Porsche 911 Cabriolet review

Fitting Carreras with downsized turbocharged engines has made them savagely fast, but not noticeably more economical. Porsche claims between 26.6 and 27.4mpg, plus between 242 and 235g/km of CO2 for the standard Carrera Cabriolet. That should be relatively achievable though.

And because the hybrid system is all about performance, the 3.6-litre GTS hasn’t suddenly become a Toyota Prius. In four-wheel drive form Porsche claims between 25.7 and 26.4mpg with CO2 emissions between 250 and 244g/km. On a very spirited road drive, we saw an average of 15.2mpg. Oops.

Still, like all 911s, the Cabrio feels built to last. You bag a three-year warranty regardless of mileage, reflecting the fact that you’re more likely to daily this than you are some of its rivals. 

As standard, you get plenty, at last. Adaptive dampers, split 19/20in wheels front and rear, internet-enabled nav, the digital cockpit, LED lights front and rear (though you can select techier ‘matrix’ full beam versions if you like) and front/rear parking sensors. Black, blue and red leather options are all standard too. You can add many driver assists – the adaptive cruise control is worth having, the night vision less so. 

There’s also a £2,033 nose lift, but 911s are very good at looking after their chins compared to other sports cars. Spend it on a heated steering wheel and get the top down more often. The Sport Chrono pack is very tempting too, with its centrepiece stopwatch, launch control and addictive Sport Plus drive mode. A black fabric roof is standard, or you can pay an extra £308 for brown, red, navy blue or black with grey racing stripes. We’d avoid the latter. 

Of course, you’d expect plenty of kit as standard given that nowadays, the 911 Cabrio is a six-figure car. Prices start at £109,800 in the UK for the most basic Carrera.

The T-Hybrid GTS is in another league altogether. It starts at £142,600 and that rises to £149,100 if you want the all-wheel drive 4 GTS. We’ll likely get a Carrera S and Carrera T to fill the gaps soon, and no doubt there will be a ludicrously quick Turbo plus Turbo S at the top of the tree.