Over the past few weeks, there have been so many new, updated, redesigned, concept, and special-packaged vehicles unveiled to the public that it honestly becomes difficult to keep track. At the Los Angeles and Detroit auto shows, it's been electric convertibles here, double-engine SUVs there, and everything in between. Yet, with all of the brands and their respective offerings, it comes down to one very simple principle: choices for the consumer. And lots of them. If all drivers simply wanted to go fast, there would be one dominant fast car, and for hauling cargo, there would be one main truck. But buyers want choices with a variety of designs, options, colors, sizes, and to some degree, heritage and status. And that's where the 2005 North American International Auto Show debut of the 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet comes into play. Porsche offers this model in two trims, 911 Carrera Cabriolet and 911 Carrera S Cabriolet. The 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet is priced at $79,100 while the 2005 Porsche Carrera S Cabriolet rings up at $88,900 (prices exclude destination charges). Both models come with a long list of standard features including a soft convertible top with rear glass, rear defroster, and rear wind deflector; an electric air compressor and tire sealant in place of the traditional spare; automatic climate control; six airbags including dual front, dual side, and dual head protection airbags that pop out of the door sills; alloy wheels (18-inch on the 911 Carrera Cabriolet and 19-inch on the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet) automatic roll bars that are activated by rollover sensors; front cross-drilled and ventilated disc brakes and rear disc brakes; rigid body structures; and the Porsche Stability Management safety system. Updated for 2005, Porsche Stability Management now allows drivers more control over the system. In the past, the system was activated whenever the brake pedal was depressed (even if the driver had turned the system off). However, on the 2005 911 Carrera Cabriolet the Stability Management system will only be activated after the threshold of one of the front ABS sensors has been passed (when the system is turned off). This allows the driver more control at the limits and makes the safety technology less intrusive.
Along that same vein is the optional Sport Chrono Package Plus. This package includes a stopwatch, lap counter, and a graphic display. For vehicles equipped with the Tiptronic transmission, the Chrono package switches the transmission to manual mode, but should the driver not upshift, the transmission will eventually change gears, albeit much more aggressively for improved acceleration. Also, the stability control system is setup to allow more tire spin when the Chrono package is activated, and the ABS is set to be less intrusive. This package promises to put some of the fun back into extreme driving. Powering the 2005 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet is a 3.6-liter, 325-horsepower boxer engine that generates 273 lb.-ft. of torque. The 2005 Porsche Carrera S Cabriolet is powered by a 3.8-liter, 355-horsepower boxer engine that twists out 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Standard is a six-speed manual transmission, with the Tiptronic auto being optional. Handling that power is the job of an independent MacPherson front suspension and an independent five-arm setup in the rear. All models are equipped with front and rear stabilizer bars, and the S model comes standard with Porsche's Active Suspension Management system. Most importantly is that this is all available in a convertible. The power soft-top system on the 2005 911 Carrera Cabriolet is a mere 93 pounds, and can be operated at speeds up to 31 mph. While stopped, the top can be raised and lowered in 20 seconds; while traveling up to 31 mph, raising and lowering the top takes 26 seconds. One of the benefits of the lightweight top is that it helps provide a low center of gravity. As expected, the convertible weighs a bit more than the coupe (about 188 pounds), but performance has hardly suffered. Zero to sixty times are a hair slower for the convertible (five seconds for the 911 Carrera Cabriolet and 4.7 seconds for the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet), but top speeds are the same (177 mph for the 911 Carrera Cabriolet and 182 mph for the 2005 Porsche Carrera S Cabriolet). Porsche has offered up an impressive driver's car in the 2005 911 Carrera Cabriolet. There are faster, less expensive (and more expensive) cars for shoppers to buy, but it all comes back to choices. And as Tom Cruise wisely once said, "Porsche. There is no substitute." By Thom Blackett
Photos by Erik Hanson
|
