The dynamic range of the new 911 Turbo models1) multiplied by the driving pleasure offered by an open-top sports car: This is the succinct formula behind the two new leading 911 Cabriolet models. Some 50 years after the 911 first made its début and to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the 911 Turbo, the open-top versions of the 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S are making their global début. The vehicles will be unveiled for the very first time at the Auto Show in Los Angeles on November 20. By adding the two new leading 911 models into the mix, Porsche is doubling its offering of the top-of-the-range models to four versions.

In supplementing the range, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet and 911 Turbo S Cabriolet2) deliver the same blend of dynamism, performance and efficiency offered by the Coupé model unveiled a few months ago. Expressed in figures: The turbocharged 3.8-litre six-cylinder engine delivers 520 bhp (383 kW) in the open-top 911 Turbo and 560 bhp (412 kW) in the S model. The cars accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in 3.5 and 3.2 seconds respectively, reaching a top speed of up to 318 km/h. And all this while achieving fuel consumption figures below the ten-litre limit: Both of the new top-of-the-range Cabriolet models rest assured in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), boasting figures of 9.9 l/100 km (equivalent to 231 g/km CO2). When compared against the respective predecessor models, the new vehicles deliver 30 bhp more power and are 0.2 seconds faster in terms of their standard acceleration. They are also up to 15% more efficient.

Active rear-axle steering and active aerodynamics for even greater dynamism on the road

The driving dynamics offered by the two new top-of-the-range Cabriolet models is something that cannot be expressed in simple figures. Boasting PDK dual-clutch transmission as standard and the new PTM all-wheel drive, as well as featuring rear-axle steering and active aerodynamics, the open-top 911 Turbo models are now also establishing the leading Porsche technology in the open-top super sportscar segment. While the rear-axle steering has an immensely positive impact on handling for the two new super sportscars, both on the racetrack and during everyday use, the active aerodynamics can be tuned to offer optimum efficiency or driving dynamics at the touch of a button, depending on the driver's wishes.

More than ever before, both of these new top-of-the-range models also make a clear visual statement about their performance. The characteristic, widely flared rear wings of the new 911 Turbo generation are 28 mm wider than those of the 911 Carrera 4 models – a virtually level surface of just over a hand's width extends out from the C-pillar to the outer edge of the vehicle. The impressive effect of this width is accentuated still further when the top is down.

Another eye-catching feature of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is the exclusive Porsche panel bow top with its lightweight magnesium frame. This innovative technology enables the Coupé-like arch to the roof to be achieved when the top is closed. This arch, which also offers advantages in terms of aerodynamics, is not feasible using conventional construction techniques. As with predecessor models, the roof opens and closes in around 13 seconds, at speeds of up to 50 km/h.

Premium furnishings in the interior

The interior of the new Cabriolet models follows that of the 911 Turbo Coupé. The S-model boasts a particularly extensive range of furnishings, with features including an exclusive interior in Black/Carrera Red and adaptive Sport Seat Plus seats with 18-way adjustment and memory. In addition, the backrest shells of the seats are leather trimmed with double cap seams, and various elements are achieved in a carbon look. As with the predecessor models, the Bose sound system is fitted as standard – and, for the first time, a Burmester system is also available on request. What's more, the radar-controlled adaptive Cruise Control system, camera-based road sign and speed limit recognition function and reversing camera are also available as options.

The new top-of-the-range 911 Cabriolet models will be launched onto the market in December 2013. In Germany, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet costs EUR 174,431 and the new open-top 911 Turbo S EUR 207,989, inclusive of VAT and country-specific equipment in each case.

1) 911 Turbo and 911 Turbo S: urban fuel consumption: 13.2 litres/100 km; extra-urban fuel consumption: 7.7 litres/100 km; combined fuel consumption: 9.7 litres/100 km; CO2 emissions: 227 g/km.

2) 911 Turbo Cabriolet and 911 Turbo S Cabriolet: urban fuel consumption: 13.4 litres/100 km; extra-urban fuel consumption: 7.8 litres/100 km; combined fuel consumption: 9.9 litres/100 km; CO2 emissions: 231 g/km.

There are plenty of famous (or even infamous) models produced over the course of Porsche's history. One of the most polarizing could be the 550 Spyder. It boasted smooth lines, stretched taut across its tight wheelbase.

It's also the car that is famous because James Dean died in one. Still, morbid Hollywood factoids aside, the 550 Spyder remains a true collectors item in the world of Porschephiles. Rumor has it that Porsche is prepping a 911 to serve as an homage to that very machine, and it could arrive in 2015.

According to AutoBild, the German automaker is looking to produce a Speedster version of the current 991-series 911. This means it will be a true open-top motoring machine, with the possibility of an emergency-only roof covering. The rumor states that Porsche will build just 550 examples for the 2015 model year. This means Porsche may unveil the car by as early as January 2014.

There's no other word on what could be in store for the 911 Speedster. We imagine that some out there lucky enough to snag one would go with a silver paint scheme that features red stripes over the rear haunches. If you do that, just stay away from the Route 466/41 Junction in California... not that we're superstitious or anything.

Since this is all just early speculation, we have no clue what it will cost to acquire one of the 550 copies of the 2015 Porsche 911 Speedster. Here's a guess though; it won't be cheap, and you'll be able to add enough optional extras to nearly double the starting price.

Along with coupe and convertible variants, the half-way-house Targa model has long been a staple of the Porsche 911 range--since 1965 in fact, when the first "safety cabriolet" made its debut at that year's Frankfurt Auto Show.
The 2014 Detroit Auto Show marks the debut of the latest variant, the 2014 Porsche 911 Targa. Visually, the new Targa models tread familiar ground--combining the traditional 911 shape we know and love with a unique B-pillar design and wrap-around rear screen, a format common to several generations of the 911 Targa. At the press of a button, the roof's center section slides back and stows itself behind the rear seats, keeping the car's sleek lines intact and maintaining the utility so appreciated by 911 owners.

A soft top and glass rear window form each part of the mechanism. When in action, the window flips open and tilts, allowing the soft top to slide past and furl itself into a compartment behind the rear seats, at which point the window closes once again. The whole process takes 19 seconds and can only be done while stationary. Lightweight fabric and a magnesium frame ensure the mechanism doesn't add a great deal to the 911's mass.

Two Targa models will be available at launch, the 911 Targa 4 and Targa 4S. Those familiar with Porsche naming conventions will note that each is all-wheel drive only, and each features the wider track of the all-wheel-drive coupes and convertibles to accommodate the beefier drivetrain. Porsche Traction Management keeps the efforts of the two engines in check--the 350 horsepower, 3.4-liter Targa 4 and 400 horsepower, 3.8-liter 4S providing more than enough performance to trouble the tires.

The former reaches 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and tops out at a no-doubt blustery 175 mph, while the Targa 4S hits 60 in 4.2 seconds, on its way to 183 mph. Porsche's seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission is also available on each, aiding acceleration but shaving an unnoticeable 1 mph from the top speed of each. Chassis tuning specific to the Targa helps the 911 keep its composure in the turns, while Porsche Torque Vectoring and the optional performance-orientated Sport Chrono package also feature.

Interior changes are minimal, and aside from the extra breeze inside--minimized with a manually-operated wind deflector mounted on the windshield frame--only the black fabric roof, Alcantara-lined Targa bar and airy curved rear screen should give the game away as you're driving.

The 2014 Porsche 911 Targa 4 will have a starting price of $102,595, while the 2014 911 Targa 4S will set you back $117,195. Both prices include a destination charge of $995. Deliveries are scheduled to begin this summer.

Porsche's next-generation 911 GT3 RS will reportedly benefit from 50 percent more downforce, further stripping-down to reduce weight, and a bit more power than the current GT3.

The additional downforce is said to be accomplished via a completely redesigned aerodynamics, with winglets on the front spoiler and a wider body to accommodate a stretched track, unnamed sources have told Auto Express. The changes should allow the new car to beat the current GT3's 3.3-second 0-60 time, though top speed will likely take a hit.

The new RS is expected to be offered only with the company's paddle-shifted PDK transmission, like the existing GT3, though the gear ratios and shifting parameters will likely be revised for higher revs.

Porsche is said to be already testing the new RS, including laps at the Nürburgring. More details are expected to be announced as early as next month ahead of a summer launch.

<header id="pageHead"><hgroup>Video proof that the 2014 Porsche 911 Turbo S is unbreakable

We see how many consecutive launches the Porsche 911 Turbo S can tolerate.

</hgroup> By Larry Webster February 13, 2014 / Photos by Evan Klein

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"There is no limit."
That's what Porsche chief propeller-head Wolfgang Hatz said when someone asked him how many violent, Bugatti-quick launches the 911 Turbo S can perform before grenading itself. Frankly, I was surprised at his answer.
The 560-hp Turbo S sports four-wheel drive and a computer-controlled seven-speed automatic. To explode from a stoplight, the driver simply hits the 'Sport Plus' button, holds the brake, floors the gas, releases the brake, and then—KABOOM!—the car is gone.
On a SoCal runway used by General Patton to train soldiers for WWII, we line up the Turbo for the first of 50 back-to-back launches. Porsche's PR man called this test "abusive." We think it's a fitting tribute to the 911's 50^th anniversary. The Turbo, however, does not do 50 launches. It does 61, because we get woozy from acceleration and lose count.


With this much traction and torque, the weak link is usually a car's clutch or transmission. Other cars with similar spec sheets can perform the 911's sub-3-seconds-to-60-mph feat. But if you do it repeatedly, you either void a warranty or risk being stranded.
"You have to have very intelligent cooling for the clutches," explained Hatz, "and choose the right material." The 911's clutches are bathed in oil, which is cooled, as are all the car's powertrain fluids. Hatz added that those Porsche-designed and ZF-built clutches are considered lifetime parts, good for well over 100,000 miles.
The quickest of our five dozen runs nets a staggering 2.6-second sprint to 60. The worst are a few tenths slower. As a machine for generating test numbers, the Turbo, with its orchestra of computers, has few peers.
I only wish that I could be more than the dumbest computer in the car. And that brings up the central question here: Has a car finally been engineered so well that the human inside is irrelevant?
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Relevant or not, the driver is certainly coddled. While on the highway to Palm Springs and the switchbacks of Route 74, I don't think I could have been more comfortable. The Turbo's ride initially feels stiff, but it absorbs potholes, patches, and the usual flaws with ease. Silent seat fans perfectly regulate the fundamental interface between driver and leather. Radar cruise control maintains distance from the cars ahead, even braking in harmony with L.A.'s odd traffic patterns. There was little to do but steer the car, monitor the nav, and tune the radio.
<figure class="center"> <figcaption>Evan Klein</figcaption> </figure> Like its base turbocharged sibling, the Turbo S isn't sold with a manual transmission. You can lament that fact, but it's hard to fault Porsche's PDK dual-clutch auto 'box. Not only did it prove gloriously durable from a standstill, but the computers work the clutches with the poise and near-clairvoyance of an English butler. Shifts are almost imperceptible and occur with a speed I couldn't match on my best day.
Once on the switchbacks, I fiddle with the shift paddles, looking for a situation where my instincts are better than the computer's. Maybe a few, but mostly, I'm fooling myself. Even the stability control is better than I am—no matter how hard I drive, I never feel any digital intervention. I'm not sure if that's because the Turbo's limits are so high that I'm not brave enough to approach them on California's exposed cliffs or if the automated corrections have gotten so quick and subtle that I can't feel them.
From 74, I head back on Route 243, chasing more delicious curves. After an hour of this, I'm getting into a groove. The pavement starts to seem fluid, as if the surface is just viscous enough for the tires to cut in and carve an arc. If I didn't know better, I'd swear the Turbo is laying its own rails as it travels. Not even midcorner potholes or lumps (rare in California, but the pavement sometimes gets loopy at higher elevation) upset it. I can't tell if the car feels so secure because of the new electrically actuated rear-wheel steering or the computers running the stability control. Maybe it's the linear power delivery. Maybe I'm just making things up.
<figure class="center"> <figcaption>Chris Cantle</figcaption> </figure> The steering is spot-on accurate, but the car isn't alive with road feel like previous 911s. It's hard to tell if the road texture is coarse and grippy or polished and slick, the way you can in, say, a Lotus Elise. The engine, too, is a silent, if willing, accomplice. The torque curve is wide and flat and goes on forever, but the exhaust mostly hums, with the occasional muted turbo whisper thrown in.
After a couple of hours flying along curves and hills at a speed that I'm frankly not capable of maintaining, I jump back on the highway feeling as fresh as when I started in the morning. This car is an incredible cross-country partner, ordering up outlandish speed but never asking the driver to pay the bill.
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And yet, is that really what we want? One could argue that speed has become ubiquitous. Perhaps not 911 Turbo speed, but base Corvettes now sprint to 60 in under 4 seconds. Maybe what we really crave is more of an emotional connection. By that measure, the Turbo is a little wanting. It's clinical, simply asking what sort of speed is desired, then providing it while the driver steps aside. Maybe we want to be more than just a guy ordering off a menu.
Porsche will counter that the machine we want is the 911 GT3 or perhaps the rumored GT2. Assuming one has the ability to acquire those cars and is set on buying new, that's probably right. The current Turbo is no longer the thrill ride it was in the 1970s and 1980s. It's matured into one of the most quietly capable machines available. For that, it earns our highest respect. But not our love.
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The news that Porsche's newest take on the hardcore 911, the GT3, would come in PDK-only form was taken a bit hard by some enthusiasts. We totally understand the lack of a three-pedal in the GT3--it's the street-going track version of the car, after all, and race cars have flappy paddle gearboxes these days.
But some fans long for the purity and engagement of the classic stickshift, and, according to a report from Car and Driver, it might still happen. The boffins at Porsche are said to be "strongly considering" adding a manual transmission to the GT3, but not the standard model--the even harder-core GT3 RS.

We already have a fairly good idea of what's to come from the new 911 GT3 RS, including a launch date some time this summer. Curb weight should check in somewhere below the standard GT3's 3,152-pound mark thanks to more carbon fiber, a synthetic rear window, and an even more spartan cabin. Power, gearing, and suspension will also likely be tuned for even better track performance. The result should be a very impressive car all around--and one capable of laps around the 'Ring in something less than the GT3's 7:25 benchmark.

To our tastes, the PDK is a fine choice for the GT3 RS, but the choice of a manual for those who feel the need is fine by us, too. Of course, even if Porsche doesn't offer the manual this time around, you can always satisfy your old-school cravings with an old-school (or slightly less new-school) GT3 RS.