Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabrio

Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabrio

Going topless just got easier - for a price. With impeccable timing, the latest Porsche 911 Cabriolet is hitting the UK as the summer arrives. Customers here have been made to wait a year for the drop-top, so was it worth the delay? Auto Express got behind the wheel to find out... and considering the Cabrio commands a ΂£7,230 premium over the Coupί¿½, it needed to be good!

Our infamous weather means soft-top driving can be a hazardous exercise. However, Porsche has done a fine job of letting owners take advantage of even the smallest ray of sunshine.

The roof goes up or down in only 20 seconds, so it can work comfortably while waiting at traffic lights. Not that you need to worry; if the signals change to green, the mechanism still operates at up to 30mph.

The set-up works at the touch of a button and stows neatly. In the raised position, visibility is aided by a heated glass screen, and the classy roof lining hides any ugly folding metal parts.

Refined

On the road, the soft-top is very refined but noise levels are, as you would expect, higher than in the Coupί¿½. Open-air motoring is remarkably fuss-free, though, and with the standard wind deflector in place, even motorway speeds do not prevent conversation. The clip-in device is stored in the car's nose and can be fitted in moments.

However, even without it, the front screen directs wind over, rather than into, the interior. Special door seals combine with ducts in the reinforced A-pillars to channel water away from the cabin in poor weather. Of course, safety is not ignored, and a pair of pop-up rollbars behind the tiny rear seats deploy automatically in a rollover. There are even door-mounted head airbags.

From behind the wheel, the conversion to the Cabrio has done little to affect the 911's outstanding handling. Cutting the roof off has seen a 110kg weight increase over the Coupί¿½, but it is unlikely that you would notice the difference in normal driving.

Scuttle shake is notable by its absence, and there is no body flex from the stiff chassis, which ensures the fixed-head version's pin-sharp responses are retained. To preserve ride comfort, the Carrera S is also fitted with Porsche's active suspension, which has been specifically tuned for the soft-top.

A six-speed manual box is standard on both the 3.8-litre Carrera S and the 3.6 entry model, and a five-ratio Tiptronic S is optional. At ΂£65,260, the base Cabrio is ΂£6,880 more than the Coupί¿½ - so whichever model you choose, value for money is one of the few things that does not come as standard.

FIRST OPINION Porsche reckons the 911 Cabriolet is as aerodynamic as the Coup� - but top-down motoring adds the price of a new supermini to the total cost. It may be the fastest, safest and best-handling Porsche drop-top ever, but it makes the least financial sense. Unless you crave open-air motoring, we'd struggle to recommend the costly Cabrio over the Coup�.

AT A GLANCE Classy cabin has nine-speaker stereo and will be familiar to Coup� owners. Rear seats are strictly for children - and are rendered useless with the standard wind deflector in place. Engine: 3.8-litre 6cyl, 355bhp 0-60mph: 4.9 seconds Price: £72,230