Topless Porsche Garners Attention
March, 1998 -- Porsche unleashed their 911 Cabriolet on an eager crowd today at the Geneva International Auto Show. This is the second of the new 911s to make an appearance this year, the first being the 911 Coupe which was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in January.
Like the Coupe, the Cabriolet comes with a water-cooled 300-horsepower flat-six engine that is capable of hurtling this vehicle to sixty mph in just over five seconds. Standard 17-inch tires keep the Cabriolet grounded, and drilled 4-piston caliper brakes haul the 911 down faster than a beer keg stops a frat boy.
That, however, is old news. We told you in January how much this new generation of the 911 was improved. The new news is that it does all of this with its top down. Weighing only a bit more than its buttressed sibling, and posting the same top-up drag coefficient, the 911 Cabriolet begs the question: "Why buy the Coupe?" Heck, Porsche will even throw in a standard aluminum hardtop to quell your fears.
Porsche does want you to buy the Cabriolet. They've tried very hard to make sure that there is nothing, short of losing your toupee to the undoubtedly stiff breeze this car produces, that should keep you from enjoying this vehicle. Caught in a freak hailstorm? Don't worry, the top closes in 20 seconds with the push of a button. Forget to close the top before you got out of the car? That's OK, you can close it simply by twisting the key in the driver's door. Didn't remember to close the top before you settled into your seat at your favorite sidewalk café, only to see some feral youths taking a keen interest in your even keener wheels? As they say in France, "Pas de problem." You can close the top using a button on your remote keyless entry. Now that's some useful technology.
In addition to the amazing convertible top, Porsche has also introduced safety features that smart drivers will appreciate. In our opinion, the most significant of these developments is the side-impact airbag that offers head and neck protection. That's right folks, head and neck airbag protection in a convertible. Other passive safety features include hidden roll bars that pop up when the car thinks that you are about to flip over. Hmm, there's a nice vote of confidence.
Porsche expects to sell a lot of these cars this year. They tossed figures around in their press conference about hitting the 38,000 car per year mark in 1997, and hinted at the fact that those numbers are expected to improve as the 911 rollout continues. We believe 'em, we just wish we held a winning Lotto ticket so that we could be among the lucky ones.
March, 1998 -- Porsche unleashed their 911 Cabriolet on an eager crowd today at the Geneva International Auto Show. This is the second of the new 911s to make an appearance this year, the first being the 911 Coupe which was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in January.
Like the Coupe, the Cabriolet comes with a water-cooled 300-horsepower flat-six engine that is capable of hurtling this vehicle to sixty mph in just over five seconds. Standard 17-inch tires keep the Cabriolet grounded, and drilled 4-piston caliper brakes haul the 911 down faster than a beer keg stops a frat boy.
That, however, is old news. We told you in January how much this new generation of the 911 was improved. The new news is that it does all of this with its top down. Weighing only a bit more than its buttressed sibling, and posting the same top-up drag coefficient, the 911 Cabriolet begs the question: "Why buy the Coupe?" Heck, Porsche will even throw in a standard aluminum hardtop to quell your fears.
Porsche does want you to buy the Cabriolet. They've tried very hard to make sure that there is nothing, short of losing your toupee to the undoubtedly stiff breeze this car produces, that should keep you from enjoying this vehicle. Caught in a freak hailstorm? Don't worry, the top closes in 20 seconds with the push of a button. Forget to close the top before you got out of the car? That's OK, you can close it simply by twisting the key in the driver's door. Didn't remember to close the top before you settled into your seat at your favorite sidewalk café, only to see some feral youths taking a keen interest in your even keener wheels? As they say in France, "Pas de problem." You can close the top using a button on your remote keyless entry. Now that's some useful technology.
In addition to the amazing convertible top, Porsche has also introduced safety features that smart drivers will appreciate. In our opinion, the most significant of these developments is the side-impact airbag that offers head and neck protection. That's right folks, head and neck airbag protection in a convertible. Other passive safety features include hidden roll bars that pop up when the car thinks that you are about to flip over. Hmm, there's a nice vote of confidence.
Porsche expects to sell a lot of these cars this year. They tossed figures around in their press conference about hitting the 38,000 car per year mark in 1997, and hinted at the fact that those numbers are expected to improve as the 911 rollout continues. We believe 'em, we just wish we held a winning Lotto ticket so that we could be among the lucky ones.
Add A Comment »