Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet review

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Porsche 911 3.8 Turbo First Drive

Test date Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Price as tested £118,015

: The cabrio Turbo is now almost as focused as the coupe

What is it?

The 911 Turbo has just undergone a major series of revisions, including the fitment of a brand new direct injection 3.8-litre flat six engine that produces 500bhp and 479lb ft of torque.

And, if anything, the cabrio has benefited more from these revisions than the fixed head, especially if you go for the optional Sports Chrono Pack, which brings superior engine mounts compared with the non-Sports Chrono version.

By its own admission, Porsche has put much more engineering effort into making a true sports car out of the cabrio this time round. In the opinion of test guru Walter Rohl, you notice the new Turbo’s improved chassis “more in the cabrio than you do in the coupe, because last time the cabrio was quite soft and, for me, there was too much movement in the car. With the new Sports Chrono engine mounts it’s much better. It’s almost as good as the coupe, in fact. And even without them it’s very good.”

The price has risen slightly from £106,359 to £109,048 in so-called basic trim. Considering you get eight per cent more acceleration, 16 per cent better economy and emissions have been reduced by 18 per cent, it’s not a giant leap financially by Porsche’s standards.

What’s it like?

About 150 times better to drive than the previous model, no, make that 200. Although it may take a certain type of person to go for the cabrio version of the 911 Turbo, this is now a very capable sports car indeed. One that rides, steers, stops and handles with almost the same eye-watering precision as the coupe. Which is saying something.

If you were blindfolded and rode as a passenger in both, apart from the slight extra noise generated by the hood you’d have a real job to tell the open Turbo from the closed one. It’s that sharp, that free from the usual soft top compromises.

Even the weight only goes up by 75kg, which is impressive considering how much extra strengthening there is to keep the bodyshell as stiff as it is. As a result performance suffers so little, you’d need a stop watch to tell the difference.

Zero to 62mph takes just 0.2sec longer than in the coupe (3.7sec with the six speed manual gearbox, 3.6sec with the seven speed PDK) and the top speed is exactly the same at 193mph, purely because it is limited by the gearing.

On the road the Turbo cabrio is now a proper weapon, especially when fitted with the new PDK transmission (£2552) and paddle shifters (£271). Yet it also rides with quite astonishing refinement considering how crisp the chassis is, and as for the grip and traction it produces, put it this way, you better make sure your toupe is well and truly glued in place.

Otherwise it’ll be torn clean off your pate at the merest whiff of full throttle out of a tight corner. Not that the cabin suffers from much buffeting at all with the hood down below three figures.

Should I buy one?

If you were the sort of person who liked and could afford the previous 911 Turbo cabrio, you might be a little shocked by how much better the new one is to drive.

And seeing as how it’s less than three per cent more expensive, you might even quite like the price. Be in no doubt, the 911 Turbo cabrio is no longer just a pose-mobile. It’s become a very serious sports car indeed.