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Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

The year is 1987 and London's financial elite groans under the weight of brick-sized mobile phones, red braces and Filofaxes; every yuppie's dream is the newly launched Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet. It wasn't around for long - like those who drove it, the car fell victim to the Eighties economic crash and disappeared.

By Owen Mildenhall

August 2003

The year is 1987 and London's financial elite groans under the weight of brick-sized mobile phones, red braces and Filofaxes; every yuppie's dream is the newly launched Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet. It wasn't around for long - like those who drove it, the car fell victim to the Eighties economic crash and disappeared.

Now, in 2003, the ultimate open-top 911 is back. It's officially the world's fastest production cabrio, and the flat-six biturbo produces 420bhp and 560Nm of torque at only 2,700rpm. It offers a big performance jump from the similarly styled C4S and retains the standard car's cornering ability. Only the harshest roads force vibrations through the chassis.

Porsche claims this is achieved by a combination of reinforced side sills and thicker steel body panels. While the strengthening and the roof mechanism has added 70kg of weight over the standard Turbo, performance is still staggering. Power builds from 3,500rpm and develops into a crushing force that runs all the way to the 7,000rpm red line. Yet, unlike so many supercars, it's so easy to drive. The clutch is light, and the six-speed manual box is one of the best.

While the standard brakes are excellent, ceramic units are an option, as is the Tiptronic gearbox: perfect for those whose 911 will be a posing tool. Talking of which, the Cabrio's roof will rise or fall in only 20 seconds on the move, at speeds of up to 30mph. This Eighties' revival has come back better than ever.

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FIRST OPINION

    The Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet offers open-top motoring without compromising the awesome performance of the coup
 

AT A GLANCE

    911 Turbo Cabrio on sale now
    Maximum speed of 189mph
    Offers 21.9mpg fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 309g/km
     
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