2009 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 Cabriolet Review

Everyone seems to think of convertibles as the “cars of summer”. The Porsche 911 C 4 Cabriolet fit that bill and then some. Translated, this means Porsche loaned me their new 911 convertible with all wheel drive.

Put the top down and the 911 is probably one of the best looking convertibles on the market.

Porsche has done some major revisions to the 911 and even more to the convertible model. In general, the entire body structure is new, although on the outside, you will not see much of a difference. The most obvious change is that the day time running lights (DRL) are no longer in the headlight pod. There are separate signal light/ DRLs underneath the headlights that are composed of LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes).

When you happen to have the old body style next to the new one, you will see that the body work is quite different right from the front to the rear. In coupe trim, the silhouette is obviously a bit more aerodynamic. With the top up, the convertible looks like the top is an afterthought instead of part of an integrated design. Put the top down and the 911 is probably one of the best looking convertibles on the market.

With the motor in the rear, the convertible has to fold up into a rather small space and while that is part of the design problem, the power actuated top does fold up and fit under a clamshell like cover. Just hold the button and in less time than it takes for a traffic light to change, you can drop or raise the top. Just make sure you are stopped and in neutral with your foot on the brake to get the top button to work.

Inside, the instrumentation and dash layout are all Porsche. The tach is front and centre with the speedometer off to the left with only a small digital display at the bottom of the rev-counter to keep those who do not look at peripheral gauges out of jail. This particular car was equipped with the new PDK seven-speed dual clutch automatic so there as a small gear indicator in the instrument cluster as well.

When Porsche set the standard for their seats they didn’t have me in mind. The seat cushion is the right size and for the most part the side bolsters are in the right place, making it a very comfortable seat. My problem is that my shoulders are wide enough and the bolster ridge high enough that it digs into my shoulder blades. It’s not really uncomfortable, just annoying.

Inside, the instrumentation and dash layout are all Porsche.