The 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show was the place the German carmaker decided to show the world the brand new Porsche 911 Cabrio for the first time. The new convertible comes with a new foldable soft top that features several plastic elements designed to offer better aerodynamics and more refined driving experience. The model will make market debut in the first part of 2012 and is scheduled to be presented at the first major motor shows of 2012 too, the Detroit and the Geneva Motor Show, the latter marking the car’s European debut.
The foldable top of the new Porsche 911 Cabriolet is made from a bi-material structure that uses plastic composites for both the upper and the lower side of the top, while the rest of the top is made from a conventional material that featured several layers of special cloth. The entire structure is built on a magnesium frame and can be folded down in just 11 seconds. The final result is a more elegant combination between the car’s body and the soft top, offering the new 911 Cabriolet a distinct look. Like we said, the car is also more aerodynamic and the exterior noise when rolling at high speeds has been significantly reduced by the new top structure.
According to the official press release, the new generation 911 Cabriolet’s soft top can be folded down or up at speeds up to 50 km/h (30 mph), just like the current generation. But the new soft top is not the only new feature of the convertible 911, because Porsche engineers also equipped the car with a wind deflector for running in convertible mode, that can be activated by the push of a button and which significantly reduces the air flow inside the car.
Just like the coupe version of the 911, the convertible is offered with two boxer gasoline engines, a 3.4-liter unit for the Carrera version and a 3.8-liter engine for the more sporty Carrera S. Customers can choose between a seven-speed manual transmission (which comes as standard) and a seven-speed PDK automatic one. All the improvements made to the new 911 generation will also be available for the convertible.
The fastest Porsche 911 Cabriolet will be the Carrera S version, which needs only 4.5 seconds to do the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint. At the same time, the car gets a very decent fuel consumption, 8.9 liters per 100 km (26.4 mpg). If customers will want even more performance, the Sport Plus package is available, which takes the car from 0 to 62 mph in just 4.3 seconds. The top speed is 299 km/h (186 mph) with the PDK gearbox or 297 km/h (184.5 mph) with the manual. However, the manual is slower on the 0 to 62 mph acceleration and also gets a higher fuel consumption.