Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet is a peak performer (From Bournemouth Echo)

Porsche 911 Carrera S Cabriolet is a peak performer

4:01pm Wednesday 23rd December 2009 in

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THE weather was appalling when I picked up the 911 for the weekend, with high winds floods and hail stones as big as marbles – generally not the best weather in which to test drive a high-performance rear-wheel drive cabriolet!

The iconic 911 has kept a similar body style for decades, yet seems to be a timeless design where simple changes to body kits and subtle styling changes make all the difference.

The new 911 stands out subtly from its predecessor by having larger front air intakes to the front, daytime running LED lights, Bi Zenon headlights, new-shaped rear LED light cluster, newly designed 19 inch wheels and new rear apron with twin rear exhaust pipes.

Inside the 911 the quality of materials and attention to detail are very good, from the beautifully leather stitched dashboard to thick shagpile carpet and leather lashed sports seats, all of which give off a fantastic aroma on entry.

The optional heated comfort sports seats are supportive and well adjustable, with electric fore/aft, height, backrest, lumbar support and the tilt angle of the seat squab also electrically adjustable.

There is a three-memory function which supports both exterior mirrors and all seat positions on the driver’s side.

The 911 Carrera S has the larger 3.8 litre direct fuel injection engine which produces 385bhp and 420Nm of torque at 4,400rpm.

Thanks to the new direct fuel injection system the Carrera S produces just 242g CO2 and manages 27.4mpg on the combined cycle.

Improved fuel economy and less CO2 does not mean Porsche has compromised on performance.

Zero to 62mph is achieved in 4.8 seconds and Porsche claims the Carrera S will continue to 188mph.

Stopping the 911 is easy with the new four-piston aluminum monobloc calipers combined with new 330mm cross-drilled front discs.

The six-speed manual gearbox is precise and the clutch is surprisingly light, yet feels bulletproof at the same time.

Driving the 911 is a pleasure. For improved driver feedback, simply press the sport button which gives more weight through the steering, drops the ride height by up to 20mm while hardening the ride slightly and a more sensitive throttle response.

The 911 is an extremely easy drive.

Get the best of both worlds – an everyday car or an outright sports car if you wish.

Considering the dreadful weather conditions the 911 felt well planted and the power was delivered smoothly right through the rev range.

Porsche have done a fantastic job of keeping road and wind noise down and the 911 was quiet on the go and surprisingly quiet at motorway speeds.

The electric roof takes just 20 seconds to open from fully closed to fully open and, should the weather change while travelling, the roof can be operated at speeds of up to 30mph.

The 911 comes with standard PCM (Porsche Communications Management) which controls audio, navigation and communications, the main feature being the 6.5 inch touch screen.

The optional hard drive GPS navigation system is easy to use and incorporates the new 3D “bird’s eye view” technology.

The optional 5.1 Bose digital surround sound is excellent and comes with full I-Pod connectivity.

There is also an optional TV tuner which plays analogue and digital free to view channels.

Engineers at Porsche have also spent a lot of time insuring safety is at its best.

There are pop-up rollover bars which rise automatically in the event of an accident, while the A-pillar contains specially strengthened steel bars to add further protection should the Cabriolet flip over.

Other safety features include driver and passenger airbag, thorax airbag located in the seat backrests, while the door panels each contain a head airbag.

Porsche have done a sterling job bringing the new 911 right up to date with technology and improved on already very good car.