Tuesday 10th January 2012

Detroit show: Porsche 911 Cabriolet

Porsche 911 Cabrio officially unveiled at Detroit show

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You might feel as if you've had your fill of 991-generation 911s over the past couple of months, but Porsche isn't finished yet - and it's used the Detroit show to mark the world motor show premiere of the new 911 Cabrio.

Does my bum look big as this cabrio?

It's all pretty much as you'd expect, really, but the impressively tight-looking roof is more secure, more refined and (says Porsche) than ever. This is courtesy of rigid panels within the fabric structure that make the new roof similar in concept (though lighter) than a glass or metal folding hard top.

The roof can also be raised or lowered at speeds of up to 31mph. Prices start at £79,947 for the Carrera Cabriolet and a burly £89,740 for the S version. Engines and power outputs are the same as the coupe, so the 3.4-litre and 3.8-litre get 350hp and 400hp respectively. That's enough for the Carrera to hit 62mph in 5.0 seconds (4.8 seconds with the PDK and 4.6 seconds with the optional Sport Chrono) and for the S to nail 62mph in 4.7 seconds with the seven-speed manual (4.3 seconds with the PDK Sport Chrono).

The new 911 Cab goes on sale in the UK in March

 

 

 

[Skater12]

BREAKING NEWS !!!

Porsche in complete new car shocker!

ooops, no, that hasnt happened.
Come on Porsche, Iknow it's a tried and tested style, but well into the 21st century now. Isnt it time you thought a bit outside of your clinically styled box?

[Johnboy Mac]

An 'S' for 90K plus a few options = 100K, seems like a lot money for a 911.

[kambites]

It's a great design for the roof. Pretty much the best of both worlds of a folding hard-top and soft top design.

[666 SVT]

Getting a bit sick of Porsche design now. Why don't they take their great engineering skill and build a whole
new sports car that's totally different to look at than anything that has gone before ? They can still keep six or seven
models that look virtually the same but give people who like Porsche engineering skill but who have never been a
fan of the shape something else. What would be the harm in that ?

[MRCC]

I completely accept the comments about Porsche moving on and away from the shackles of the 911, but if a 911 is your bag, I have to say I think the 991 is the best looking one ever and that includes the glorious 993 too.

Regards,

Mr. C C.

[disco1]

Skater12 said:

BREAKING NEWS !!!

Porsche in complete new car shocker!

ooops, no, that hasnt happened.
Come on Porsche, Iknow it's a tried and tested style, but well into the 21st century now. Isnt it time you thought a bit outside of your clinically styled box?

BREAKING NEWS

Porsche hater PH'er in Porsche design critique shocker!

It wouldn't be a 911 unless it actually looked like a 911 now would it????

[Skater12]

MRCC said:

I completely accept the comments about Porsche moving on and away from the shackles of the 911, but if a 911 is your bag, I have to say I think the 991 is the best looking one ever and that includes the glorious 993 too.

Regards,

Mr. C C.

I agree. If you HAVE to have one, then the current 991 is the best looking 911 for the past 20 or so years.
But saying that is like deciding between which sexually transmitted disease you'd rather have. A bit of the clap, or full blown Aids!

[Nick644]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0ysj81EjAo

[SWoll]

Skater12 said:

MRCC said:

I completely accept the comments about Porsche moving on and away from the shackles of the 911, but if a 911 is your bag, I have to say I think the 991 is the best looking one ever and that includes the glorious 993 too.

Regards,

Mr. C C.

I agree. If you HAVE to have one, then the current 991 is the best looking 911 for the past 20 or so years.
But saying that is like deciding between which sexually transmitted disease you'd rather have. A bit of the clap, or full blown Aids!

Do you form any of your own opinions or does JC provide them all for you?

Do we really have to have this same discussion everytime there is a new post about the 911, especially when no-one has anything original to say?

And you're right of course, they really are dreadful cars aren't they? Must be why they sell so badly and get such poor reviews from the motoring press.....

[Skater12]

disco1 said:

Skater12 said:

BREAKING NEWS !!!

Porsche in complete new car shocker!

ooops, no, that hasnt happened.
Come on Porsche, Iknow it's a tried and tested style, but well into the 21st century now. Isnt it time you thought a bit outside of your clinically styled box?

BREAKING NEWS

Porsche hater PH'er in Porsche design critique shocker!

It wouldn't be a 911 unless it actually looked like a 911 now would it????

I love Porsche as a brand, but im just a little tired of the recent 911's of the past few years.
For a brand new car, i'd have thought they could tweak the design a little more, and maybe be very un-germanic by being a little daring.
It's not even like porsche has much to lose, given that emerging markets in the middle east and asia will be huge for this new car regardless of how it would look. Chinese businessmen etc would buy a 911 for the badge alone.

[Luca Brasi]

Skater12 said:

I love Porsche as a brand, but im just a little tired of the recent 911's of the past few years.
For a brand new car, i'd have thought they could tweak the design a little more, and maybe be very un-germanic by being a little daring.
It's not even like porsche has much to lose, given that emerging markets in the middle east and asia will be huge for this new car regardless of how it would look. Chinese businessmen etc would buy a 911 for the badge alone.

Who cares how it looks? It'll probably be the best driving 4-seater convertible out there. No need the change the 911 design, after 50 years it still looks good.

[Skater12]

SWoll said:

Skater12 said:

MRCC said:

I completely accept the comments about Porsche moving on and away from the shackles of the 911, but if a 911 is your bag, I have to say I think the 991 is the best looking one ever and that includes the glorious 993 too.

Regards,

Mr. C C.

I agree. If you HAVE to have one, then the current 991 is the best looking 911 for the past 20 or so years.
But saying that is like deciding between which sexually transmitted disease you'd rather have. A bit of the clap, or full blown Aids!

Do you form any of your own opinions or does JC provide them all for you?

Do we really have to have this same discussion everytime there is a new post about the 911, especially when no-one has anything original to say?

And you're right of course, they really are dreadful cars aren't they? Must be why they sell so badly and get such poor reviews from the motoring press.....

I never said they were dreadful, just a little boring and predictable now.
I'd be very shocked if the next 911 dosnt look remarkably similar again.
Dont get me wrong, I'd love to own one, but for the money i'd go for an older well looked after car, because the new one asthetically dosnt justify spending more.

On your comments about JC, i dont quote anyone, Jeremy Clarkson, Jesus Christ, Jackie Chan or otherwise.
And the reason we cant come up with an original comment about this car, is because the same things were said about the last "new" 911 launch, and the one before that.

[Yorkshirepud]

Looks lovely.

Back doesn't look as bulbous as the 996 or 997, maybe that's what the big crease does for it?

Interested to hear just how well that roof performs over a folding metal one.

Looks wise, 997 > 993 > 991 > 996 > others

[Garlick]

If the next 911 broke with tradition and looked all new, completely different, people would be in uproar. Despite this we still get the 'looks the same as the old one' comments.

They can't win methinks.

[kambites]

Garlick said:

They can't win methinks.

Well they could make two 2+2 sports/GT crossover models... might not make much commercial sense, though.

[pistonpie]

Skater12 said:

It's not even like porsche has much to lose, given that emerging markets in the middle east and asia will be huge for this new car regardless of how it would look. Chinese businessmen etc would buy a 911 for the badge alone.

your point being...? I personally think it looks great, one of the best looking 911s yet

[Johnboy Mac]

Garlick said:

If the next 911 broke with tradition and looked all new, completely different, people would be in uproar. Despite this we still get the 'looks the same as the old one' comments.

They can't win methinks.

Your spot on there Garlick. Porsche, imo made a rod for it's back - a money making rod!

[steve_n]

In my opinion 'tweaking' designs is often not a good thing. A large part of a car's general shape is pre-determined by practicalities and hence a 911 looks like a 911.

Take a look at nearly all the mainstream manufacturers and they've run out of original ideas, instead they just take existing designs (which are formed by function) and rotated them by 90 or 180 degrees, even displaced them.

To clarify here are some examples:

- Interior air vents now commonly look the same but are positioned vertically instead of horizontally (Vauxhall, Ford etc)
- 'Bump strip' line used to be useful as it was the widest part of the door and to me looked good. Now you get slab sided doors with the line in all sorts of places, usually high where it's no longer providing any function.
- Lower bumper designs (air intakes tapered towards the centre etc) are now effectively flipped 180 and the cars look 'sad' (see e46 M3 vs e92 M3, I know which I prefer)
- This trend has now hit headlights with conventional shapes appearing upside down and it looks downright odd to me (Audi)

My point is some things really don't need to be fixed because they aren't broken...

[Skater12]

Garlick said:

If the next 911 broke with tradition and looked all new, completely different, people would be in uproar. Despite this we still get the 'looks the same as the old one' comments.

They can't win methinks.

Some "tweaks", not radical changes are required, that's all.
At present they seem to visually change very little, whilst managing to physically change every part.

[SWoll]

Skater12 said:

On your comments about JC, i dont quote anyone, Jeremy Clarkson, Jesus Christ, Jackie Chan or otherwise.

Your STD line was a direct quote from Mr Clarkson I believe, as I'm sure you are aware.

Skater12 said:

Dont get me wrong, I'd love to own one, but for the money i'd go for an older well looked after car, because the new one asthetically dosnt justify spending more.

The newer one doesn't have to justify spending more with it's aesthetics, that's never been what the 911 is about. I would be willing to guarantee it justifies itself in the way it drives etc. which is far more important.

Skater12 said:

And the reason we cant come up with an original comment about this car, is because the same things were said about the last "new" 911 launch, and the one before that.

If you are aware that the topic of the 911's styling has been discussed at length time and time again on PH then why trot out the same tired old comments? We all know it hasn't changed much in the way it looks, that's the whole point of the 911. Evolution rather than revolution. It's seems to have worked very well for Porsche for the last 50 years or so.