Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first 911 Turbo (and of course the 50th of the 911 itself), Porsche will take the covers off the new 911 Turbo Cabriolet at this November's LA Auto Show. From launch there will be Turbo and Turbo S offerings.
Exterior
As with the 911 Turbo coupé, the new Cabriolet variants are distinguished by considerably flared rear arches - 28mm wider even than those on the Porsche 911 Carrera 4. The open-topped model also features the coupé's active aerodynamic elements, which may be adjusted for efficiency or dynamics at a touch of a button. Unique to the Cabriolet is a special roof design, Porsche refers to as 'panel bow top', with a magnesium frame. Its purpose is to give the roof a coupé-like rigidity and shape when raised, in a bid to enhance the aerodynamics. The soft-top opens or closes in about 13 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h.
Interior
Inside, other than a big hole over your head, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is much like the coupé, so that means an exclusive interior combination of Black/Carrera Red, plus 18-way adjustable memory seats Porsche calls 'Sport Seat Plus'. The backs of the seats are luxuriously trimmed in leather and there's a carbon look to some components of the cabin. A Bose sound system is standard, with a Burmester option available at extra cost.
Mechanicals
No surprises here, but well worth revisiting. A turbocharged 3.8-litre flat-six-cylinder engine is slung out over the rear axle. In the regular Turbo Cabriolet it produces 520hp and 660Nm of torque, enabling it accelerate from rest to 100km/h in 3.5 seconds. The 911 Turbo S Cabriolet betters that time at 3.2 seconds (the coupé is quicker by 0.1 seconds in both cases) and carries on until a shade under 320km/h thanks to peak power of 560hp and up to 700Nm of torque. For the record (not that anyone really cares) the emissions rating for the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is 231g/km and it returns 28.5mpg on the combined cycle (9.9 litres/100km).
As in the coupé, the PDK dual-clutch automatic is the only gearbox option and power is sent to all four wheels using the new PTM (Porsche Traction Management) system. Rear-axle steering is also included in the standard specification.
Anything else?
The LA Auto Show opens its doors to the public on November 22 and runs until December 1. The Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolets go on sale before the end of the year.