Porsche 911 Cabriolet (05 on) - Review

Review by Ben Wall on
Last Updated: 18 February 2011
Like the Coupe, the 911 Cabriolet has benefitted from constant evolution making it quicker and more useable than ever. While it may not seem an obvious choice in the UK, it does add that extra bit of posing ability and looks just as good as the rest of the 911 range. Lowering the fabric roof is quick and simple - and doing so allows you to enjoy the incredible noise of the engine even more, while the sense of speed and acceleration is further heightened. And although it doesn't have a fixed roof, it's as good to drive as the Coupe and handles equally as well thanks to a rigid body shell. In mid-2008 it was facelifted, along with the rest of the 911 range, with subtle exterior tweaks plus new engines. A double-clutch PDK automatic gearbox was also introduced.
5 out of 5

Other Porsche reviews

2.5 out of 5

Running costs

The latest so-called 997 generation 911 holds its value better than most performance cars. The Cabriolet doesn't retain its value quite as well as the Coupe as it carries a price premium that levels out over time, but it's still pretty good. Servicing is expensive, but intervals have increased from 12,000 to 20,000 miles over the last generation model.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Every 20,000 miles.

Warranty

Two years/unlimited miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£460.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    233
  • M
    345

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

By family car standards the 911 Cabriolet performs poorly on the environmental front with average emissions of 305g/km of CO2. However the company has worked to reduce this and facelifted Carrera and Carrera S models from 2008 have lower average emissions of 242g/km of CO2 . Considering the performance on offer fuel economy is more than acceptable - the 3.6-litre Carrera returns 29mpg. Not bad for a car with 345bhp. 911 is a polluting model. With an average of 279 g/km CO2 across the line-up, its emissions are high for a sports cabriolet. It's worth noting that the line-up does not feature any diesel models, which typically produce less carbon dioxide than petrol engines with similar power outputs. The range is disappointingly thirsty, averaging 24 mpg.

Find the exact engine and CO2