The soft-top version of Porsche's new 911 will join the Australian range just a month after the launch of the coupe.
In a press release issued this morning, Porsche Cars Australia announced the 911 Cabriolet will start appearing in local showrooms from April 2012. Pricing will be $255,100 for the 3.4-litre 911 Carrera Cabriolet and $288,300 for the 3.8-litre Carrera S Cabriolet.
Shared with the coupe variants, the Cabriolet's two flat-six engines develop 257kW (3.4-litre) and 294kW (3.8). Both engines drive through a seven-speed manual transmission to the rear wheels and the manufacturer's PDK dual-clutch transmission is available as an option.
According to Porsche, the new Cabriolet models are both lighter than their predecessors and fuel economy has been reduced to below 10L/100km in the NEDC (European) combined-cycle test standard. With the PDK option the fuel consumption is lower still and the weight reduction program carried over from the 991 coupes has been expanded in the case of the Cabriolets to incorporate a fabric roof with magnesium members for support.
As a bonus, the lighter weight of the new open-roof models helps performance and agility, although Porsche claims that the "greater driving precision" is also a result of a wider front track and longer wheelbase. Like the coupe variants, the 911 Cabriolet gains electrically-assisted power steering also.
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