Traditional Porsche values shine through
If you think all of these relatively new-fangled accoutrements kill the traditional 911 character that started way back with that much simpler 1964 original, you would be wrong. All the plusses and minuses that make a 911, well, a 911, are all accounted for here in the Carrera 4S Cabriolet.
For instance, even without a gazillion adjustments, the standard 911 front buckets deliver both comfort and support, even in the type of spirited driving the car encourages.
As always, the driver's instrumentation is clear, with the digital speedometer underneath the big tach becoming second nature. The test car's six-speed manual's gear selector has just the right balance between accuracy and a solid, mechanical feel. And like most 911s in the past few years, the whole interior feels like it was crafted by hand instead of extruded from some machine.
That's one expensive, German hair dryer
With the top up, it's fairly quiet inside the 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet's cockpit. Most of the wind noise seems to come from the outer moldings at the C-pillar. Of course, with the top down, things are different.
Because of the shallow side glass, there's a fair bit of wind that intrudes. And it only gets worse the faster you drive. If you don't want your hair mussed, Porsche still offers the coupe and Targa 911.
Top up or down, the 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet's suspension and steering are sports car sublime.
Despite the Rodeo Drive image any 911 Cabriolet may have, it still delivers the intimate road feel that only a true sports car can. And that extra "S" on the trunk lid takes care of any performance anxieties with an under-five-second 0-100 km/h run.
If you think all of these relatively new-fangled accoutrements kill the traditional 911 character that started way back with that much simpler 1964 original, you would be wrong. All the plusses and minuses that make a 911, well, a 911, are all accounted for here in the Carrera 4S Cabriolet.
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| The 911's interior has a high-quality hand-crafted feel to it even though it was machine-assembled. |
For instance, even without a gazillion adjustments, the standard 911 front buckets deliver both comfort and support, even in the type of spirited driving the car encourages.
As always, the driver's instrumentation is clear, with the digital speedometer underneath the big tach becoming second nature. The test car's six-speed manual's gear selector has just the right balance between accuracy and a solid, mechanical feel. And like most 911s in the past few years, the whole interior feels like it was crafted by hand instead of extruded from some machine.
That's one expensive, German hair dryer
With the top up, it's fairly quiet inside the 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet's cockpit. Most of the wind noise seems to come from the outer moldings at the C-pillar. Of course, with the top down, things are different.
Because of the shallow side glass, there's a fair bit of wind that intrudes. And it only gets worse the faster you drive. If you don't want your hair mussed, Porsche still offers the coupe and Targa 911.
Top up or down, the 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet's suspension and steering are sports car sublime.
Despite the Rodeo Drive image any 911 Cabriolet may have, it still delivers the intimate road feel that only a true sports car can. And that extra "S" on the trunk lid takes care of any performance anxieties with an under-five-second 0-100 km/h run.
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| The 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet looses nothing of the 911 Coupe's handling abilities. |