Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet Range Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet range
Prices: £74,720-£82,010 - on the road
Insurance Group: 20 CO2 [g/km] /
Emissions: 225g/km [est]
Performance: [Carrera 4S] 0-60mph 4.4s / Max Speed 188mph [est]
Fuel Consumption: [Carrera 4 PDK] (combined) 28mpg
Safety: Twin airbags, ABS, PSM
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height, 4427/1808/1310mm

OPEN WIDE AND SAY AHHHH!

Our Rating: 7.0 / 10

The Carrera 4 Cabriolet isn’t everyone’s idea of a true Porsche 911 but it’s a mightily impressive vehicle all the same. Steve Walker reports…

There’s a lot of strong feeling tied up with the Porsche 911. The vehicle that many hold as the world’s finest all-round sportscar has a loyal following of ardent enthusiasts who collectively train an eagle eye on anything and everything that emerges from the Porsche production line. The 911’s legacy and heritage are key to these fans and some aren’t too keen on any model that might dilute the car’s uncompromising focus. Sawing off the roof, then, is a big no no. The purists might baulk at the very thought of a 911 Cabriolet, viewing removal of the coupe’s top as a heinous crime akin to shaving-off Des Lynam’s moustache but Porsche being Porsche, they make a very good job of it.

There have been some dodgy 911 Cabriolets in the past that have given the Porsche fanatics grounds to view subsequent models with suspicion but the recent record is good. The Porsche engineers go to great lengths to re-engineer the trademark rigidity and poise of the Coupe model back into the Cabriolet once the extra bracing provided by the roof has gone up the swanee. Here, we’re looking specifically at the Carrera 4 Cabriolets and the all-wheel-drive set-up on these cars is another factor with the potential to put noses out of joint amongst Porsche aficionados. For them, the only proper 911 is a two-wheel drive coupe and here we’re dealing with the exact opposite. Drive it, however, and you have to wonder what these people are harping on about. There seems to be very little by way of compromise in any aspect of the Carrera 4 Cabriolet but fine margins between excellence and perfection are what the 911 is all about.

That most controversial of components, the ‘997’ 911 Cabriolet’s hood system, is a good deal slicker than the old 996 soft top, featuring, as it does, an improved folding mechanism. A button can open or close the roof in twenty seconds, the hood now folding into the roof compartment with the heated glass rear window facing upwards for added protection. One of the best parts about the hood is that it can be raised or lowered at speeds up to 31mph which means that, should the traffic lights change while you’re half way through raising or lowering, you won’t need to wait with a queue of laughing/swearing drivers behind you.

Improved guide ducts above the doors direct rainwater into a specially developed channel in the windscreen pillar and an improved wind deflector reduces buffeting in the cabin while cruising. In order to ensure torsional rigidity, soft-top conversions need a degree of additional reinforcement and this often adds to the weight to such a degree that performance is blunted. No such issues with the latest 911 Cabriolet. It tips the scales at a mere 85kg more than its hard top sibling. Even accounting for all the strengthening and electric motors for the roof, that’s less than the weight of an average chap.

The all-wheel drive system in the Carrera 4 models features a multi-disc viscous coupling and transfers between five and ten per cent of drive permanently to the front wheels. You’ll be able to feel the benefit of this additional traction when accelerating out of corners, especially if the surface is damp. Whereas a Carrera will blink its traction control light at the driver as power is cut to the rear in an attempt to regain grip, the Carrera 4 Cabriolet will be able to balance power delivery to all four tyres and use more of its engine power.

Today’s models get the more advanced PTM Porsche Traction Management system that was developed for and previously only available on the 911 Turbo. The system, which has been modified for use in the Carrera 4 models, uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch and features a mechanical limited-slip differential on the rear axle. It’s designed to feed optimum amounts engine torque to each wheel in any situation enhancing traction and stability in the process. With the Carrera 4 using a 3.6-litre 345bhp flat-six and Carrera 4S powered by a 385bhp version of the same engine, there’s plenty of power for the PTM to dole out.

The engine still sits way out at the back of the 911 and nowadays it’s a DFI unit featuring Porsche’s Direct Fuel Injection system. This utilises a sophisticated engine management computer and high pr