| First Drive | Surrey, England | Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet |

In the world of Porsche's 911, the Turbo Cabriolet is for many the ultimate expression of the planet's favourite supercar. We find out if the latest 911 Turbo remains the rag top for the richest.

In the Metal

There's no mistaking the Turbo for any other soft-top 911 thanks to its broad rear flanks with prominent air intakes. This follows the traditional wide hipped stance of all 911 Turbos, while the jutting front spoiler, wide rear wing and LED lights let you know this is the very latest in a long line of super-quick Porsches. From a technical perspective, Porsche is very proud that this Turbo Cabriolet is the first to share the same lack of aerodynamic lift as the coupé model - when the roof is fixed in place. The fabric roof stows away under a hard canopy in around 20 seconds, and reinstates itself just as rapidly. It's also relatively light compared to a folding metal roof, which helps keep the centre of gravity low for better handling and stability.

On the inside, the Turbo Cabriolet is little different from any other 911, so it's marvellously well constructed, though you may wonder why you've paid such a premium to sit in essentially the same cabin as a standard 911. Still, there's decent space for the front occupants and a pair of rear seats that can just about cope with a couple of small children.

What you get for your Money

At the heart of the 911 Turbo is its 3.6-litre 'flat' six engine. With little apparent effort, it shovels out 473bhp and 457lb.ft of torque. Cough up for the optional Sports Chrono Package Plus (£1,039) and mid-rev urge is boosted to 501lb.ft between 2,100- and 4,000rpm for even greater acceleration when overtaking. The engine is attached to a light, accurate-shifting six-speed manual gearbox as standard, or you can spend £1,920 on the optional five-speed Tiptronic S auto - no PDK twin-clutch gearbox is offered for the Turbo at present. All of this connects to the road via a four-wheel drive system and 19-inch alloy wheels, while the suspension's movement is monitored by the Porsche Active Suspension Management system that gives the driver the choice of Normal or Sport settings. Naturally, Porsche's take on ESP, PTM (Porsche Traction Management), is included in the substantial starting price of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet. One option keen drivers may consider is the Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) at £5,677 with an increase in the front disc size from 350mm to 380mm and faster, fade-free stopping power.

Other standard fare includes snug and supportive seats covered in leather, electric windows and soft-top roof, climate control, a superb CD stereo and Porsche's latest PCM (Porsche Communication Management) touch screen console that also operates the satellite navigation. Owners are treated to a Porsche Driving Experience day as part of the price that gives them an insight into the car's abilities. On top of this lot, every 911 Turbo Cabriolet comes with its own tracking device should the car be stolen.

Driving it

A measure of how finely honed and resolved the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is that, when you slide into the driver's seat, there's none of the intimidation sensed in many other supercars. There's a comfortable, upright driving posture, good visibility in every direction with the roof lowered (and even a decent view with the roof up) and all of the controls work with a lightness that belies the performance potential. The feeling of easy-living continues as you pull away. The clutch is light, the steering offers a tight turning circle and there's no complicated pre-flight adjustments needed to get the car fired up and ready for the off. The only minor point to mention is that the four-wheel drive differentials can cause a bit of drag when the steering is on full lock, so a few more revs are needed for parallel parking manoeuvres.

The 911 Turbo will calmly amble through town and devour motorways with refined aplomb deserving of this car's reputation as the everyday supercar. Hell, there's even a small but useful boot between the front wheels. However, it's when you mix a clear road and some corners into the equation that the 911 Turbo Cabrio douses the blue touch paper in petrol and lights it with a grenade. Nought to 62mph in four seconds may be a fraction behind the coupé model's 3.9 seconds (3.8- and 3.7 seconds respectively for the Tiptronic S automatic gearbox versions), but this 911 matches a Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 for forward thrust. Rifling through the six-speed manual 'box, it doesn't take long to enter three-figure speeds and the 911 Turbo Cabrio remains rock stable while the engine entertains with its trademark bark.

As with all Porsche 911s, the Turbo Cabrio's steering wheel likes to flutter ever so slightly in the driver's hands, but the car is always exact and on line for corners. Finding the outer reaches of the massive tyres' grip away from a race track would be foolhardy, so best to revel in the way this 911 tucks in and fires out of corners with composure. This is all helped by a superstructure that never once flexes or flounces, regardless of the road surface. If we're being very picky, there's some road noise kicked up by the large tyres, but it's no worse than any other similarly shod supercar.

Worth Noting

When someone is spending north of £100,000 on a soft-top supercar, fuel economy may not be the high point on their priority list. However, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is capable of a combined average consumption of 21.9mpg and this adds to its credentials as a car to use every day. With a 67-litre fuel tank, it gives the Porsche a practical range of more than 300 miles between fills. Carbon dioxide emissions of 309g/km for the manual gearbox version (328g/km for the auto) may not save you any money on company or road tax, but it's kinder on the environment than most of the Porsche's rivals.

Summary

Supercar buyers who fancy a bit of a soft-top fling have more choice than ever before. However, the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet remains a key contender for their cash, not least because it offers organ-bruising acceleration and sensational handling. It's also every bit as easy to use and practical as an entry-level 911, so the 911 Turbo Cabriolet maintains its position as the drop-top for upscale buyers.