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February 21, 2012By Mike Floyd


By its very nature, the convertible offers an altogether different automotive experience, a visceral connection to the sun, wind, and world whizzing by when the top goes down. The all-new 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet plugs you into that experience like few cars on earth.
This is the drop-top version of the all-new 991 series 911. Our own Angus MacKenzie declared the coupe "The Best 911 Ever." And after spending a day twisting and turning in the 911 Cabrio across the dramatic volcanic landscapes of Spain's Grand Canary Island, we found absolutely nothing to suggest otherwise from the coupe's topless twin.

That's not to say there haven't been dissenters. Grumbling has centered on Zuffenhausen's decision to move to an electro-mechanical steering setup (with which we personally had zero issues), its dimensional growth, and the addition of an ever-expanding acronym soup of driver aids designed to make heroes out of everyday Joes.
Porsche officials know full well the wholesale changes to the new 911 have been controversial, and they understand the passion their iconic sports car engenders. If no one complained, they'd probably be a lot more concerned.


As for the specific changes to the 911 Cabriolet, there's nothing but good news. The car's new triple-lined soft-top is Porsche engineering embodied. Through extensive use of magnesium, engineers were able to reduce weight and simplify the design. "It's robust, light, and less complicated," said Porsche's roof systems guru Detlev Ranft.

Ranft and the top team are especially proud of 911 Cabriolet's silhouette. Thanks in large part to its unique panel-bow setup (which operates in a traditional Z-fold pattern but uses magnesium panels instead of metal bows), Porsche's designers were able to keep the profile almost identical to that of the coupe and virtually eliminate the old roof-bow seams of previous 911 Cabs for a Kessler-smooth look. (We asked if they considered a Tebow, but got nothing but blank stares.) And they did it all without taking up any more space than the previous model does, eliminating the need to change the car dimensionally from the coupe.

Not that you're going to ever want to have the top up, of course, although when it is it dulls cabin noise admirably. Opening or closing takes just 13 seconds, and you can do it at speeds of up to 31 mph (try it, it's fun!). When the top is down, at the push of a button its new wide-screen electrically operated wind deflector pops up from a compartment located just above the rear seats. It deploys in a couple of ticks. And just in case, Porsche has also upgraded the car's rollover protection.


With deflector in place and front windows up, a beatdown was delivered to the wind, while the siren song of the 911 Cabriolet's flat-six in either 3.4-liter (350-hp base) or 3.8-liter (400-hp Cabrio S) displacement came through loud and clear. Our first stint was in a Cab S equipped with the new seven-speed manual and Porsche's Dynamic Chassis Control system, which is designed to deliver flapjack-flat cornering. The 911 S coupe we just tested hit 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and the quarter in 12.0 seconds at 117.1 mph with the PDK transmission option; expect similar numbers from the S Cabriolet.

Every traction and stability system needed to be working as advertised because, while Grand Canary's craggy, mountainous interior is something to behold, the drive route was flat-out dangerous as we dodged suicidal bikers and other motorized mayhem. There were miles of white-knuckle, single-lane stretches, dozens of blind corners, and roadside crosses serving as somber reminders of the hazards.
The 911 Cabriolet proved more than up to the task, although we were reminded of its engorged dimensions at times -- especially when the road narrowed to a glorified bike path. Seesawing our way up and down the canyon roads and occasional hard-scrabble mountain village, we made liberal use of the brakes that didn't reach out and grab you at first, but offered a progressive feel and were strong when mashed upon (the 911 Coupe we just tested stopped from 60 mph in an eye-popping 94 feet). When we got a chance to drop down a gear and let the 3.8 out back attack, its angry wail echoed off into the canyons and reverberated into our crania. Like that favorite song you can't stop playing, you want to crank it up and hear it again and again.
After a quick stopover at a tidy little track where we got to stretch the cars out a bit, it was back to hell raising on the hair-raising roads, this time in a base Cab (which starts at $94,650) equipped with Porsche's much-lauded PDK twin-clutcher. While it predictably felt a hair slower than the S, the PDK dramatically changed up the dynamic with its hair-trigger upshifts and mad-as-hell downshifts. You can't go wrong with either transmission
In the cabin, things have gotten dramatically better over the 997. As we’ve outlined in our previous drives of the Carrera S coupe, things are sorta tight in the ****pit, but the materials, cascading center stack area borrowed liberally from the Panamera, and eminently adjustable seats have all been dialed up several notches. And there are also not one, but two optional stereo systems from Bose and Burmester.
Bottom line, you get to soak up the sun, and have just about as much fun in the 911 Cabriolet as you do in the coupe. The best 911 Cabriolet ever? Believe it.


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