Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet

Origin

Porsche introduced the capital-letter 911 Turbo model way back in 1975. But it wasn’t until the 1980s that the company added Targa and cabriolet variants. The part-roof and drop-roof models were rare, although the Turbo’s wider body with massively suggestive fender flares looked particularly mean on the open-top models. Porsche’s reason for developing the 911 Turbo was to homologate a turbocharged version of the 911 to go racing. And convertibles aren’t for racing. So, there’s been a certain tension within the mission of a 911 Turbo convertible. With the new 992-generation Turbo S, there’s a feeling that the tension has slackened a bit.

Performance

Of course, with 640 horsepower on tap from its twin-turbocharged 3.7-liter flat-six, the 911 Turbo S cabriolet is always ready for you to call a blitz. This Porsche will propel itself to 60 mph in a mind-warping 2.3 seconds—one of the quickest times we’ve ever recorded—and it won’t stop until it hits a claimed 205 mph, presumably with the top up. But most of the time, for most drivers, what matters is that this is a car that does low-speed better than all other high-speed cars, and that’s what makes for a great and usable daily driver.

Transmission

That eighth gear is new to the Turbo. Previously, the Turbo had a seven-speed dual-clutch (PDK in Porsche-sprache) automatic transmission. Like its predecessor, there’s no manual in this generation. Fun fact: That’s twice the number of gears the 911 Turbo had until 1989. The close spacing of the gears means that even when going slow the engine remains relaxed but ready to respond. Unlike many modern automatics, the new PDK doesn’t constantly rush into the highest possible gear to chase fuel economy. When driven with at least moderate verve, it remains in or close to the right gear for shooting the gaps in traffic.

In Normal driving mode, the Turbo S’s exhaust is subdued—the 73-decibel racket inside the cabin at 70 mph is mostly tire noise—and the ride quality is outstanding, considering the massive 255/35R-20 front and 315/30R-21 rear tires. It’s not a ’70s Lincoln, but it also won’t make you shudder whenever you hit an expansion joint. Adding the optional $2770 front-axle lift system—which can quickly raise or lower the front end 1.6 inches to clear curbs and inclines, either via a toggle or by the car’s navigation-based memory—further reduces the stresses of daily driving.

The convertible top is operated with a single switch that automatically latches and unlatches the roof. Its operation is both easy and quick. It’s a foolproof setup that can be completed even when the car is moving at up to 31 mph. The system is smart enough to drop and raise the rearward quarter windows with the top. That keeps the owner from leaving them up when the top is down, something we lovingly call Shark mode.