All-new open-top flagship boasts supercar performance, and every day drivin
05/07/2007
Porsche
Stuttgart, Germany based Porsche AG today shared initial details about the new 911 Turbo Cabriolet. When it goes on sale in September 2007 in North America, the 2008 911 Turbo Cabriolet will take its rightful place at the top of Porsche's sports car hierarchy and will continue Porsche's 20-year tradition of offering an open-top turbocharged 911 sports car for those who yearn for the ultimate open-air Porsche driving experience either on the track or on the boulevard.
The 911 Turbo Cabriolet features the same 3.6-liter, six-cylinder, twin-turbocharged boxer engine found in the 911 Turbo Coupe. Using Variable Turbine Geometry (VTG), the powerplant generates 480 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque at 1950 rpm. The heart of the Variable Turbine Geometry technology is the turbocharger's adjustable guide blades, which can vary in angle to most effectively guide engine exhaust flow onto the turbocharger's impeller wheel. The result is a system that provides the advantages of both a small and large turbocharger, thus eliminating the turbo lag or old and, instead, offering unheard of flexibility and awesome acceleration, particularly at low engine speeds.
The optional Sport Chrono Package Turbo allows a 10-second, mid-rpm-range overboost, temporarily increasing turbo boost under full throttle and swelling peak torque to 505 lb-ft. The manual transmission version can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds (0 to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds), while the Tiptronic(R) S version covers the same distance in 3.5 seconds (0 to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds). Both versions can reach a top test-track speed of 193 mph (310 km/h).
Cabriolet structure ensures low center of gravity
Despite the addition of Cabriolet-specific chassis reinforcement and the inclusion of automatically extending safety bars behind the rear seats to help protect occupants in the event of an accidental rollover, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet weighs only 154 lbs. (70 kg) more than the 911 Turbo Coupe. The light, three-layer soft top, which can be opened or closed in roughly 20 seconds even while driving at speeds up to approximately 30 mph (48 km/h), helps give the 911 Turbo Cabriolet a low center-of-gravity compared to a car fitted with a retractable hardtop.
Together with running gear that is tuned to Cabriolet-specific needs and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) as standard equipment, the new 911 Turbo Cabriolet offers the sport driving performance typical for a Porsche 911, as well as extremely high driving safety and appealing driving characteristics. Porsche Stability Management (PSM) stability control and the all-wheel drive managing Porsche Traction Management (PTM), both standard features, contribute to the sports car's active safety and performance. As also found in the latest 911 Turbo Coupes, the all-wheel drive system with an electronically controlled multi- plate clutch can alternatively shift the engine's drive output between the front and rear axles, with shift intervals of a maximum of 100 milliseconds.
Aerodynamics and safety round out the total package
The 911 Turbo Cabriolet has a drag coefficient of 0.31, and its rear spoiler, which automatically extends at speeds from 75 mph (120 km/h), extends 1.2 inches (30 mm) farther than 911 Turbo Coupe spoiler. The result is that the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is the only standard series convertible that generates negative lift at the rear axle. Adding to its active safety resúme is the use of six-cylinder, fixed-brake front calipers from the Porsche Carrera GT. The Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB(R)) ceramic brake system is available on the 911 Turbo Cabriolet as an option.
Along with its passive safety systems, including six airbags as standard equipment and the comprehensive rollover protection system - with steel tubing integrated into the windshield frame and automatically extending safety bars behind the rear seats - the 911 Turbo Cabriolet fulfils all legal requirements for passive safety as applicable in the worldwide sales markets.
Other standard features include bi-xenon headlights, 19-inch two-tone forged wheels, a wind deflector, the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system with DVD-based navigation and a 5.8-inch color monitor, and the Bose Surround Sound System.
The 911 Turbo Cabriolet U.S. and Canadian pricing are $136,500 (USD) and $189,600 (CAD), respectively.
Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, GA, and its subsidiary, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., are the exclusive importers of Porsche sports cars and Cayenne(R) sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada. A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, PCNA employs approximately 300 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 214 U.S. and Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service.