Porsche Unveils New 911 Cabriolet with Lightweight Roof Structure

Well, that didn't take long, did it? Only a couple of months after unveiling the all-new 911 Coupe at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Porsche today revealed the Cabriolet version of its most famous model series.

As expected, Porsche opted for a soft top instead of the folding hard top utilized by some of the 911's rivals. However, the new hood does not use the multi-layered fabric structure of the previous 997 model but composite materials that are supported by a new magnesium frame, which is said to reduce its weight.

In addition, Porsche claims that the design allows the typical 911 roof line to be "retained in its entirety" on the Cabriolet model.

Under its aluminum-steel skin, the new 911 Cabriolet is identical to its fixed-roof sibling. It rides on a new platform with a longer wheelbase with power coming from the same flat-six engines in 350HP, 3.4-liter and 400HP, 3.8-liter flavors for the Carrera and Carrera S respectively, and a choice of manual or dual-clutch PDK transmissions, both with seven speeds.

The new 911 Cabriolet will be launched in Germany on March 3, 2012. Prices will start (in Germany) from €100,532 (US$136,040) for the Carrera and €114,931 (US$155,515) for the Carrera S, including taxes.

In the States, sales start in spring of 2012 with the 911 Carrera Cabriolet priced at US$97,300, and the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet at US$108,000.

In the UK, the 911 Carrera Cabriolet is priced from £79,947, and the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet from £89,740.