Thoughts on Cabrio vs. Coupe

I have a '99 Cabriolet that I absolutely love. I usually always drive top down unless it's over 100 degrees or just too cold. I don't take it out in the rain or snow as I have other vehicles for that. I think the Coupe is a fine car as well and may be slightly better if tracking is your main objective due to slightly lower weight. I think the top down adds significantly to the already exhilerating experience of driving a Porsche. I felt the same when I had my 914s and '80 SC Targa and would drive with top off as much as possible. My wife feels the same way with her Boxster and drives with the top down nearly all the time and for short trips of 2-3 hundred miles. If I buy another Porsche in the future, I think it will have to be a Cab and also have Sports Seats. It's funny how those things spoil you. I guess I just like the wind, being a motorcycle enthusiast who rides without a windshield. Any thoughts from other Cab owners that have come from Coupe ownership or the other way around?

About a week ago it was about 9:30 at night and the night air felt incredible. There is nothing like having the top down listening to the sport exhaust as you go through the gears. That night I hit 145mph with the top down....... yes-happiness.

before I bought my cab...I almost bought a coupe....and I would have never known the difference, but now...I don't think I can go back....I even bought my wife a BMW X5 with a panoramic sunroof....just in case I have to use it.....cab's rule.....it is never to cold or to hot to have the top down~~~!

I noticed that the pleasure of top down driving for me was the greatest during the first year I owned a cab. It seemed that I always had the top down that first year, but with each successive year, the top was up more. Top down driving in heavy traffic and high temperatures was no longer an attraction. Moreover, I'd estimate that 90% of the convertibles that I see on the road have their tops up when the temperature is high. On the other hand there is no driving experience more pleasurable than driving a 911 with the top down on some winding country road during a beautiful Spring day.

Agree Nick. Wouldn't even trade for a Turbo (unless it ws a convertible ).

I've always been a coupe guy myself. I test drove several cabs (and Boxsters) before concluding I won't enjoy the coupe. Too much air flow / noise / turbulence . My wife and I would probably never have put the top down. And even with the top up, it's a little inconvenient with the blind spots and limited visibility. I've rented Mustang Convertibles in the past, but very rarely did I bother to put the top down. Another thing that drove me away was the looks: I felt the Coupe looks much better than the Cabs. The rear end of the cabs curve up too high to meet the folding top, reminds me of a "jalopy". Does anyone else feel the same? Even the Toyota Camry Solara has this thing and ends up looking like a "jalopy" from Archie Comics. Only my opinion, not thread trashing !

When I was a kid, my dad had a CJ-7 Jeep with a rag top. Living in North Dakota, every winter one of us would scrap up or rip the windows. Guess I've been gun shy about a convertible. For those of you who drive in (a real) winter, how does the rear window hold up?

heelix, Another Porsche owner living in MSP that grew up in ND! Welcome! Lots of people in MN drive their cars year around. Two of the craziest are good friends of mine. One drives he GT3 year around and the other drives his 997 cab. Last winter we were having a couple of beers at Maynards on Lake Minnetonka. At some point it seemed like a good idea to take the GT3 and the 997 out on the lake to do a little ice racing. I was amazed at how well both 2wd cars handled on the ice. It was incredible. Anyway, to answer your question, the guy with the cab doesn't even bother to put a hardtop on. The soft-top works fine in the winter. Jim

I had the convertible experience with a Boxster for 5 years. Driving top down driving on the back roads was the only way to drive. However driving top down on the freeway or in traffic (especially around all the darn trucks) was just noisy and annoying. The visibility when driving a convertible top-up is less than great. Since I do more freeway driving now, I went for the coupe, for the quieter ride on long drives. My wife misses top down motoring, but I don't. It was also about the look. The roofline and profile of a 911 coupe is always what I imagine when I think of a 911. A Targa might have been the best of both worlds, but I wanted AWD. Now I see that Porsche announced the 997 Targe will offer AWD. That just might be my next 911, a Targe 4S.

I love the lines of the coupe, but once you own a cab you really just can't go back. There's nothing better than a summer evening or a fall day with the top down!

I think people living in CA can enjoy a little bit more of their Cabs (well, not so much right now with daily 100+ temp, unless you like an instant tan/burn-look on your face but usually it's very nice year round. As for the look, I really like the hardtop-look on the cab, could be just me... Cheers,

Although my cab is only a Boxster I love the hell out of it. I drive it top down 99.3% of the time.

I was not really looking for a cab when I started the buying process, but ended up with one, which is great 9 months out of the year. Cool evening drives are fabulous!!! Will be buying another Porsche this year, but it will be a coupe, I just love the lines of a 911 SC