The 2012 Porsche 911 Cabrio is lighter, more powerful and arguably sexier than its predecessor and will make its public debut at the Detroit Motor Show in the USA.
Showing off the new 991 body style like the coupe - sans fixed roof - two models will be unveiled, the 911 Cabrio and the 911 Cabrio S, which are underpinned by the same horizontally opposed (boxer) six-cylinder powerplants as the coupe versions. As such, a 3.4-litre boxer six outputting 257kW powers the Cabrio while a larger 3.8-litre mill churning out 294kW lives under the boot of the Cabrio S.
Local pricing for the 911 Cabriolet begins $255,100 for the 911 Carrera Cabriolet and $288,300 for the Carrera S Cabriolet. The soft-top vehicles from Zuffenhausen will arrive in Australia in April 2012, a month after the Coupe's lob in March.
Porsche chose the Detroit Motor Show for the unveiling of the new model because "The USA is, and remains, an important market for Porsche with good growth prospects," explained Bernhard Maier, Porsche AG Board of Management Member for Sales and Marketing.
"Detroit was deliberately chosen for the world premiere of the new 911 Cabrio because the USA is far and away our largest 911 Cabrio market," revealed Maier. However the best-selling Porsche in the USA was the Cayenne SUV, which more than doubled 911 sales.
All models are equipped with a seven-speed manual transmission as standard, and drive is to the rear wheels. A seven-speed PDK twin-clutch auto shifter is also available as an optional extra.
Making use of fabric roofs, the 2012 Porsche 911 Cabrio will be lighter and more agile than the 997 models they replace. Magnesium struts in the roof frame help reduce weight while a wider track should improve road holding.
More Detroit Motor Show news on motoring.com.au
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