Topping off a perfect drive: the new 911 cabriolet

AN OPEN-TOP sports car: there are few motoring specimens so evocative of total freedom. Flying along expansive highways or twisting around some far-flung mountain road, the warm sun's rays glinting off your aviators as the sound system gently delivers a melodic accompaniment to the roar of the engine...paradise. Of course, even if you own a cabriolet, these moments are few and far between. The trick these cars must produce is, when enduring the most mundane journey (the E311 stretch between Sharjah and Ajman springs to mind), somehow transport you to that ecstatic realm through their look, sound and feel alone. Your dream purchase must convey unfiltered driving pleasure every time you are behind the wheel. It doesn't matter if you're stuck at the traffic lights in a dusty industrial area, if you are in possession of one of these machines you will still believe you could pass for Sixties crooner Matt Monro in the video for his hit, On Days Like These. The new Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet is just such a vehicle. Beautiful and deliciously spritely, here's a few reasons why we have been incandescently swept away.
Am I really going to put the roof down?
Just look at the pictures! It is an absolute necessity. We know the usual arguments against a cabriolet in this country involve the climate, but stick your head outside right now. It has been perfectly clement for the last five months. You'll most likely have until May before the heat becomes too much. When the 12 to 16 unbearable weeks do roll around, just whip up the newly styled coupé-like fabric lid in around 12 seconds, switch on the air conditioning and you're done. Simple. You could even do it on the move in speeds up to 50 km/h if the summer catches you mid-journey! Temperatures aside, a further element that can put people off drop-tops is exposure to the breeze. Gale forces at high speed can be miserable for both the ears and hairdo. Thankfully Porsche have addressed any concerns with an electrically operated wind deflector.
The U-shaped hoop can be raised in two seconds at the push of a button and can be opened and closed up to a speed of 120 km/h, providing wind noise and draught protection. It is a solid piece of kit and works well, guaranteeing you won't miss any of the sweet tunes emanating from the, admittedly optional but fully recommended, twelve-speaker Burmester High-End Surround Sound System.
Doesn't having no roof affect performance?
What are you aiming to do, take it round a racetrack? No, so don't worry about it. Traditionally cars with no roofs have been less rigid and thus not as quick as their hardtop counterparts. With the new 911 Cab, though, more solidity comes from a surprising source - the automatic rollover protection system. This essentially consists of a compact, self-supporting portal frame. As a result of its strength, the frame provides body reinforcement through diagonal struts to the B-pillars and convertible top compartment. Combined with a shell utilising more aluminium and half as much steel as the previous model, when you look at the figures, you can see it's no slouch.
The three-litre, flat-six biturbo engine produces near enough 450hp and a 0-100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds. The power is seamlessly and efficiently put to good use through a new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to achieve a top speed of 306km/h. In a word: stunning.
What's it like to drive around town?
Compact, nippy and agile, while the ride is definitely on the firmer, sportier side even in Normal driving mode, the cabin environment (roof up) is serene until you don't want it to be. By that we mean, if the mood takes you, step on the incredibly responsive throttle and revel in that signature Porsche engine sound distilled through a twin-branch exhaust system including map-controlled and fully variable flaps. This control system teases both optimum power development as well as an emotional noise, which will have you humming Munro's song wherever you find yourself.
SPECS
Engine: Three-litre, flat six
Power: 450hp
0-100km/h: 3.9 secs
Top speed: 306km/h