By Ben Schooley
With summer in full swing, what an opportunity to drop the top on this beautiful Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet and enjoy the Hill Country! This brand new model for 2012 drives as good as it looks, and brings some changes to one of the most famous lines Porsche has ever released.
Longer, lower, wider, faster, more fuel efficient, and if you can believe it, lighter, the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet is the latest offering from Porsche and is simply better than ever. 911 Design Director, Michael Mauer, has often said that the 911 is the source for all Porsche brand styling, and it’s quite obvious. While the model has undergone many variations over the years, the 911 is the model that is most easily recognizable as being THE Porsche. This latest incarnation has much of the styling that has made it famous, but the differences live in the details. The roof has a slightly different line and new front fender humps, which feature new domed headlamps that give the car a lower, wider, more menacing stance are a couple of the additions. The Carrera S Cabriolet also features red-dagger taillamps that are positioned under a furrowed brow that Mauer says will eventually migrate to all Porsches.
Under the hood, the S model features a 400hp 3.8L engine, and includes a stop/start system that buyers can disable if they want to save up to 1.5 mpg. Although the point at which peak torque becomes available rises in both the 3.4 and 3.8L by 1200 rpm, to 5600, the 3.8L that we test drove behaves about the same as before in both performance and sound. The latter, incidentally, is augmented by a new “Sound Symposer” somewhat similar to the sound tube used in the current BMW Z4. An acoustic tube runs from the intake pipe to the rear parcel shelf and has a simple membrane in it that vibrates in concert with intake pulses. The membrane merely amplifies these pulses for the cabin, and a valve in the intake activates the Symposer when you push the standard Sport button. It does indeed wake up the engine’s voice, while the new Carrera’s improved sound insulation more effectively dampens road noise.
The Carerra S Cabriolet features a smooth, precise rack that delivers a responsive helm and a wonderful connection to the road. This newest model is far more comfortable than previous models and transit quickly, more securely, and with less of the teethgritting tail twitching than you might have experienced previously. The 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet is a true sports car that Porschephiles will soon regard as one of the finest 911s to come off the assembly line.
Available locally at Porsche of San Antonio
9455 IH 10 West • San Antonio, TX • 210-738-9962
Engine layout – Rear engine
Cylinder layout / # of cylinders – Horizontally Opposed / 6
Displacement – 3.8 l
Max. Power – 400 hp
@ rpm – 7400 rpm
Max. Torque – 325 lb.-ft.
Compression ratio – 12.5 : 1
Performance
Top Track Speed – 187 mph
Acceleration – 0 – 60 mph 4.5 s
Transmission
Manual transmission – 7-speed
Fuel Consumption
City (estimate) – TBD
Highway (estimate) – TBD
Body
Length – 176.8 in.
Width – 71.2 in. (w/out mirrors)
Height – 50.9 in.
Wheelbase – 96.5 in.
Drag coefficient (Cd) – 0.30
Curb weight – 3,230 lbs
Capacities
Rear luggage compartment volume – 5.47 cu. ft.
Fuel Tank Capacity – 16.9 gal.
MSRP – $108,000.00
