(from Porsche Press Release)
Not since the days of the legendary Porsche 930 has Porsche offered a
turbocharged cabriolet… until now. For the 2004 model year, the new
Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet takes its place beside the awesome Porsche
911 Turbo Coupe in the company’s model lineup.
From 1987 to 1989, the Porsche 930, as the
first Turbo was code-named within the company, set milestones in the
history of open-air sports cars. That original Porsche 930 Turbo
Cabriolet had a 3.3-liter horizontally opposed “boxer” six-cylinder
engine with only two valves per cylinder, yet it produced 300 horsepower
and could sprint from a standing start to 62 mph (100 km/h ) in only 5.2
seconds on
its way to a top track-test speed of 161 mph (259 km/h).
For 2004, the new Porsche 911 Turbo
Cabriolet draws its power from the same 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged
engine as the Porsche Turbo Coupe, so it delivers 415 horsepower (SAE)
and 415 lb.-ft. of torque.
The 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo Coupe and
Cabriolet are designed for long-distance comfort as well as high
performance, with equipment such as a Bose® digital audio system,
leather seating and available features like the Porsche Communication
Management system with navigation and a 5.8-inch color monitor.
The 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
comes with a fully automatic three-piece top that opens in a
Z-configuration and folds down into a compartment behind the rear seat.
Unlike most cabriolet tops that expose the inside of the roof lining
when the top is retracted, Porsche’s Z-configuration keeps the inside of
the roof protected at all times, takes up less space when the top is
stowed, and provides
better protection for the heated rear glass window when the top is down.
The Cabriolet top is made of a high-quality fabric, with a special
plastic material between the outer and inner layers providing superior
sound insulation and heat protection.
A light but stable aluminum frame helps
keep the structure stable and resistant to ballooning, even at very high
speeds, and applies tension to the section of the roof between the
windshield and the first bracket. The top has been tested in a wind
tunnel at speeds of nearly 210 mph (338 km/h) without problems. The roof
is fully automatic, operated by a hydraulic system and electric motors
that lock the front roof bracket to the windshield frame. A
microcomputer masterminds the smooth flow of all functions that opens
and closes the top in 20 seconds.
All 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolets
come with both a standard wind deflector and an aluminum hard top. The
wind deflector, made of two frames covered by a net fabric, extends over
the area between the front seats and the supplemental safety bar cover
and ensures a draft-free driving experience when the top is down. The
wind deflector can be installed or removed in a matter of seconds and
can be stored in the front luggage compartment.
The aluminum hard top is made from two
shells riveted together and includes a parcel shelf that helps reinforce
its structure. The hard top has a heated rear glass window, yet weighs
only 71 pounds (32 kg), making it easy for a driver and passenger to
install when they want the security of a hard roof over their heads.
Whether the hardtop is installed or the soft top is up or down, the
Porsche 911
Turbo Cabriolet provides outstanding protection for its occupants. The
car has two supplemental safety bars that are discreetly hidden behind
the rear seats. Should one of the angle sensors detect the imminent risk
of the car rolling over, the safety bars automatically deploy.
The 911 Turbo Cabriolet body shell was
developed along with the body of the new 911 Carrera 4S Cabriolet and
has substantial reinforcements to maintain its safe, stiff structure
even without a top. Three-dimensional junction plates are integrated
into the side sills and so-called shaft reinforcements, which are welded
and bonded, are integrated behind the B-pillars to provide even more
strength.
Providing such additional reinforcements was no easy job for Porsche’s
development engineers, since the intake openings for the Turbo’s
intercooler are located at exactly this point on the sides of the car,
and the mechanical and electrical systems for the rear side windows are
fitted in this area. To achieve
their goals, Porsche’s engineers used high-strength steel.
The 2004 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet is equipped with larger side
airbags designed to provide protection for the occupant’s head, chest
and hips in the event of a side impact, even when the roof is open and
the side windows are lowered.
Performance times for the Cabriolet are
4.3 seconds for the 0 to 62 mph sprint, 9.5 seconds for the run up to 99
mph and a top test-track speed of 189 mph
(with the top up). |
