First Drive: 2004 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S and 911 Turbo Cabriolets

Now available are two new open-air Porsches that actually enhance the already heady 911 experience
By Larry Crane & Arthur St. Antoine
Motor Trend, November 2003

Contestant Number One: "Alex, I'll take Triple Plays for $400."
Trebek: "A Cezanne painting, supermodel Laetitia Casta, and the Porsche 911."
Contestant One: "Uh, what are things that need lots of oil?"
Trebek: "Noooo, I'm sorry. As they like to say in France, 'Vous etes une personne incroyablement ignorante.' Anyone else care to buzz in?"
Contestant Three: "Um, what are things that border on perfection?"
Trebek: "Correct! Or, as they like to say in France, 'Oui!' "
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Talk about jeopardy: The current 911 is so good--so refined, so fast, so coolly capable whatever the driving mission--that Porsche engineers may well be wondering, "How are we ever going to top it?"


One answer, of course, is not to top the car, but to de-top it. Now available are two new open-air Porsches that actually enhance the already heady 911 experience: a Carrera 4S Cabriolet and, after a 14-year absence in the market, a new drop-top Turbo.

In most respects, the two cars are identical to their hardtop siblings. Powering the C4S Cabriolet is the famed naturally aspirated 3.6-liter flat-six, which develops 320 horsepower and can, Porsche claims, propel the car from 0 to 62 mph in 5.3 seconds. The Turbo romps with a twin-turbocharged and intercooled version of the six that ups output to 420 horsepower and drops 0-to-62-mph sprints to just 4.3 seconds. (If the Turbo's 189-mph top speed is too leisurely for your tastes, choose the X50 performance package, which boosts output to 444 horsepower.) Both cars are equipped with full-time all-wheel drive; with either version, buyers can choose from a standard six-speed manual transmission or a five-speed Tiptronic S automatic.

The rigid 911 structure required minimal upgrades for Cabrio duty, most notably reinforced side sills and the addition of high-strength DP600 steel (a Porsche first) behind the B-pillars. Weight increase is minimal--compared with the C4S coupe, for instance, the Cabrio version has gained only 154 pounds. These are two stunningly solid convertibles: Even when crossing railroad tracks, the body shimmies about as much as Mount Rushmore.




Cool features abound. You can drop the power top simply by turning the key in the door. Try to tip your Cabrio, and hidden rollbars behind the seats automatically deploy to help protect your noggin. High-durability ceramic brakes, which also reduce weight by 40 pounds, are optional (and feature bright-yellow calipers). Coolest of all: You can raise or lower the roof even while moving at speeds up to 31 mph.

"Okay, Alex. I'll take Driving Bliss for $128,200."

2004 Porsche Cabriolets
_ 911 C4S 911 Turbo
Base price $93,000 $128,200
Vehicle layout Rear engine, awd, 2-door, 2-pass conv Rear engine, awd, 2-door, 2-pass conv
Engine 3.6L/320-hp F-6, 4 valves/cyl Twin-turbo, 3.6L/420-hp F-6, 4 valves/cyl
0-62 mph, sec 5.3 (mfr rating) 4.3 (mfr rating)
On sale in U.S. Currently Currently