America’s Most Popular 911 to be Available in Both Carrera and Carrera S Models

ATLANTA, Dec. 6, 2004 --- Porsche today announced it will launch the latest versions of the 911 Cabriolet, traditionally the most popular 911 model sold in America, in the first quarter of 2005. Based on the 911 Carrera and Carrera S Coupes released earlier this year, the 2005 911 Carrera Cabriolet and Carrera S Cabriolet feature a wider range of standard equipment and offer higher levels of performance and safety than any previous standard open-top 911 model.
For open-air driving pleasure and convenience, both new 911 Cabriolet models are equipped with an electronic soft top that opens or closes in just 20 seconds and can be deployed or retracted with the car moving at up to 30 mph (50 km/h). To protect its heated glass window, the top retracts in a Z-configuration with its outer side facing up. To protect occupants from the rain, the top’s new sills above the doors guide water into a specially developed door seal duct in the A-pillar.

By incorporating such features as Porsche Stability Management (PSM), Porsche Communication Management (PCM) including the Porsche Sound Package Plus (CD radio with nine speakers), larger wheels, and a wind deflector, as standard equipment which were previously options, the new 911 Carrera Cabriolet represents greater value than its predecessor.

Exclusive to the new 911 Cabriolets is the greater extension of the rear spoiler. To minimize front and rear axle lift at high speeds resulting in greater driving safety, the speed-dependent rear spoiler extends 0.8 of an inch (20mm) further than the spoiler on the new 911 Coupes. At the same time, the drag coefficient on the new Cabriolets has been lowered to 0.29, making them leaders in their class for aerodynamic efficiency.

The 911 Carrera S Cabriolet is powered by the same 3.8-liter, 355 horsepower (SAE), flat-six cylinder engine as the new 911 Carrera S Coupe. It propels the car from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 4.9 seconds. For optimum handling, the Carrera S Cabriolet incorporates the same Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system fitted on the Carrera S Coupe as standard equipment (the system is an option on the Carrera Cabriolet). PASM allows the driver to select between the comfort of a Grand Touring car and the track-ready precision of a genuine high performance sports car at the touch of a button. The 911 Carrera Cabriolet is equipped with the new Carrera Coupe’s 3.6-liter, 325 horsepower (SAE) flat-six engine that powers the car from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in a quick 5.2 seconds. Both models achieve the same top track speed – 177 mph (285 km/h) for the Carrera Cabriolet and 182 mph (293 km/h) for the Carrera S Cabriolet – as their 911 Carrera Coupe counterparts despite a greater weight of more than 180 lbs. (85 kg.).

For optimum occupant safety, both new Carrera Cabriolets are equipped with the Porsche Side Impact Protection (POSIP) system comprising head and thorax airbags for both driver and front seat passenger. Also standard are two full-size frontal airbags and three-point seat belt latch tensioners and belt force limiters for the front seats. Rollover safety features include two ultra-strong steel tubes in the A pillars and two supplemental safety bars located behind the rear seats that automatically deploy in the event of a rollover.

The 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet and Carrera S Cabriolet will be introduced to the United States and Canada in mid March of 2005 at a price of $79,100 US and $115,650 CDN for the Carrera Cabriolet and $88,900 US and $129,900 CDN for the Carrera S Cabriolet. Both models will debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Porsche Cars North America, Inc. (PCNA), based in Atlanta, Ga., and its subsidiary, Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd., are the exclusive a further importers of Porsche 911, Boxster and Carrera GT sports cars and Cayenne sport utility vehicles for the United States and Canada. A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG, PCNA employs approximately 250 people who provide Porsche vehicles, parts, service, marketing and training for its 203 U.S. and Canadian dealers. They, in turn, provide Porsche owners with best-in-class service.

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Come rain or shine - and even snow - nothing will stop Porsche's test team from forging ahead with the development of what promises to be one of the finest driver's cars ever produced.

An exclusive image in this week's mag shows an engineer behind the wheel of the next 911 GT3, which will soon form part of the 997-generation model line-up. Although there has been no official confirmation, the newcomer could be unveiled for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

Now that the entry-level Carrera and Carrera S models are well established, the next step is to introduce the standard Turbo variant, as well as four-wheel-drive editions. Only then will the hardcore, naturally aspirated GT3 arrive - probably before the end of the year with a turbocharged GT2 due in 2006. The GT3 will be powered by a tuned version of the Carrera S's 3.8-litre flat six-cylinder engine, with the output increased from 355bhp to 400bhp. Power will be fed to the rear wheels via a modified six-speed manual gearbox. To help the hot track-day model cope with the extra performance, Porsche will include stiffer suspension and uprated brakes.

The prototype seen in this week's mag is fitted with large yellow calipers, hinting at the immense stopping power. For those who want the ultimate 911, it's thought that a new GT3 RS variant will also be produced. As enthusiasts would expect, the RS will be offered only in white, with a limited choice of colours for the traditional decals on the doors.

Published Date: 3/14/05

2005 PORSCHE 911 CARRERA S CABRIOLET
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $88,900
POWERTRAIN: 3.8-liter, 355-hp, 295-lb-ft boxer six; rwd, six-speed manual
CURB WEIGHT: 3319 lbs 0 TO 62
MPH: 4.9 seconds (mfr.)

They used to make newsreels with this stuff. Menfolk in the whitewashed mountain village of Grazalema, Spain, have gathered in the square to watch a dozen 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolets trickle into town for a lunch stop. Hundreds of men.

Oh, silly us. There’s a hearse over there. Whoever died must have been important, if not particularly well-liked. The men are so taken by the cars that they pry their attention away from the solemn proceedings and stare. Many follow the 911s up from the square to the restaurant at the inn.


They must know this is the car Aston Martin is benchmarking for its new V8 Vantage; the car Ferrari wishes it could build for the price; the one Dave Hill’s group at Chevrolet benchmarks for the Corvette. Okay, the Grazalemans may not know that. They’re just captivated by the Cabriolet’s look. And that, no matter what valid arguments proponents of the fixed-roof sports car can formulate, is the one point that can’t be countered.

People stare more at convertibles—Astons, Chevys, Ferraris or Porsches. Forget sun worship. In this age of UV-exposure warnings, well-heeled sun worshipers come few and far between. Carrera Cabriolets are the 911s for extroverts, and extroverts in the United States can get one March 12; soft-top, available in black, blue, brown or gray.

The Cabriolets are the first of what will assuredly be many variations on the new, heavily revised 911 Coupe, codename 997 (AW, July 19, 2004). There were 11 models of the 996 911 offered in North America, and Porsche execs will tell you this Balkanization of the 911 line is one reason profits have risen for 11 consecutive years since the doldrums of the early 1990s. The convertibles also will be the most important variation, as they account for more than 40 percent of 911 sales in Porsche’s most important market—the United States.


The 997 Cabs get the same improvements as the Coupes, including (compared to the 996) more power, bigger brakes, more torsional stiffness, lighter and stronger gearboxes, new interior, retro-inspired styling and, perhaps most significantly, an appealing edginess we’ll call de-evolution. The standard by which other sports cars are judged has risen, and now the Carrera is available with a fully automatic folding top.

Initially, the 997 Cabriolets will be offered in the same trim as the first Coupes. The Carrera convertible comes with Porsche’s 3.6-liter boxer six (325 hp, 273 lb-ft), 18-inch wheels and standard skid-control electronics. The Carrera S convertible gets a 3.8-liter boxer (355 hp, 295 lb-ft), 19-inch wheels and Porsche’s new Active Suspension Manage- ment. Both engines feature dry-sump lubrication and VarioCam variable valve timing and lift, which contributes significantly to their status as a couple of the sweetest, most pleasing mills in autodom.

The primary difference from coupe to convertible is the Cab’s folding soft-top, of course, and the look that top creates. Think what you will about the 996’s smooth, pretty curves compared to the 997’s more upright, ’80s-retro belligerence. In profile, the 997 convertible is better-looking than the 996. Porsche confirms what the eye suggests: The hump behind the 997’s cockpit is deliberately lower and less prominent. The 997 has more the Speedster look, and less the bathtub look of a conventional cab.


The theme behind the Cab is “light weight,” according to 911 engineers. The magnesium-frame fabric top and its operating mechanism weigh 93 pounds. Porsche claims that is half the weight of a Mercedes-style retractable metal roof. Moreover, the mass of the top stows lower in the car when retracted, lowering the center of gravity. As before, the 911’s top can be opened or closed at speeds up to 31 mph, and its one-button operation takes 20 seconds. Now, however, the rear side windows can be raised when the top is down, just like the front windows.

The 997 Coupe and Cabriolet bodies were developed simultaneously, according to Porsche, which explains why the Coupe’s new head-protection airbags deploy from the doors rather than the headliner. Required convertible-stiffening modifications were thus kept to a minimum, even as the Cabriolet’s torsional and static stiffness were increased significantly vs. the 996. There are boron rods through the Cab’s windshield header, junction plates on the doorsills under the A- and B-pillars, and double-thickness stampings for the sills themselves. The Cabriolet’s body-in-white weighs only 15.4 pounds more than the Coupe’s. Curb weight increases 187 pounds (3263 for the Carrera Cab, 3319 for the S) compared to the Coupes, due to the top, operating mechanism and spring-loaded rollover protection system.

Porsche aimed its wind-tunnel tailoring toward managing airflow over the Cabriolet’s hump and retractable rear wing, which extends 0.8 inch higher than the Coupe’s. With a drag coefficient of 0.29, the 997 convertible is not as slick as its coupe counterpart (0.28), but it is slicker than the 996 (0.30). While extra weight adds 0.2 second to the Cabriolet’s 0-to-62-mph times (5.2 for Carrera, 4.9 for S, according to Porsche), top speed is identical to the Coupe’s (177 mph for Carrera, 182 for S, top up).


We did not achieve terminal velocity in either of the Cabrio-lets, but we did go faster on the road to Grazalema than we would normally risk anywhere east of the Mississippi in the States. Top down, four windows and redesigned wind deflector up, the lack of turbulence in the new 911 convertible is almost amazing. After nearly 100 miles, rarely below 80 mph, hair was barely mussed. We’d expect a frizz-up to do Don King proud.

The insulated soft-top is almost as good as the fixed steel roof at blocking ambient noise, too. With the top closed, there is more wind whistle over the roofline at high speeds.

More intrusive was a rattle emanating from the folded wind deflector, which may or may not have been easy to fix. We were too busy driving to bother.

The Cabriolets get suspension modifications relative to the Coupe depending on model and transmission. Generally the convertible’s springs are longer and softer. Porsche attributes the changes to weight accommodation and a desire for a more comfortable Cabriolet ride. We would guess they also have something to do with softening shock through the Cab’s body (the ultra-firm sport suspension won’t be offered on convertibles). Whatever the calibrations, the effect is a hint more compliance, and perhaps roll, in the Cabriolets, but it is not significant enough to influence our choice of coupe or convertible.


What’s not to like? This 911 Cabriolet is as buttoned-down as any drop-top you’ll find anywhere, but it still has drop-top issues. You feel vibration in the windshield header after a good bump and watch the center mirror shimmy. More than the suspension tuning, this will put strident Coupe proponents on edge. It won’t bother the committed extrovert a whit, because beyond that bit of shake the new 911 Cabriolet is pure 997. That is almost pure good.

The Cab has the same remarkably tractable engine, with linebacker grunt down low and a sprinter’s lungs at the top. It has amazing accuracy of trajectory, with steering that allows an average shoe to hit marks consistently within inches, even when a bump wants to shove the car away from an apex. Even with new variable-rate rack-and-pinion, the 997 sends nuances back through the wheel to the driver’s hands, almost always conveying the amount of grip left in the front tires.

The Cabriolet has the prodigious lateral grip one expects in a high-performance sports car. Yet unlike some 1.0-g monsters, it demands no leap of faith. Get a corner reasonably correct and there is no puckering or drawn breath. Best of all, it has that near-intangible de-evolution. It’s hard to pinpoint, but something we noticed in the 997 Coupe the first time we pointed one onto the mean streets of Detroit.

In very deliberate respects, the 997 is more primal than its predecessor. It might be a more aggressive rasp from the exhaust or the way the shorter-throw shift lever snicks more mechanically between gears. Maybe it is an extra hint of vibration through the steering column. The difference is far more subtle, to be sure, but the change from the 996 to the 997 Carrera might be characterized as the difference between the 996 C2 and the track-tuned GT3. A rebuttal to those who claimed the 996 had been too thorough-ly sanitized? Who cares? In standard trim the new 911 is edgier in a satisfying way, and it reacts to inputs a nanosecond sooner. It connects the driver a hair better.

The Carrera Cabriolet lists at $79,100, and the Carrera S Cab at $88,900. A hardtop is no longer standard because, according to Porsche, most owners don’t use them, and reduced turbulence in the new Cabriolet will encourage open motoring in colder temperatures.

Hard to go wrong with this one. Cabriolet buyers will pay $10,000 more for a bit more body flex and a lot more looks from passersby. Committed extroverts will love it, and we’re quite sure Porsche will be pleased with the bottom line.

After the launch of the new 997 last year, the Swabian sports car maker Porsche is about to extend the model range this fall when it introduces the track-ready GT3.

Prototypes of the GT3 are currently being tested worldwide. This latest picture shows a prototype disguised in “full showroom trim” during cold weather testing in Scandinavia.

The new GT3 can be recognized by the big air intakes in the front skirt as well as the big rear wing. The super sports car is expected to be powered by a 3.8-liter engine that puts out around 400 horsepower, all of which will be routed through a newly developed six-speed transmission.

The new generation of all-wheel-drive Porsche 911s will go on sale later this year, the German automaker said on Monday. The 2006 911 Carrera 4 will be available with a choice of powerplants: either the 3.6-liter flat six with 325 hp, which pushes the C4 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and to a top speed of 174 mph, or the 3.8-liter six in the 4S, which develops 355 hp, and helps the C4S accelerate to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and to a top speed of 179 mph. New rear panels shrink-wrap themselves around massive 18-inch or 19-inch wheels. Porsche's stability control system is standard on the 4S. The all-wheel-drive system can shift from 5 to 40 percent of the engine's power to the front wheels when necessary. Base prices are $77,100 for the Carrera 4 and $87,100 for the Carrera 4S.

The four-wheel-drive Porsche 911 Carrera 4S is back – and with a 350bhp 3.8-litre engine, it now has more grunt than ever before.

Heading for the UK in October, the 4S is joined by the new Carrera 4, which runs a 321bhp 3.6-litre flat-six powerplant to mirror the current strategy with the rear-wheel-drive Carrera and Carrera S models.

The 997-series Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S, pictured here officially for the first time, are differentiated from their rear-drive siblings by 44mm-wider rear wheelarches housing larger wheel and tyres – 295/35 R18 for the Carrera 4 and 305/30 R19 for the Carrera 4S.

Both new 911 models can be ordered with an optional sports suspension similar to that already available on the Carrera and Carrera S. It adds firmer springs and dampers, lowers the ride height by 20mm and includes a rear differential lock.

The Carrera 4S also gains Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM), giving the choice between two different levels of suspension stiffness – normal or sport. It will be optional on the Carrera 4.

The 321bhp 3.6-litre Carrera 4 hits 62mph in 5.1sec and a top speed of 174mph. The 350bhp 3.8-litre Carrera 4S reaches 62mph in 4.8sec and tops out at 179mph.

Channelling the drive on both cars is a reworked version of Porsche’s four-wheel-drive system. It sends between five and 40 per cent of the engine’s reserves to the front wheels with the remainder sent to the rear.

Prices will be around £5000 over those of the two-wheel-drive models – the Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S will cost £62,930 and £69,900 respectively.

Exclusive 911 Club Coupe for Porsche Club of America
Text & photos courtesy Porsche Car NA
edited 06-27-2005

In recognition of the 50th Anniversary of the Porsche Club of America (PCA), Porsche has created an exclusive 911 Carrera® S Coupe model featuring a distinctive exterior color, unique interior styling and commemorative touches, and a more powerful and higher performing engine. Limited to an exclusive production run of just 50 cars initially made available to eligible PCA members, the 911 Club Coupe was unveiled this past weekend at PCA’s 50th Annual Porsche Parade in Hershey, Pa.

The 911 Club Coupe’s most visual exterior feature is its distinguishing Azurro California color. This paint color is a modern interpretation of azure blue, a color made popular on Porsche 356 sports cars when the PCA was founded 50 years ago. The rear portion of the standard center console is also painted in Azurro California. As an option, the backs of the sport seats can be painted in this striking metallic blue color, as well.

In addition to sport seats, the 911 Club Coupe’s standard interior features include black instrument dials and a sport steering wheel and gear shifter. Stainless steel doorsills incorporate the 911 Club Coupe logo, and each car bears a badge on the driver’s side door trim indicating its individual number in the series of 50 cars.

The Club Coupe is the first in the current generation of Porsche 911 sports cars to be equipped with the X51 Powerkit. This feature increases output of the 3.8-liter, flat-six cylinder Carrera S engine from 355 to 381 horsepower and peak torque from 295 to 306 ft. lbs., making it the most powerful non-turbocharged engine yet offered in a Porsche 911 production car for North America. Distinguished by its carbon fiber air cleaner housing, the X51 Powerkit boosts performance through a series of engine enhancements including a larger throttle body, optimized intake airflow, cylinder heads and exhaust manifold modifications, changes in the control unit, and the inclusion of a sport exhaust system. The result produces a 0 to 60 mph time of a quick 4.4 seconds and a top track speed of an impressive 186 mph.

Like the Carrera S, the 911 Club Coupe is equipped with 19-inch wheels and tires, Porsche Stability Management (PSM), and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) for optimal handling. The Sport Chrono Package Plus system is also standard equipment, while Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) is available as an option.

Manufacturers’ suggested retail pricing for the 911 Club Coupe begins at $99,911 US and $145,911 CDN. It is anticipated that PCA members will purchase all 48 cars offered for sale. Due to their exclusivity, the purchasing process for these cars will be initiated through a special website (www.porsche.com/911clubcoupe) that is dedicated to the model. This website contains full terms and conditions of the sales offer. There is no charge to register for the sales offer. The offer to eligible U.S. and Canadian PCA members for the 48 Club Coupes that are available for purchase will be open until August 15, 2005. On or about this date, all of the remaining 48 Club Coupes not purchased by eligible PCA members may be made available to the general public.

As part of the PCA’s Golden Anniversary recognition, one of the 50 911 Club Coupes will be randomly given away to a lucky PCA member. Sweepstakes rules and eligibility are found on the same website referenced above. No purchase necessary to enter the Sweepstakes. The Sweepstakes is open to eligible U.S. and Canadian PCA members until Sept. 12, 2005.

The Porsche Club of America is one of the largest independent, single-marque automobile clubs in the world with approximately 84,000 individual members and 139 chapters in the United States and Canada. Bill Sholar founded the club 50 years ago when he and and a small group of 11 enthusiasts held their first business meeting on Sept. 13, 1955, at Blackie's Grille in Alexandria, Va. More information about the club and its history can be found at www.pca.org.