Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet: Follow up test

Inside Line have a follow up test on the 911 Carrera Cabriolet. There's a nice video with a big gallery. Definitely a must read for all Porsche lovers!

We almost got through an entire week without having a run-in with a Porsche Puritan.

But on the last night, two blocks from home, there's one of them waiting for us at a stoplight. He, and unfortunately, it's always he, is behind the wheel of a garage-kept Targa, air-cooled, of course, 993 generation, white paint, fiddling with the manual shifter, enjoying the evening breeze.

He marks us as soon as we pull up in the Guards Red 2006 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet, our left arm lounging on the open sill, our right hand relaxing at 3 o'clock. We've got an automatic transmission, the Tiptronic S, and we're not even trying to hide it.

Don't need to. This automatic 911 convertible runs to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, quick enough to educate Mr. 993 when the light turns green.

No less of a 911
Out-dragging somebody else's 911 just to prove it's OK to buy one with an automatic is hardly the point. It's about classic body lines, a rear-engine layout, phenomenal handling. But it's even more than that. It's the unquantifiable sensations that only a 911 can deliver.

Like all other 997-generation 911s, the Tiptronic Cab has the body, the rear-mounted boxer six and the reflexes. But a few of the sensations are muted.

Not that you'd ever care in the city where the 911 Carrera Cabriolet dominates any traffic situation. At first, 325 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque seem modest in a car with an $81K base price. Then, you realize the 3.6-liter engine revs with the fervor of a superbike motor but has loads more of everything to throw around. Distinct Porsche exhaust sounds are nicely calibrated for open-top driving — subdued at low rpm, yet loud enough to cut through urban chatter at high revs.

Leaving the five-speed automatic transmission in "D" works just fine for commuting. It's plenty smooth and there's no waiting. However, hitting the "sport" button on the dash unlocks a more abrasive side of its personality in which firm redline upshifts are the norm. Throttle response is also punchier.