2008 Porsche 911 Turbo Lifts Its Roof

UK May 7, 2007; From September, Porsche will be lining-up on the starting grid with the latest 911 Turbo Cabriolet.

This carries on a twenty year Porsche tradition of offering a soft-top version of its flagship sportscar. Firstly, the open 2+2 seater offers the driving performance of a high-powered sportscar whilst still providing open-roofed driving pleasure. Secondly, compared to its competition, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet offers economical fuel consumption, thanks to its lightweight design, outstanding aerodynamics and advanced engine technology.

Like the 911 Turbo Coupé, the Cabriolet is powered by a 3.6 litre six-cylinder ‘boxer’ engine with twin turbochargers and Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG). The powerplant generates 480 bhp (353 kW) and 620 Nm of torque at 1950 rpm. With the optional “Sport Chrono Turbo Package”, which includes an overboost function, up to 680 Nm is available under acceleration. The manual transmission version can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just four seconds. With the Tiptronic S transmission this time falls to 3.8 seconds. Both versions can reach speeds of up to 193 mph (310 km/h). Fuel consumption for the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is 21.9 miles per gallon (12.9 litres per 100 kilometres) – an exemplary value for this competitive vehicle segment.

The open version of the 911 Turbo only weighs 70 kgs more than the Coupé, the difference accounted for by the reinforcement of the convertible body and automatic extendable rollover protection behind the rear seats. The light, three-layer soft-top, which can be completely automatically opened or closed in 20 seconds, also contributes to a low centre of gravity.

Together with the chassis tuned to convertible-specific needs, which includes Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard equipment, the new 911 Turbo Cabriolet offers the sporting driving performance typical for a Porsche 911, as well as extremely high driving safety combined with appealing driving characteristics. Porsche Stability Management (PSM) and the managed all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Management (PTM) also contribute to its unparalleled performance. The PTM system, with an electronically-controlled multi-plate clutch, can alternately shift the drive output from the engine between the front and rear axles according to grip levels. The clutch can perform shift intervals in under 100 milliseconds – quicker than the reaction of the engine to load changes.

With a drag coefficient of just 0.31Cd, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet cuts through the air with the ease of the coupé models. Together with the rear spoiler, which automatically extends at speeds from 75mph (120 km/h) – extending 30 mm further than with the Coupé - the vehicle is the only standard series convertible that generates negative lift at the rear axle. Along with its passive safety systems, including six airbags as standard equipment and the comprehensive rollover protection system – with steel tubing integrated into the windscreen frame and extendable rollover bars behind the rear seats – the 911 Turbo Cabriolet also fulfils all legal requirements for passive safety applicable in the worldwide sales markets. Furthermore, it is equipped with one of the most high-performance brake systems available. The six-cylinder fixed-brake calipers up front stem from the Porsche Carrera GT. The race-proven and lightweight Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) system is also available for the 911 Turbo Cabriolet, as an option.

Included in the extensive standard equipment of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet are Bi-Xenon headlights, 19 inch forged wheels, air conditioning, a wind deflector, a top tinted windscreen, the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) – with the satellite navigation module and colour monitor, the Bose Surround Sound System and a leather interior.

The price for the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is £106,180, including a Porsche Vehicle Tracking System (VTS), a sophisticated vehicle security package approved to Thatcham Category 5 standard, and a Porsche Driving Experience programme. The car will be on sale in the UK and Ireland from September 8th 2007.