, with only a claimed 150-pound weight gain. When the hardtop is capable of a 3.4-second sprint to 60 mph, who are we to bicker about a few 10ths when the sun is beaming on our smiling faces?


Slated to be released this September, the Porsche 911 Turbo will be Porsche’s fastest open-topped car since last year’s $440,000 Porsche Carrera GT, and the most expensive car in Porsche’s current lineup. Base price in Europe will be equivalent to roughly $172,000, a $30k smack above the previous generation car, while in the U.S. the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet is a relative deal starting at $137,360

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

The run of Porsche 997-series 911 variants continues with the launch of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

The cabrio features a three-layer soft top, which opens and closes in roughly 20 seconds, according to Porsche, and features a low balance point. Despite extensive convertible-specific chassis reinforcement, the open-top version of the 911 Turbo weighs just 154 pounds more than its hardtop sibling.

With a drag coefficient of .31, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is on par with the hardtop's number. The automatically-deploying rear spoiler extends slightly further than the coupe's, helping the cabrio to generate negative lift at the rear axle. Six airbags are standard equipment and the rollover protection system features steel tubing integrated into the windshield frame along with extendable rollover protection behind the rear seats.

The Cabriolet comes with the same 3.6 liter, bi-turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine as the coupe, which generates 480 hp and 457 lb-ft of torque at 1950 rpm. With the optional "Sport Chrono Turbo Package," an overboost function can push torque up to 500 lb-ft. Manual transmission-equipped models can accelerate from 0 to 62 in just four seconds. With Tiptronic S the time can be cut to 3.8 seconds, Porsche claims. Both versions can reach speeds of up to 192 mph.

Among the standard equipment on the 911 Turbo Cabriolet are Porsche's Active Suspension Management (PASM) system, bi-xenon headlights, 19-inch forged wheels with two-tone appearance, A/C, wind deflector, and Porsche Communication Management (PCM) - a navigation system with a 5.8 inch color monitor, and a Bose Surround Sound System.

How much for the Porsche blow-dry effect? The cabrio's pricing is listed at 126,600 Euros (roughly $172,000 at current exchange rates, but expect U.S. pricing to start at around $136,000) and will be available in September, according to the automaker.