2005 Porsche 911 Cabriolet Preview

The soft-top roof mechanism used in the 997 is much like the one featured in the 996. The lightweight cloth roof folds in a

Not only does the Cabrio's top lower or rise in a mere 20 seconds, it can also be opened and closed at speeds of up to 31 mph. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

Z-pattern, taking a mere 20 seconds to lower or rise, and can be actuated at the touch of a button in the car, or remotely via the car's key fob.

The Cabrio's roof will be one of only a handful that can be opened and closed at speeds of up to 31 mph when it becomes available, the list soon to include the upcoming Boxster as well, allowing the driver to quickly shelter the interior and passengers from unexpectedly inclement weather. To save cost, the glass rear screen was carried over directly from the 996.

Compared to other convertibles, the sacrifices in performance made

The 3.6L Cab with manual gearbox can reach 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, while the S completes the sprint even quicker, in just 4.8 seconds. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

in the conversion to soft top are few and far between. Both Cabrios feature a wind-cheating coefficient of drag rating of 0.29, which allows them to achieve the same top speed as their Coupe counterparts (177 mph for the base and 182 mph for the S).

The extra 187 pounds of roof mechanisms and reinforcements add a mere 0.2 seconds to both cars' 0 to 60 mph acceleration times. The 3.6L Cab with manual gearbox can reach 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, while the S completes the sprint even quicker, in just 4.8 seconds.