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I drove an S2000 for 7 years before having kids and went a decade without a drop top or sporty car. My kids wanted a drop top and they helped me convince my wife. I was torn but don’t have regrets. I didn’t like the silhouette before the 991.1. I still slightly prefer the look of a coupe but the top down driving is worth the minor trade off.
a pressure washer or a knife would disagree with you.
I have owned cabs since 1985 and only had one knife incident, on my 1985 Suzuki Samurai. Insurance replaced the top (which cost $750, which was funny since the whole car only cost me $2500!). Coupes can have windows broken in or locks busted (my wife's Audio Sedan had the locks busted and stereo removed (funny too as it was broken at the time).
A cabriolet simply transforms the driving experience! The additional sensations make you feel you're part of the environment you're driving in. Sort of like a motorcycle.
Is it (slightly) less pretty than a coupe? Yes it is. Do the many advantages outweigh this disadvantage? They do for me.
Is it (slightly) less rigid than a coupe? Yes it is. Will you notice if you're not a semi-professional race driver? No you won't.
And most importantly: is it perfect for cruising the champagne region in the north of France? You bet it is
I have a 991.1 cab and am daily driving it in NJ. It's the most solid soft top (is that an oxymoron?) that I've ever experienced. There are magnesium panels in the roof which make it remarkably rigid when closed. Rear visibility as others have noted is not the best, but I solved that by installing a backup camera.
My 911 is my road car so I'm not so concerned about ultimate chassis rigidity or track performance (I have a track car to scratch that itch.) Absolutely zero regrets here, I drop the top every time I drive it unless it's raining or below 35 deg. This is my first convertible in 14 years and I missed having one immensely.
Anyone who tries to put a knife through the top of a 991 Cabriolet is going to be in for a surprise unless they go for the blindspots…
I go back and forth on this from time to time, but so far three of three 911s I've had have been coupes. Part of the 911's design DNA, for me, is its roofline and the shape of its glass openings. With that said, I have sure enjoyed driving a lot of 911 Cabriolets over the years, and echo the comments regarding their pleasures on the open road. And a 911 Cabriolet with the right wheels/tires—and possibly lowered a bit—has always looked great to me, and more than sufficiently "enthusiast." It doesn't take much to move a Cabriolet into that vibe, and dead stock 911 Carrera coupes don't exactly scream hard-core enthusiast to me, either. The real shocker for me came years ago, in a press event at Sears Point with Hurley and a 986 Boxster 2.7, 986 Boxster S 3.2, 996 Carrera Cabriolet 6MT, and two 996 Turbos with both transmissions. The Boxsters were wonderfully balanced, the Turbos were fabulously fast (think 2001), but the simple C2 Cab with the top down was the most fun, and the most "unique" and the most "classic Porsche" of the bunch. I wondered if it was a mix of very little weight up front, no roof/weight up high, and the roof/weight shifted high and far rearward, but the car was a lot of fun to play with on track. Regular track day car? I'd take a coupe. A very occasionally fling? I could see it, and that experience on track always translated out on the road, at lower speeds. A 911 Cabriolet on a good road, on a good day…is hard to beat. Of course, some people are "only coupes" while others are "only convertibles." And then there's the rest, who just want a great experience. I think great experiences can be had in either.
So, to the OP, I do sometimes wonder if I should have ordered a Cab if only to make the car more enjoyable for my better half, more of the time. There's a black/black 991.2 Carrera Cabriolet in our neighborhood that looks great every time I see it. Then again, both of us are less excited about sun exposure than we were in a Boxster in our 20s—and we have an old targa to enjoy open air in from time to time. But that 997 Cabriolet seen above sure is looking good to me…
I don’t have a 991 cab, but have the 997, and love it and when it’s time to upgrade, I’ll prob do a 991 cab or Targa. My wife told me if I upgraded my Boxster, I had to get a Cab version and also my son likes to ride in the back with his hands in the air as if he’s in a roller coaster at speed so it wasn’t a tough choice for me. Also, contrary to almost everyone who loves 911s, I don’t like the sloping rear shape of the 911 cause it reminds me of a hatchback and I don’t like hatchbacks. Finally, you can’t beat the fun driving with the top down IMO even at slow speeds.
Objectively - the 991 generation was the biggest improvement between generations for cab design in Porsche's 50+ year history of making 911's. It's actually a retractable hardtop that is magnesium so it adds very little weight and top up experience gives up very little sound or rigidity to the coupe. If you think you might want a cab, a 991 is the one to get!
You are in FL, so hopefully the only reason to put the top up is if it rains I'm in CA and have only driven it with the top up 3 times.....
Had a Miata in the early '90's and gave it up when the kiddos came along.... The fit and finish of the 991 is amazing. 991.1 4S cab here, for the past 4 yrs. One inexpensive mod is to please get the SmartTop. Enjoy.....
I don’t have a 991 cab, but have the 997, and love it and when it’s time to upgrade, I’ll prob do a 991 cab or Targa. My wife told me if I upgraded my Boxster, I had to get a Cab version and also my son likes to ride in the back with his hands in the air as if he’s in a roller coaster at speed so it wasn’t a tough choice for me. Also, contrary to almost everyone who loves 911s, I don’t like the sloping rear shape of the 911 cause it reminds me of a hatchback and I don’t like hatchbacks. Finally, you can’t beat the fun driving with the top down IMO even at slow speeds.
The 997 has nice styling but the rear end hump is more pronounced than a 991 and the windshield is drawn back further on the 991. I would say that the nicest feature of the 997 is those legs -Excuse me I meant to say tires 🧐
The 997 has nice styling but the rear end hump is more pronounced than a 991 and the windshield is drawn back further on the 991. I would say that the nicest feature of the 997 is those legs -Excuse me I meant to say tires 🧐
LOL! Yeah, I agree the legs are a great feature. Also agree that the 991 cab styling is more streamlined and especially when the top is up, the roof line is more accurate to the original 911 coupe shape.
01-06-2021, 06:24 AM
I'm in CA and have only driven it with the top up 3 times.....
