Porsche 911 Turbo cabriolet first drive review

Prices for this Porsche 911 Turbo cabriolet start from £129,223

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What is it?

The new cabriolet version of the latest 991 Turbo, and as such it won't be regarded as the purest of 911s by those who profess to "know" their 911s. And to the average Turbo cabrio driver, this won't matter not one iota.

To Porsche, though, everything matters, which is why for the last two generations of 911 - second generation 997 and latest 991 - Weissach's engineers have focused hard on trying to make the open-top model as crisp and precise to drive as the coupé. And never before have they got closer to achieving that goal than with this latest Turbo cabrio.

Mind you, such proximity to perfection does come at a price. In basic form, without any options in place, the Turbo cabrio costs an eye watering £129,223. And as tested - with the must-have Sports Chrono Package installed (we'll come to why in a second) plus a couple of other choice extras - the price gets closer to the £140,000 mark.

What is it like?

Dynamically at least, one of the best resolved, and fastest, open-top supersports cars that money can buy. Power from the turbocharged flat six is a rousing 513bhp with torque oscillating between 486-523lb ft depending whether the over-booster is blowing at full steam or not. 

Either way, it's enough to send the 1595kg Turbo cabrio to 62mph in 3.4sec and to a top speed of 195mph. Senior levels of performance, in other words, which put the Turbo cabrio on all but equal footing with the coupé in a straight line. And remember, Porsche's excellent dual clutch PDK auto gearbox comes as standard on all Turbos nowadays, so shifting gear has never been faster or more efficient in a Turbo cabrio.

So why is the Sports Chrono Pack such a key element when it costs a further £3092? Because it brings with it Porsche's new "dynamic engine mounts" which help reduce inertia over the rear axle when cornering. In layman's terms, they tighten up the ride and handling a treat and, according to Porsche's own engineers, work especially well in the Turbo cabrio model. You could argue that these engine mounts should be a standard fitment if they really make that much of a difference, but that's another argument altogether, one that Weissach's marketing people will win over their colleagues in engineering 10 times out of 10.

Elsewhere, the Turbo cabrio is predictably impressive. Apart from a slight judder at low speeds over rough roads, it drives pretty much as well as the coupé. And the lack of wind buffeting inside the cabin with the electric buffer raised is also deeply impressive. As is the look of the car with the hood up.

Should I buy one?

Why not, as they say, and if you can afford a Turbo cabrio, you'd be mad not to cough the extra required for the Sports Chrono Pack, especially when the 0-62mph time also drops to 3.2sec thanks to the addition of launch control.

Even the purists might approve of this particular version of Turbo cabrio, so much sharper and better to drive is it than its numerous predecessors. Then again, they might not. And, as ever, the car's owners won't care less, one way or the other.

Porsche 911 Turbo cabriolet

Price £129,223; 0-62mph 3.4sec; Top speed 195mph; Economy29.0mpg combined; CO2 231g/km; Kerb weight 1595kg; Engine3800cc, flat six, turbocharged; Power 513bhp at 6000-6500rpm; Torque486lb ft at 1950-5000rpm (523lb ft on overboost with Sport Plus option, fitted) Gearbox 7-speed dual clutch auto