Porsche 911 2022 review: Turbo Cabriolet

Priced from $425,700, plus on-road costs, the Turbo Cabriolet is a considerable $76,800 cheaper than the Turbo S Cabriolet. Yes, that’s still a lot of dough, but you get plenty of bang for your buck.

Standard equipment in the Turbo Cabriolet is extensive, including active aerodynamics (front spoiler, air flaps and rear wing), dusk-sensing LED lights, rain-sensing wipers and speed-sensitive electric power steering with a variable ratio.

And then there’s 20-inch front and 21-inch rear alloy wheels, sports brakes (408mm front and 380mm rear cross-drilled discs with red six- and four-piston calipers, respectively), adaptive suspension, power-folding side mirrors with heating and puddle lights, keyless entry and rear-wheel steering.

Up front are 20-inch alloy wheels. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

Inside, keyless start, a 10.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system, satellite navigation, wireless Apple CarPlay support (sorry, Android users), digital radio, a Bose surround-sound system and dual 7.0-inch multifunction displays feature.

Inside, is a keyless start, with a 10.9-inch touchscreen multimedia system. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

You also get a power-operated wind deflector, a heated sports steering with a power-adjustable column, 14-way power-adjustable front sports seats with heating and memory functionality, dual-zone climate control, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and full leather upholstery. 

But the Turbo Cabriolet wouldn’t be a Porsche if it didn’t have a long list of desirable but expensive options. Our test vehicle has more than a few of them fitted, including a front-axle lift system ($5070), tinted dynamic Matrix LED headlights ($5310), black racing stripes ($2720), lowered adaptive sports suspension ($6750) and black ‘PORSCHE’ side decals ($800).

And let’s not forget the body-colour rear slat inlays ($1220), 'Exclusive Design' LED tail-lights ($1750), high-gloss black model badging ($500), variable sports exhaust system with silver tailpipes ($7100), and 'Light Design' package ($1050).

Features include body-colour rear slat inlays, 'Exclusive Design' LED tail-lights, high-gloss black model badging, variable sports exhaust system with silver tailpipes, and 'Light Design' package. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

Better yet, the cabin also has 18-way power-adjustable front adaptive sports seats with cooling ($4340), matte-carbon trim ($5050), contrast stitching ($6500) and 'Crayon' seatbelts ($930). That all adds up to $49,090, taking the price as tested to $474,790.

The Turbo Cabriolet may play rival to the currently unavailable BMW M8 Competition Convertible, soon-to-be-launched Mercedes-AMG SL63 and locally discontinued Audi R8 Spyder, but it’s clearly in another league on several fronts.

What’s not to like about the Turbo Cabriolet’s design? The 992 series is a subtle evolution of the iconic wide-body 911 shape, so it’s already got that going for it. But then you add its unique flourishes into the equation and it gets even better.

Up front, the Turbo Cabriolet separates itself from the rest of the range with a bespoke bumper with a trick active spoiler and air intakes. The signature round headlights and their four-point DRLs are must-haves, though.

The Turbo Cabriolet separates itself from the rest of the range with a bespoke bumper with a trick active spoiler and air intakes. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

Around the side, the Turbo Cabriolets makes more of an impression with its signature deep side air intakes, which feed the rear-mounted engine. And then there’s the obligatory model-specific alloy wheels. But how nice are those flush (and fiddly) door handles?

At the rear, the Turbo Cabriolet really hammers home the point with its active wing spoiler, which just takes the bulbous deck to the next level. The slatted engine cover and shared full-width tail-lights are also pretty special. As is the sporty bumper and its large exhaust tailpipes.

Inside, the 992 series remains faithful to the 911s that came before it. But at the same time, it’s highly digitised, so much so that it’s unrecognisable in places.

Yes, the Turbo Cabriolet is still a Porsche, so it’s got high-quality materials from top to toe, including full leather upholstery, but it’s about that centre stack and centre console.

Most of the attention goes to the 10.9-inch central touchscreen, which is integrated into the dashboard. The multimedia system is easy enough to use thanks to its driver-side soft shortcut buttons, but it doesn’t offer Android Auto support yet – if that matters to you.

Most of the attention goes to the 10.9-inch central touchscreen, which is integrated into the dashboard. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

Aside from five hard buttons, below is a big old slab of gloss-black trim. Fingerprints and scratches abound, of course, but this area mercifully features physical climate controls. And then there’s the Braun shaver… sorry, gear selector. I like it, but I may be alone there.

Finally, the driver’s instrument cluster deserves a shoutout, too, as a traditional analogue tachometer is still located centrally, albeit flanked by dual 7.0-inch multifunction displays with four other ‘dials’, the outer two of which are annoyingly concealed by the steering wheel.

Measuring 4535mm long (with a 2450mm wheelbase), 1900mm wide and 1302mm, the Turbo Cabriolet isn’t the most practical sports car, but it does try in areas.

Because it’s rear-engined, the 911 doesn’t have a boot, but it does come with a frunk that provides a modest 128L of cargo capacity. Yep, you can fit a couple of soft bags or two small suitcases in there, and that’s about it.

Turbo Cabriolet provides a modest 128L of cargo capacity. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

But if you need a little more storage space, make use of the Turbo Cabriolet’s second row, as the 50/50 split-fold rear bench can be stowed and, therefore, taken advantage of.

After all, the two seats in the back are tokenistic at best. Even with the unlimited headroom afforded by the Turbo Cabriolet, no adult wants to be seated on them. They’re very upright and strangely narrow. Plus, there’s no legroom behind my 184cm driving position.

Small children could make use of the second row, but don’t expect them to be complaint-free. Speaking of younglings, two ISOFIX anchorage points are on hand for fitting child seats, but you’re unlikely to see a Turbo Cabriolet used like that.

Measuring 4535mm long (with a 2450mm wheelbase), 1900mm wide and 1302mm, the Turbo Cabriolet isn’t the most practical sports car, but it does try in areas. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

Amenities-wise, there’s a fixed cupholder in the centre console, while a pop-out item is hidden in the passenger side of the dashboard for when a second bottle needs to be secured, although the door bins can accommodate one 600ml unit each.

Otherwise, in-cabin storage isn’t too bad, with the glove box average in size, which is better than what you can say for most other sports cars. The lidded central storage bin is long but shallow, containing two USB-A ports and SD and SIM card readers. You get two coat hooks, too.

And yes, the Turbo Cabriolet’s fabric roof is power operated, with it able to open or close at up to 50km/h. Either way, it takes a reasonably short amount of time to do its thing.

As its name suggests, the Turbo Cabriolet is motivated by one hell of an engine. Yep, we’re talking about Porsche’s formidable 3.7-litre twin-turbo petrol flat six-cylinder unit.

Porsche’s formidable 3.7-litre twin-turbo petrol flat six-cylinder unit. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

Power? Try 427kW at 6500rpm. Torque? How about 750Nm from 2250-4500rpm. Those are colossal outputs. Good thing, then, the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive system can handle them.

Still not convinced the Turbo Cabriolet means business? Well, Porsche claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.9 seconds. 2.9 seconds. And top speed is an equally mystifying 320km/h.

Porsche claims a 0-100km/h sprint time of 2.9 seconds. 2.9 seconds. And top speed is an equally mystifying 320km/h. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

Now, it’d be remiss to mention how the Turbo S Cabriolet stacks up. It churns out an extra 51kW and 50Nm, after all. Although it’s only a tenth of a second quicker to triple digits, even if its terminal velocity is 10km/h higher.

Point being, the Turbo Cabriolet doesn’t exactly leave anyone wanting.

Considering the ridiculously high level of performance on offer, the Turbo Cabriolet’s fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test (ADR 81/02) is better than you’d expect, at 11.7L/100km. For the record, the Turbo S Cabriolet has the exact same claim.

Turbo Cabriolet’s fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test (ADR 81/02) is at 11.7L/100km. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

In my real-world testing with the Turbo Cabriolet, though, I averaged 16.3L/100km across a fairly even mix of driving, which while high, is reasonable considering how hard it was driven at times.

For reference, the Turbo Cabriolet’s 67L fuel tank naturally takes more expensive 98 RON premium petrol. Its claimed range is, therefore, 573km. That said, my experience equated to a more modest 411km.

The Turbo Cabriolet and the rest of the 911 range haven’t been assessed by Australian independent automotive safety authority ANCAP or its European counterpart, Euro NCAP, so crash performance is unknown.

That said, advanced driver-assist systems in the Turbo Cabriolet extend to autonomous emergency braking (up to 85km/h), regular cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, surround-view cameras, front and rear parking sensors, and tyre pressure monitoring.

But if you want adaptive cruise control ($3570), rear-cross traffic alert and park assist ($1640), or even Night Vision ($4900), you’ll have to open your wallet again. And don’t ask about lane-keep assist because it’s (bizarrely) unavailable.

Standard safety equipment otherwise includes six airbags (dual front, side and curtain), anti-skid brakes (ABS) and usual electronic stability and traction control systems.

Like all Porsche Australia models, the Turbo Cabriolet gets a standard three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty, which lags two years behind the premium-segment benchmark set by Audi, Genesis, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo.

The Turbo Cabriolet also comes with three years of roadside assistance, and its service intervals are average, at every 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

Capped-price servicing isn't available, with Porsche dealers deciding the cost of each visit.

It’s all in the name; the Turbo Cabriolet is the near pinnacle of the 911 range, which has high performers from top to bottom.

But the Turbo Cabriolet is different. In fact, it’s undeniable. Find yourself in the front row at a red light and there are few vehicles that can keep up when the lights go green.

So, to put the Turbo Cabriolet’s ridiculously high level of performance into words is difficult. Acceleration is brutally efficient – we’re talking about a sub-three-seconds sports car with a 427kW/750Nm 3.7-litre twin-turbo petrol flat six-cylinder engine, after all.

If maximum attack is your thing, the Sport Plus drive mode is easily toggled on the sports steering wheel and Launch Control is engaged as simply as burying the brake pedal, followed by the accelerator and then releasing the former.

The Turbo Cabriolet will then do its best to push its occupants straight through their seats, delivering peak power and max revs gear after gear, but not before hilariously hunkering down on its rear haunches.

And it’s not just off-the-line where the Turbo Cabriolet bends minds, as its in-gear acceleration is also something to behold. Sure, if you’re in a high gear, you might have to wait a moment for power to build, but when it does, it hits hard.

The Turbo Cabriolet is the near pinnacle of the 911 range, which has high performers from top to bottom. (Image: Justin Hilliard)

The turbo lag does take some getting used, as once everything’s spooled up, the Turbo Cabriolet charges towards the horizon as if it’s cleared for take-off, so be wise with your throttle applications when breaking 4000rpm.

Of course, a lot of the credit here goes to the Turbo Cabriolet’s eight-speed 'PDK' dual-clutch automatic transmission, which is among the best. It doesn’t matter if you’re going up or down, as gear shifts are snappy in the best way possible.

Of course, how it all behaves depends on what drive mode you have the Turbo Cabriolet in. I find 'Normal' loves to find the highest gear possible, all in the name of efficiency, while 'Sport Plus' opts for the lowest. So, even-keeled 'Sport' gets my vote for driving around town.

Either way, stick the boot in and the PDK will drop down a gear or three in an instant. But I found myself unable to resist the temptation to shifts gears myself using the available paddle-shifters, which make wiping the grin off your face even harder.

Now, it’d be remiss of me not to mention the soundtrack the Turbo Cabriolet conducts along the way. Above 5000rpm, there’s a sonic boom on upshifts, and when you’re not chasing it, plenty of crackles and pops make themselves known – loudly – on the overrun.

Yep, the variable sports exhaust system is a real gem in its boldest setting, and naturally sounds even better with the roof down, at which point you can understand why pedestrians are turning around and looking in your direction.

But the Turbo Cabriolet has a lot more strings in its bow than just straight-line performance, as it also loves to carve up a corner or two.

Yes, the Turbo Cabriolet’s got 1710kg to manage, but it still attacks the twisty stuff with intent, no doubt helped by the rear-wheel steering, which gives it the sharpness of a smaller sports car.

Body control is largely expectational, with roll only encountered when the bends are tight and speed is high, but it’s the seemingly unlimited grip on offer that gives you the confidence to push harder and harder.

It also helps that the speed-sensitive electric power steering is dialled in, with the variable ratio showing its quickness off-centre before tailing off as more lock is applied.

The weighting is also appropriate, no matter the drive mode, and feedback via the wheel is strong.

Speaking of communication, my Turbo Cabriolet’s optional lowered adaptive sports suspension can’t be accused of being too soft. But that’s not to say it’s uncomfortable, because it manages to strike a delicate balance.

Road imperfections are well and truly felt, but they are muted to the point the Turbo Cabriolet could easily be a daily driver, even with the dampers in their firmest setting. But it all serves to connect the driver to the road – something that’s done very well.

And when it comes to noise levels, the Turbo Cabriolet is surprisingly refined with the roof up. Yes, general road noise is heard, but the engine rightfully commands most of the attention.

But you’d be mad not to drop the top and soak up the sun and all the aural pleasure the Turbo Cabriolet has to give. Wind buffeting is limited and a power-operated deflector can be deployed alongside the side windows if need be – so long as no-one’s sitting in the second row.