The Savagely Fast New 911 Turbo Is Also Savagely Expensive

Alright, you probably guessed this was coming. Porsche has lifted the lid on the latest pair of convertible turbo-nutter 911s, giving away a few details and a handful of photos before the models officially arrive at the LA Motor Show in November.

As in the coupe there are 911 Turbo and Turbo S designations, with 520 and 560 German ponies respectively. Four-wheel drive is standard and the configuration is generally pretty familiar, in all its ballistic but eminently sensible glory.

Porsche won’t tell us just yet how much heavier the Cabriolet is compared to the hard-top, but the Turbo S coupe’s astonishing 2.9-second 0-62mph figure drops to a relatively paltry 3.2 seconds here. Add another three tenths for the standard Turbo Cabriolet and you’ve practically got a yawning chasm of pace difference.

This is, of course, utter rubbish. Any of the new 911 Turbos will pretty much rip your eyes out of your head if you plant your foot hard on the throttle. And we like that.

We also like the phat new stance. Where older Turbo models have shared the ‘wide-body’ platform of the Carrera 4 and 4S, the new 911 performance models are 28mm wider still, flaring out over the huge rear tyres. Don’t expect them to fit in the average multi-storey car parking space, though - or at least not if you want to get the doors open.

Still, the city centre isn’t exactly where the Turbo is designed for. Fast, flowing roads are its home, where the active rear-wheel steering and huge array of electronic gubbins can ply their trade.

The cleverly designed roof emulates the profile of the hard-top version better than before, but the ability to raise and lower it at up to 31mph is unchanged. It’s a brisk operation, at 13 seconds both ways.

As for price, those of a nervous disposition should look away now. The new Turbo Cabriolet will cost £126,766, and that’s before Porsche extends its arm to offer you the hefty and expensive options list. The Turbo S, meanwhile, which returns the same 28.5mpg and 197mph top speed, will cost a hernia-inducing £149,511 courtesy of a series of upgraded interior features. Frankly, we’d stick with the basic one and spend the spare £23,000 on super unleaded and tyres...