Friday 13th April 2012

PH Blog: you can't handle the truth

Dan faces an unwelcome realisation about the new 911 Cabriolet

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Being forced to confront the fact that long held and passionately defended beliefs might actually be wrong is a disturbing thing to happen to a man, especially at 7am on the way into the office. Maybe it was down to the fact I hadn’t yet had a brew. Or I was just a little vulnerable. But this 911 Cabriolet in the car park actually – or should I say finally – has made me confront an uncomfortable truth.

I think I actually quite like the 991 cabrio.

Speedster-like lines finally make sense

Now, I know we prattle on a lot about 911s of all shapes, sizes and vintages here. Just one of those things, the more so since bringing Harris on board.

But the beauty of the 911 is that there’s one to suit pretty much all tastes. Each to their own and all but mine do not, it’s fair to say, accommodate anything other than coupes. And, if I’m getting really fussy, preferably ones with rear-wheel drive, manual transmissions and normally aspirated engines. The Boxster brilliantly covers the open-top Porsche angle but a 911 needs a roof and that distinctive swept back C-pillar, or it doesn’t count. So Targas are out too. Arrogantly I thought this was more or less in tune with the PH way of thinking but, boy, was I wrong and when I expressed this sentiment in a story about the 991 Cabriolet’s unveiling I got a proper flaming.

Stubborn, entrenched beliefs? Who'd have thought!

Well, here’s double satisfaction for those who shot me down. I think the 991 may have converted me. It’s a worrying sensation though. As far as I was concerned I knew that soft-top 911s were wrong as much as I knew that night follows day, I’ll always be right-handed and only an idiot would drink tea that doesn’t come from Yorkshire. Honestly, if you haven’t seen the sun set over the plantations outside Bingley you really haven’t lived.

But the sight of this one, dew covered and brooding in the low morning sun. Hmm. And it’s a manual.

I’ll hold proper judgement until I’ve driven one, which I’ll be doing shortly. Until then I remain a little unsettled.

For what it’s worth I have no plans to switch to PG Tips though.

Dan

[mattyc69]

News Flash Porsche lend piston heads a 911 as long as they say its good! Its a bit like the RS being sold to someone else cheap as long as its all they ever talk about and make sure it wins ecoty

[jimbo2728]

Couldn't agree more. There have been some stinkers when it comes to the 911 Cab, however, this I feel makes up for the rest of them and at last people who buy this car won't feel like the Hunchback of Notre Dame when driving around roofless..

Love it!

[leon9191]

I would tend to agree mind i would never consider a 911 cab, but i would happily have a boxster.

[richb77]

mattyc69 said:

News Flash Porsche lend piston heads a 911 as long as they say its good! Its a bit like the RS being sold to someone else cheap as long as its all they ever talk about and make sure it wins ecoty

+1

[Luca Brasi]

Nothing wrong with a 911 cab imo.

[Dan Trent]

mattyc69 said:

News Flash Porsche lend piston heads a 911 as long as they say its good! Its a bit like the RS being sold to someone else cheap as long as its all they ever talk about and make sure it wins ecoty

Haven't actually driven it yet remember - a lifetime's prejudice isn't necessarily overturned in one tea-starved moment!

[so called]

I like them too.
A mate of mine bught his off a 'famous' American Baseball player.
Lovely car.

[Brabus Jord]

no title on the thread when it appears in the GG

[Craiglamuffin]

So the 991 Cab isn't SOTW then?

[mollytherocker]

Dan

Can I assume that you have now downed your brew and have come to your senses? If not, maybe try another, and chuck an extra shot of espresso in?

You'll be saying that you like those Peter Kay transmissions next.

MTR

[Bash Brannigan]

richb77 said:

mattyc69 said:

News Flash Porsche lend piston heads a 911 as long as they say its good! Its a bit like the RS being sold to someone else cheap as long as its all they ever talk about and make sure it wins ecoty

+1

Bitter much?

[idiotboy]

Nice try Porsche.

[IAJO]

didnt they design the roof to mimick the lines of the coupe? So its not all that suprising you would like its looks better than previous cabs.

[Gorbyrev]

Does look good in a colour sympathetic to the hood. I would have one! Seriously though, the design technology for putting torsional rigidity into chop tops has moved on so far that there is no reason a 911 cab should be much inferior - great place to enjoy your flat six. So Dan - tell us if it drives well. Earl Grey anyone!?

[SWoll]

Bash Brannigan said:

richb77 said:

mattyc69 said:

News Flash Porsche lend piston heads a 911 as long as they say its good! Its a bit like the RS being sold to someone else cheap as long as its all they ever talk about and make sure it wins ecoty

+1

Bitter much?

Spot on BB.

The argument doesn't even make any sense when you take into account

a) The 991 has been universally derided to some degree in the press due to it's steering.
b) Dan hasn't even driven the car, he's just commenting that he thinks the 991 cab looks good.

I do wonder wether you guys even bothered to read the article or if you just saw the headline and thought "I'll just trot out the same uneducated and unoriginal bullst that I do every time someone comments that they like a Porsche".

Grow up.

I appreciate you may not be a fan of the 911 but suggesting that the fact it is held in such high esteem by the vast majority of people who have been lucky enough to drive them over the years is in some way due to 'pressure' from Porsche is laughable.

[Dan Trent]

This one isn't 'ours'; we don't get it for a few weeks.

And, FWIW, I think my personal problem stems from the loss of the C-pillar. Without it the 911 shape - previously at least - just doesn't work to my eyes. But the speedster-ish look of the 991 just about carries it I think.

To be continued...

[sinbaddio]

Dan Trent said:

This one isn't 'ours'; we don't get it for a few weeks.

And, FWIW, I think my personal problem stems from the loss of the C-pillar. Without it the 911 shape - previously at least - just doesn't work to my eyes. But the speedster-ish look of the 991 just about carries it I think.

To be continued...

Look forward to the continuation - fwiw, having had a 996C4S cab briefly, I think the 991 in all guises looks superb. Don't know statistically but to the eye it seems lower, wider and overall much more agressive.

[pSyCoSiS]

This is probably one of the better-looking 911 cabrios.

I like the 964 versions of this, but the rest don;t seem to have the right proportions.

[0000]

Is there a car in those black images that look like there should be pictures there? *smacks monitor*

[JamesHayward]

I have to agree with Dan on this one. I was just looking at it out of the window and it does look pretty good. I've never really liked the 911 Cabrio on the basis it looks a bit like a pram with the roof down, but this one kinda works.