Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet (2014) review

Updated: 26 January 2015
The latest 2014-spec Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
  • At a glance
  • 4 out of 5
  • 5 out of 5
  • 4 out of 5
  • 3 out of 5
  • 4 out of 5

By Greg Fountain

CAR's former managing editor, editor, caption chiseller, noticer of ironies

By Greg Fountain

CAR's former managing editor, editor, caption chiseller, noticer of ironies

There’s a point in every model’s range where everything basically stops making sense. A bit like life, possibly. And for the 911 I think this is it.

Who actually buys a Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet?

Nobody wants to travel at 195mph with the roof down, or accelerate to 62mph in 3.5sec while being pelted with insect shrapnel.

If you wish to indulge in such hooliganism you’ll need the roof up (and thus will be able to enjoy truly terrible visibility all round), and if you wish to swan about at demure speeds impressing everybody you’ll need nothing more than the (pretty excellent) Carrera Cabrio, which is £42k cheaper than the Turbo.

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet: a quick review

That the 911 Turbo is dynamically pristine and engineered to oxygen-mask levels should be in no doubt.

A swift run-through of its merits and charms reads like a What’s What?  of automotive lustiness.

The flat-six engine bags itself a brace of turbos, and uses them to explode 513bhp of ordnance under all four wheels, the seven-speed PDK gearbox understands your needs like a twin brother, and Porsche’s deft diff keeps as much drama to the rear as it possibly can before ushering some drive frontwards.

The Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet and driver involvement

Even the unloved steering feels more chatty than usual, though that’s partly a product of the rather forensic work-over your palms are getting courtesy of slightly hindered  body rigidity and ride quality that turns every pothole into breaking news.

Also, to anyone who’s witnessed the theatre of the 911 Targa’s folding hardtop the Cabrio’s old-school canvas roof has the artistic merit of the 1980s (from when its technology seemingly dates).

And if you’re going to shell £129k on a posemobile, well, that really matters. An odd conundrum, then. An absolutely brilliant car that nobody can conceivably want.

Specs

Price when new: £129,223
On sale in the UK: Now
Engine: 3800c 24v twin-turbo flat-six, 513bhp @ 6000-6500rpm, 487lb ft @ 1950-5000rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed twin-clutch, 4wd
Performance: 3.5sec 0-62mph, 195mph, 28.5mpg, 231g/km CO2
Weight / material: 1665kg, steel and aluminium
Dimensions (length/width/height in mm):

Other Models

Photo Gallery

  • The latest 2014-spec Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
  • A bit of a paradox? Mixing 513bhp turbocharged engine with al fresco cruising bodystyle
  • The new Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet costs £129,223
  • Step this way for a manic hair dry: inside the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
  • The dashboard of the 911 Turbo Cabrio: familiar to any 911 lover
  • The Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet weighs 1665kg
  • Wide body, open top. It can only be the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
  • Epically fast: 911 Turbo Cab does 3.5sec 0-62mph
  • The 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat six is rabid. But this car should feel more relaxed, no?

By Greg Fountain

CAR's former managing editor, editor, caption chiseller, noticer of ironies

Comments