Alan Smithee

Is anybody cross-shopping the new M6? Doesn't seem like BMW has released coupes to the press yet, but saw one on the showroom floor while picking up my X5 from service, and it looked fantastic in person - much better than in photos. Not sure I would take it over a 991, but it would be my choice over the new SL - personally, I find it very hard to look at.

DHC

Nicely done. You are awarded full points.

sfo

the 991 Cab is not really a soft top .. it has 3 (I think) magnesium panels, over which the usual cloth is put. the sides of the roof is a traditional convertible construction.

the 991 Cab is as refined as the 991 Coupe. the 991's roof is truly a work of genius. Lightweight, highly effective and looks awesome. It's the best system out at the moment, by a long way.

simsgw

I agree completely. I spent sixty grand more on this Cabrio than my last 911S for that one reason. It was fun. Something about it touched my memory of taking an MG down winding roads in Greece with Cindy alongside. While dipping into the throttle creates experiences we used to consider Ferrari territory. I bought it because I laughed out loud taking it down a canyon road near the dealer.

I want you to think that same way. Buy the SL if it touches something in your soul.

Every personal car above a Fiat Cinquecento is a toy, so common sense demands that we choose the ones that are fun to play with.

In years past, the answer was always 'no', and we never bought a convertible because we live in a desert with a very harsh climate. I was willing to consider the Cabrio this time only because fun loomed larger than practicality in my mind since Cindy died and I plan to drive to a lot of places with more benign weather. As it happens, this also is the first Porsche Cab where the top isn't a limitation.

They have done one of those designs forever after referred to as 'cunning'. It looks like a soft top, it folds like a soft top (though more neatly), and it charms like a soft top. (Folding hard tops always seem like a cross between a crab retreating into a stolen shell and a praying mantis eating its lover.) But the engineering issues have been dealt with by Porsche while retaining the soft top charm.

Between the canvas outer layer and the insulated lining are magnesium panels. You won't know they're there unless you rap on the top, and of course canvas invites a caress, not a rap. But those panels provide the solid protection against a thief's knife that so many areas require of daily drivers, and it also keeps the shape. Traditional convertibles, even my pretty MG roadster, always suffer from wind forces. At speed, they look like they've suddenly grown a goiter. Those magnesium panels keep the Porsche lines intact despite the appearance of the top being 'soft'. Let's say it is soft, just not squishy.

It also is not canvas of the traditional sort. It is made of a modern synthetic material and then treated with a compound like ScotchGard that protects it from ultraviolet radiation and the stains and bruises of daily use. I plan to use a cleaner on mine every six months to a year, and then re-apply the conditioner. Porsche sells it in aerosol cans. The rest of the time, it just rinses clean. I began to caution my detailer, but he interrupted: "Oh no. We never use anything but warm water on a Porsche convertible." Well done.

In all the boring practical ways, the new Porsche Cabriolet is a coupe. It just leads a secret life as a fun-loving mistress. Did I mention she takes her top down willingly in the time it takes a traffic light to change? Or even at one of those annoying standstill pauses in freeway traffic? (Make sure you have a feel for how long the pause will last -- either that, or a good resistance to shouted objections when you refuse to go more than twenty until the top is snugged in its compartment. Actually, people just seem to smile. They always smile at this car. Even burly men working the flag station at construction zones. It makes it more fun for me that other people get joy from seeing it.)

All that still boils down to the same advice: pick the one your heart tells you will brighten your day.

Gary

chuckbdc

"BUT the P is a car that signifies a very low spoken personality until the gas hits the floor and the RPMS hit the 5-6 K mark. My brain tells me it is the 991 and another part of me tells me I should go for the SL."

Check the boxes for Sport Chrono, PDK, PSE, Sport PASM, SportDesign, red full leather with a restrained matching color paint. Drive it in sport plus and short shift it. If that is your idea of a very low spoken personality, time to go to the Merc board.

fester

Porsche 911...there's no substitute!