Can the Forum please sort the Porsche part of my brain out a bit?

Where do the Cabriolet's "rank" in the 911 world as far as desirability, respect or just plain "wow factor" (if any at all)?

Porsche Cabrio's command a premium in the showroom but I think the soft top absolutely ruins the beautiful classic lines of the 911 coupe.

I ask because.....the wife & I recently purchased a 2002 C4 Cab & love it but, deep down, I wish it was a sunroof coupe.

Help a Cabrio Brutha here? Are the Cabrio's for the lovely ladies or am I ok to drive it, too?

Thx in advance for the thoughts!

Bob in AZ/USA

 

I have a 2004 C4S Cab in silver and love it. I bought it having seen a Guards Red 996 Cab driving round my neighbourhood and seeing Hank Moody's black 964 cab in Californication, I instantly felt the need to own one. It creaks a little due to not having a fixed roof but have already decided I will NEVER sell this car as I love it so much and actually seeing prices increase since buying my Cab last September. However I do wonder what it would be like to drive a Coupe, and now thinking about buying a second c4s but a this time a coupe and have a pair.

Porschaphiles sneer at the 996 regardless of the roof being metal, cloth or glass but who cares it's personal taste, need and want. Congrats on your purchase, enjoy it especially when the sun is shining and that roof is down. Now where are the pics?

 

Ursa, thx for the reply! I must load pics to PhotoBucket & figure pic posting out soon. But, it's hard to measure up to the fine machinery on this great site!

As for my own C4, it only had 27k original miles & looks almost perfect including a soft-top that looks brand new. The PPI was clean with no needed maintenance which, according to my local shop, never happens, ever! That's why we easily bit on the seal grey color Cabrio instead of my preferred white sunroof Coupe.

Would love a "S" model but can't imagine anything being better than this 13 year old Porsche. My wife loves it & so do I when she lets me drive it!

So, what you're saying is the Cabrio is good, right? Personal taste, etc, etc?

Bob in AZ/USA

 

It's a matter of personal taste. I would never buy a cab. I do think they look great with the top down, but the lines are all messed up with top up or hard top. I guess that's the trade off. But again, just my personal taste. For my convertible needs, I go topless with my JEEP.

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I have an '03 Cab and love every minute of it. You will only see the top up if I'm caught in the rain or while on the track. The car handles extremely well on the track and can certainly holds its own with the coupes as far as lap times. IMHO you are much more connected to the driving experience in a Cab. The sound of the engine is amplified, the feeling of the wind on your face, the sound the tires make when cornering. It's a more visceral driving experience. Not sure why verts have a reputation for being chick cars. James Dean drove a convertible Porsche and he was a bad ***.

 

Cabriolets have always been an important part of the Porsche offering. The 911 cabriolet offers a very different experience than the coupe, and it's a very good one. I prefer the lines of the coupe when viewed from the side, but I prefer the look of the cabriolet when viewed from the rear. The cabriolet top accentuates the hips of the car (top up or top down).

 

I have the Arctic silver cab and have the best of both worlds as it came with the hard top. I bought the cab because I love driving in the sun with the top down. Simple as that. Most people buy the coupe because they prefer that model plus the coupe is approx $5000 cheaper then the cab of the same year. Many drivers on this board track their vehicles. Cab owners do not. Personally I prefer any Cab car to a coupe.

 

+1 Hurdi

It's always nice knowing you have the option of roof up or roof down something I would never have with the coupe. I'm sure the coupe is more solid feeling or less heavy though but wind in your hair and my son yelling in the back 'go faster Dadda' when I'm only doing 40mph makes for perfect Sunday afternoons.

As most 996'ers would agree everything with these cars, the mods added, paint colour etc is personal choice with no right or wrong. Enjoy it brother and have fun hanging out here too....nice feeling being part of the club

 

Speak for yourself Hurdi. I thoroughly enjoy tracking the hell out of mine.

 

Ursa: Thx again to you & the others for the Cabrio thoughts. I agree with your "enjoy it...." feedback & that's exactly what me & the wife have been doing in the 2-3 months we've had the C4. I would buy this car all over again but....now my thoughts are turning to how I can have a 2nd Pcar (white sunroof coupe, please)!

Did I mention I caught said wife in the garage just staring at her Porsche? Even she has the fever & says she can't believe she owns one. I come home from work & find the engine lid hot; wonder who's been driving it all day?

Ok, I'm gonna love & appreciate our C4 Cab... now, let the tasteful mods begin!

Bob in AZ/USA

 

I assume you are concerned that people may think 911 cabs are girly rides. I wouldn't worry about what others think. Just ask 2 of my friends who just spent $150k plus on their brand new Turbo S cabs. They are far from that stereotype and should be the least of your concerns.

It is ok to drive it too. On a beautiful day, my husband would drive my cab. And get this, the plates: SOCRMUM. He gets a few smiles and thumbs up from other drivers I thought my plates would deter him from "borrowing" my ride alas.....

Cabs are also more versatile. Children feel less cramped in the back when the top is down. You can get away with a trip to BJs and load up the back seats. There is the easy access to cargo too: surfboards, coolers, suitcases...

Go enjoy your ride!

 

Everyone has their own taste and opinion, I enjoy my coupe, but there are day's I wish I had a cab.

 

Porschemama: I don't think it's so much I view the Cab as a girly car at all. More that, years ago, I restored a beautiful 914 that turned heads but was never "a real Porsche". I always wanted a 911 & vowed it would be a "real" one next time!

The C4 Cab is actually very practical in Arizona's weather about 8-9 month of the year & I'm grateful for my old independent Porsche dealer finding me a great one. I just have a long-standing "inferiority complex" I'm trying to get over. And, I can't get my white sunroof coupe fantasy out of my head!

Thx alot for your encouragement & feedback; same for FLA996TT. I love this Forum & the Members!

Bob in AZ/USA

 

But I surmised that you had to have a roll cage before you could track the cabriolet?????????????? Or am I wrong? Maybe I should have said an unaltered cabriolet. Hey don't get me wrong. If you lend me your car I will track it for you. Not in the car I have. I am not against guys tracking or racing their cars to boost their self ego in a car equipped for a race track. Mine is not because I thought it had to have a roll cage in it. . I prefer to drive on the roads (be it fast or slow) . I do not know how to handle a car around a race track at speed because I have never drove on a race track. For instance. I like to ride horses but I would not like to take a horse over jumps because I do not know how to handle a horse over a jump.

 

Hurdi I was just messing with you. Cabs do have built in rollover protection (pop-up roll bars) that meets PCA standards for the track. I don't really see driving on the track about boosting ones ego. It demands ones full attention, all other distractions must be put aside. It's rare these days to have an opportunity to do that. It's also about striking the right balance on the knives' edge of fun and fear.