Porsche 911 Cabriolet

The international launch of the new Porsche 991 Carrera coupe finished on Sunday and Porsche has already released first images and information on the new Cabriolet models. Set to debut at the Detroit motor show in January, the Carrera and Carrera S Cabriolets mirror the spec of the coupes.

The Carrera Cabriolet is powered by a 3436cc direct-injection flat-six with 257kW at 7400rpm, and 390Nm at 5600rpm. The Carrera S Cab runs a 3.8-litre engine with 294kW at 7400rpm and 440Nm at 5600rpm.

The conversion to drop-top adds 70kg to the equivalent coupe, with the Carrera manual starting at 1450kg and the Carrera S PDK topping out at 1485kg. The extra weight has only a minimal effect on performance adding 0.2 seconds to the 0-100km/h sprint. A Carrera S with PDK and launch control will achieve that benchmark in 4.3sec, while the smaller-engined Carrera with the seven-speed manual takes a flat five.

Fuel consumption goes up by a similar number with the Carrera Cabriolet fitted with PDK remaining the economy leader at 8.4L/100km on combined cycle (up 0.2L/100km more than the coupe).

The soft-top also has a minimal effect on aero performance with both models achieving a drag co-efficient of 0.30 (0.29 for the Coupes).

The Cabriolet models will arrive at Australian dealerships in April next year, just a month after the coupes. Prices start at $255,100 for the Carrera Cabrio manual (a $25,200 premium over the coupe), and $288,300 for the Carrera S Cabrio in manual (again a $25,200 premium).