Porsche 911
No sports car has been around as long, won so many races and sold in such great numbers as the Porsche 911. Although the car is only available as a coupe or convertible, the model range is vast - with everything from the relatively basic Carrera coupé to the wild GT2 RS on offer. In between you’ll find rear-wheel and four-wheel drive models, manuals, automatics, Cabriolets, the glass-roofed Targa, wickedly fast Turbo and Turbo S and track-focused specials like the GT3 and GT3 RS.
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- pros:
- Hugely rewarding to drive
- Supercar performance
- Low running costs
- cons:
- Lacks exclusivity
- High price
- Expensive options
The iconic Porsche 911 has been around for nearly 50 years and with every new model the design receives small but carefully considered changes. Widely accepted as an everyday supercar, the 911 is fantastic to drive offering blistering performance combined with safe handling and genuine long distance ability. The latest model, due on sale in December 2011, receives a more muscular body and an all-new interior providing the cabin with a more luxury feel. Further tweaks have been made to the engine, resulting in reduced emissions and higher performance.
- pros:
- Crisp steering, excellent brakes, flexible performance
- GT3 and GT3 RS are about as much fun as you can have on four wheels
- Surprisingly practical and useable for a supercar
- cons:
- It’s far from exclusive
- Intrusive road noise from the tyres
- Big running costs of faster models
Continual development of the 911 has seen it become one of the most respected, enjoyable to drive and useable supercars money can buy. There are countless variations on the theme, but they all feature rear-mounted flat-six petrol engines. Rear or four-wheel drive, automatic or manual, the 911 is a brilliant demonstration of evolutionary theory. Specialist models like the 911 Turbo and GT3 add more focus in a particular area - but no 911 can be considered slow. Our current favourite of the line-up is the GTS model, available as both a coupé and cabriolet.
- pros:
- Crisp steering, excellent brakes, flexible performance
- Open top motoring with few compromises
- Surprisingly practical and useable for a supercar
- cons:
- It’s far from exclusive
- Intrusive road noise from the tyres
- Big running costs of faster models
This is simply the 911 with its roof removed. There's no loss of practicality with a fabric top, as all the 911's luggage space is under the bonnet at the front. Dropping the top allows you to hear the 911's characteristic flat-six engine noise and enjoy the sunshine. Not all versions of the coupé are offered as convertibles, but the mighty Turbo S is – offering the opportunity to drive at 200mph with the top down.
- pros:
- Looks as good as the coupe with the roof up
- And it’s as quiet too
- The best car in its class to drive by far
- cons:
- Costs £40,000 more than a Boxster
- PDK still kicks down in manual mode
- Over-the-shoulder visibility could be better
The new Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet arrives in the UK in March 2012, with prices starting from approximately £80,000. Featuring a raft of improvements including fuel-saving technologies and styling tweaks, the latest 911 Cabriolet is also lighter and faster. Buyers can choose from two powerful six-cylinder engines as well as many of the chassis and transmission options offered on the coupe model. Porsche has also re-designed the electric-folding fabric roof.
