MY '06 Cabrio?

Disguised photo and quick article on MY 2006 911 Cabrio <a href="http://info.detnews.com/autosinsider/sneakpeek/index.cfm?id=2331" target="_blank">http://info.detnews.com/autosinsider/sneakpeek/index.cfm?id=2331</a>

thanks, great reading

ohhhh! No V8?

C4C, No there will be no V8. I read an article in Autocar where Porsche said there isn't and never was an idea to place a V8 into a 911. They were only stupid rumors b/c people noticed that the wider wheel arch of the *** end of the prototypes seemed like they "could" house a V8.

MB release 500 HP machines and porsche still dealing with flat-6 300 HP engines .... porsche need more power am not completly satisfied with the carrera power and i dont want to waste $$ on HP because i will still be beaten by other cars on straight lines races. BMW releasing 500HP M5 and MB going mad releasing 500HP and porsche still 300 something ... V8 is a must for porsche or Turbos must be standard on them (sorry for being silly but am mad!)

Khalid you are correct... I have spent over $126,000 for a car (a very nice beautifully optioned car) and I am still spending $$ to have suspension, shifter, etc... modified, and I can still get my a$$ kicked by a kid in a corvette that cost a lot less. In my mind I know I can lose him when the road gets twisty, but why do I have to suffer in the straight lines? Do I have to shell out over $400,00 and get the Carrera GT to satisfy my (demanding) ego? I hope Porsche will get it right soon and offer a car that has mega-HP, mega-torque, be usable as a daily driver, and be a cabrio... My dream car.

Not to get preachy but I sure hope you meant "I can lose him on the track, but why do I have to suffer on the drag strip?" Racing on the street is just plain stupid. And even a $450K Carrera GT can be spanked in straight line drag race by a car costing &lt;$45K. If being the "fastest" is important for your ego then a Porsche was the wrong car to pick.

They just need to up the displacement on the flat 6... I think a 4.2 liter would do just fine.. 440hp from the turbo is nothing, they're making that power now!!

Those Merc's etc. start at 4300lbs. and go up from there. I do not know the number, but I do not imagine a 500bhp M5 is going to weigh "only" 4050lbs like the 400bhp ones. Even the Murcielago is over 4000lbs. The 911 is going to get pretty heavy, or pretty expensive if you want to run with some of those in a straight line. You would think all this is going to goose Porsche into some 600bhp version of the Cayenne TT, there is a Tip that can handle at least 550lb/ft of torque given the V10-TDi Touareg. If we get to vote, I would rather see a real stripper light weight version with one of the current motors.

Yeah, comparing the auto trannied luxo barges Benz puts out to a Porsche is a little off base. "but I do not imagine a 500bhp M5 is going to weigh "only" 4050lbs like the 400bhp ones." the soon to be released (ugly) new 5 series is a couple hundred lbs lighter than the current one so i don't see any reason why the new M5 won't be too - even with that motor. "And even a $450K Carrera GT can be spanked in straight line drag race by a car costing &lt;$45K." what sub $45k car - including nitros based ricers - is going to keep up with a Carrera GT from any speed to any speed?

ben in lj, when cars get faster they get heavier. The new E-Class is no heavier than the old, yet the new E55 weighs something like 400lb more than the predecessor since they had to replace the aluminum subframes with steel to handle the torque. BTW I have read the new 5 is larger, are you sure it is lighter? The fugly 7 gained weight (so does the rather nice A8). If they have to look like Subarus, at least the new 5 looks like a pissed-off one...

steve, Dragging on straight line is not stupid, its the only thing that satisfies me. in my country we dont have racing tracks so what shall i do ? i love porsche i cant resist it ! but it has a lack of power to what we pay for as a sport car ... commin admit it people (non-turbo owners) if porsche was ment for tracks there are some other cars made for track use such as lotus and some other tiny cars that handles well but the only special thing with porsche is that it has all those features in one car &lt;safe,sport,power,handling&gt; but am disapointed with its power from the point of view that compared to other cars but from the point of view its a 6 cylinder car non turbo its the best ! but imagine a whole family in an E55 waving for you bye bye - - - and you in your sporty looking car not even being able to read their plate .. reminds me when i raced with an MB 55 .. it was as if i put the gear into revers and step fully on the accelerator pedal !

If you want to have a fast car; why are you driving a TIP C4? Get a C2 996 6 Speed and you will increase your drag times.

i raced with diffrent 6-speed porsches C4 and C2 the 3.4 and the 3.6 they hardly pass me not worth the pain of having a daily use manual car in the place i live .. where its always crowded and traffic. + ill still be beaten by those monster V8's . not worth it at all 6-speed is not suitable for me although its fun.

Just about every major automaker has a rocket sled or two; S55, E55, M5, M3, RS6, XJR, XKR, Z06, WRX sti, EVO 7, etc, etc. Most of them will give a P-car a run for its money off the line. But the for the most part, they don't handle for beans, and in the twistiesor from 60 mph+ they are toast . If you want to be king of the road buy a 1986 Ford RS200 Evo, and you can take on sport bikes, otherwise, enjoy your P-car. Besides how many of us grew up drooling over a Subaru or a BMW??

Khalid, at least those are also expensive cars. 30 years ago that was an American niche, family cars that were two seconds faster in the quarter mile than anything Porsche or Ferrari sold for one-third the money of the 911. No brakes, no handling, but they had so much torque they would leap 2-3 feet to the right on the 1-2 shift. Then one day 5mpg became sort of uncool, and Hondas started selling 30% over sticker. You are REALLY going to get mad when the Merc S600 comes out. 0.2 seconds better 0-60mph than the E55, and the family will be asleep in the back when your windshield gets sucked out.

i agree with all of you guys in here but the problem is that its diffrent when you drive the car you love and it has power. i dont want porsche to shift to V8's i love the concept of the flat-6 .. but the problem is how you can you beat up those family cars !!! porsche is a sport car .. and the word "sport car" Directly reflects into your mind a Faasst car and specially the word 'PORSCHE' since the 80's and before . in the year 1995 .. compare any car that was able to have the facilities that the 993 and 993 TT had ? yes there was some cars that are faster but not as much safe and handles the same. porsche was in the top of the list but each year new cars are released and porsche is going down and down. thats why i feel they must do something about it. when MB released the new 55's (V8 Kompressor) it was a shock to everyone even the lambourginis are scared now adays. followed by the BMW 500Hp with a pure V8 engine. i feel that the porsche engine reached it limits where it cant go much far even if the engine displacment is increased how far will this go ? 390hp 400hp ? its not enough .. i love porsche and i want it to be powerfull than those cars at least on the same level.

"...are you sure it (new 5 series) is lighter?" yes, i've read it in several magazines. this article doesn't specifically mention the weight reduction in the new E60 but you'll note curb weight is listed at 3417 which is definetely lighter than the E39: <a href="http://autoweek.com/search/search_display.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=coverstory&content_code=02 358374&Search_Type=STD&Search_ID=1309572&record=3" target="_blank">http://autoweek.com/search /search_display.mv?port_code=autoweek&cat_code=coverstory&content_code=02 358374&Search_Type=STD&Search_ID=1309572&record=3</a> one of the ways the reduction was achieved: "Basically, almost everything under the skin and ahead of the firewall is aluminum in a move BMW calls "intelligent lightweight construction." It is the first aluminum-steel chassis combination created by the company, and it uses high-tech bonding agents to ensure that the disparate metal types don't come apart. BMW told us it shaved 81 pounds off the front end" <a href="http://edmunds.com/future/2004/bmw/5series/100076345/preview.html?tid=edmunds.n.mmindex.content..2.BMW*" target="_blank">http://edmunds.com/future/2004/bmw/5series/100076345/preview.html?tid=e dmunds.n.mmindex.content..2.BMW*</a> "The structure is much lighter than that of earlier 5-Series cars and overall weight is down as a consequence." <a href="http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/tw/045series.htm" target="_blank">http://www.canadiandriver.com/articles/tw/045series.htm</a>

I don't see why Porsche can't make a FLAT-8, it would still be in the Porsche spirit but with two extra cylinders. A sales rep at Porsche told me that they would eventually do this but I think that was his oppinion rather than fact. Also I don't agree with all the people who say that Porsche is the wrong car for doing a drag race and that it's more about handling. While that maybe true a Porsche should be able to go faster in a straight line than a family car that weights more than a 4000lbs. Is the 'handling is more important' argument still going to hold when Toyota comes out with a Camary that can beat a Porsche in a straight line?

I know that gas mileage is the last thing on eveyone's mind, but as the glad-to-be former owner of a 540 I 6 sp, I can tell you that owning a car that gets 10 MPG is a pain in the ***. They are not kidding when they hit you with a gas guzzler tax. My wife had this as a dailey driver, and was filling the tank 2-3 times a week. It got old very quickly.Those V-8's are very very thirsty. Perry

Interesting you would say that. All three of our cars (00 540IA sport - 8 cylinder, 01 996 cab 6 spd - 6 cylinder, and 02 Frontier - 4 cylinder super charged) are rated exactly the same: 15 city, 18 highway.

Bottom line: Porsches are sports cars. They should not be beaten by 4 door family sedans or SUVs or garbage trucks on the way to the dump or anything else on wheels short of the Super Exotics. Not in straight line, not in handling, not in looks. How Porsche achieves this is up to Weissach. Boxer 6, Boxer 8, V8, I don't care... In a changing world, you either evolve or die. If Porsche feels that this engine configuration has given all it has to give, then I support them with any change they want to do. If on the other hand they can ring more power out of it, then I'll like that too. All I'm asking is for the car to dominate in the performance arena like a true sports car should. Sedans be damned. <img border="0" alt="[soapbox]" title="" src="graemlins/soapbox.gif" />

I guarantee that the power numbers in that top article are wrong. Here's why; it would be a death blow to Porsche. Porsche has to know that keeping the carrera at 335hp and the turbo at 440hp would kill its image. The cabrio is supposed to debut in Paris 2006 so it would probably come out as a 2007. By 2007 the Corvette will have 400-425hp, ZO6 will have 485-500hp, Viper 500hp, new M3 400hp, M6 500hp, Skyline 400-500hp, the Audi RS4 450hp, Cadillac CTS-V 400hp etc. All of those are sports/GT cars and there will be many more M-Z4, SLK55, RX7, NSX etc. By 2007 I think MANY regular non sport tuned cars below $60,000 will have close to 335hp. And I'm not even touching the Merc SL65, CL65, S65 making 600+Hp and 700+Torque!! Having 335hp in 2007-2011 would be the equivalent of having 240hp today. Porsches do handle great but how many of you would have spent $70-100,000 on a "sports" car with 250hp? That's how it will feel buying a 335hp car in 2007-2011.

Why, oh why, would anyone compare 1/4 mile times? The Porsche is NOT a 1/4 mile car. I mean, why not also ask that it hold it's own with rally cars (on rally tracks) too?

cmoss, I'll tell you why people look at 1/4 times. It's an indication of how fast the car accelerates. All these people howling how a Porsche is about handling, come on you're spending close to 6 figures and you don't want to feel a little power. Here's how I can show that most of these people are full of @#$%. Given a choice between a base no option 996 and a TT most (NOT ALL) people would choose a TT. Yet because of the lack of control on turbo boost and added weight, a base 996 should have a slight advantage in an extremely curvy course. Before everyone starts to disagree, I'm talking about a course with no straightaways (since "Porsche isn't about straight line acceleration") and very very tight constant turns. Hence, if someone ONLY cares about the twisties they would buy a base 996 over the TT. However most people want POWER (ideally with great handling).

The only reason car companies are power horny now is that it seems to be the only way to differentiate (or try to differentiate) their models. Let's face it, compared to 15 years ago, almost everyone is building a decent solid car. Power seems to be the last bastion. In the 80's it was safety, but everyone sells a car with 5 or 6 airbags now , so that angle doesnt work anymore.

I just read over on the boxster board that the boxster S in 2005 will have 280hp, and 300hp in some special edition of the car. I expect Porsche will put out more than 335hp in the new n/a 911...

talking about the handling issue, the japanes cars like skyline GT and EVOLUTION they are still good in handling and have more power compared to porsche and can be modified to reach extra ordinary level of performance Over 500 HP. the only thing that you can feel the porsche is better is porsche handles .. lets say the same but in all types of weather and still has better saftey . i would never prefer any of those japanes cars over a porsche never ever ! but i want porsche to reach a level where at least be equal in performance. and people please stop saying the 1/4 mile time is a silly thing. porsche is a sport car and it should have better acceleration . i always wonder, we have 996 non-turbo and we still feel that its slow .. what do people with boxster feel ? i feel sorry for all of us

ben in lj: fair enough for the base inline 6-cylinder, that is a significant improvement. The 500bhp V8 will not be anywhere close to 3417lbs, and if they have to use steel where a lot of the aluminum is (like Merc) it will weigh more than before. caneaddict: I would be one of the ones that has the basic car because of weight and linear power delivery. The 996-TT was not out yet at the time, but it would have come out the same. I would have waited (5 years it turns out!) for the GT-3 though, or could have had an M5. My previous car was a modified 300ZX-TT with 400bhp or so, between the two Porsches in power/weight but not far from the TT in weight. Just wanted something more tossable again, grew up in Alfas.

ben in lj there are a couple other problems in the Autoweek article. The new 5 was designed by the late Davide Arcangeli, not Chris Bangle who is just in charge. And they included pictures.

"The 500bhp V8 will not be anywhere close to 3417lbs, and if they have to use steel where a lot of the aluminum is (like Merc) it will weigh more than before." It's all relative. The same engined E60 will weigh less than the same engined E39 did. Don't be shocked if the V10 motor ends up actually weighing less than the 8 it replaces! I think I read something a year or so back that said the E39 M5's V8 was lighter than the E46 M3's I6!

I hope Porsche does not move to a V8. Part of the feel of the 911 is due to the flat-6--it puts all the weight near the bottom of the car, giving it a lower center of gravity. If you stand a V8 up in the engine compartment, you are going to alter the handling feel. A flat-8 might be the answer--but with the GT3 getting 385 out of a NA flat-6, perhaps Porsche has figured a way to get it above 400 without a turbo. I hope.

Ben, All three of our cars (00 540IA sport - 8 cylinder, 01 996 cab 6 spd - 6 cylinder, and 02 Frontier - 4 cylinder super charged) are rated exactly the same: 15 city, 18 highway. Can't be. The 540 I came with a $1,500 gas guzzler tax. Perry

"Can't be" there are probably different rules for trucks and i don't know how come the Porsche didn't. pretty sure all three window stickers say 15/18. "The 540 I came with a $1,500 gas guzzler tax." yep

Guys, the best drivers demand more PERFORMANCE, not POWER.

I have to ask first is do anyone hear drag their cars on the strip and where do you go dragging on the roads that's legal? Personally I love the track and that's where the Porsche prowess is-the track. To me it's funny to actually see large sedans putting out so much power and I ask you do you really need to go somewhere in a hurry? Damn if I'm on the road-my car is pretty fast already-do you really go 10/10ths on the road? Regards. Mike

i drive my car as if i stole it ! here in you United Arab Emirates we dont have tracks so i turn public roads into tracks and this is it ..... so if you see there is alot of highways and long roads where you really need power otherwise people with V8's and V12 are the one's who enjoy it more.

Does anyone really need 500bhp on the street? No. Is it nice to be able to go from 70-90 RIGHT NOW? Yup.

"I hope Porsche will get it right soon and offer a car that has mega-HP, mega-torque, be usable as a daily driver, and be a cabrio... My dream car." Leon, your dreams are coming true! Coming this fall to the Porsche dealer nearest you: the turbo cab. Does everything you're asking for. (But start saving your pennies, it won't be cheap!)

NMoore, for me and for the streets we have in here and the diffrent type of cars i feel that 500hp is not even enough something like 600 will be great at least me able to smoke the MB 55's AMG's and the new M5's <img border="0" title="" alt="[Wink]" src="wink.gif" />

Don't worry, many of us go through this phase with our Porsches early on before we wake up and realize why they are so great. It's only a matter of time. PS. Poseurs need not apply.

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Khalid, if some maker can do that and keep it under 4000lb and $100,000 or so I will buy one. All these new beasts (and the economy) are driving down prices of the previous 350-400bhp cars, some of them are getting tempting for the money, too. Believe me, I am not saying it doesn't itch. You've got it bad, man. Road with a couple turns, or even one? Can you get Lingenfelter 'Vettes delivered over there? What you seem to be looking for is called "bike quick" for a reason, may want to reach out to Carlos from Spain? I really would watch out for that S600, just saw one today and it didn't look like anything different than S420.