At New York International Auto Show, Porsche will unveil the 997 Generation of its 911 Turbo Convertible model. It will go on sale this year at a price of $130.000 and will compete with Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder, Aston Martin V8 Convertible and Ferrari F430 Spider.

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Specifications
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  • Model: porsche-911-turbo-convertible-997

2008 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible (997)

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo Convertible (997)
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

The new front end will have the same look as the Turbo Coupe, but like any other future Porsche model, the 997 Turbo Convertible will feature distinctive large front Cayenne-style LED headlamps, deep airdam and intake and side air-scoops.

As the Coupe version, the 997 Turbo Convertible will feature standard Bi-Xenon headlights with integral cleaning system compact, stylish and elegantly incorporated within the new front-end design. It will also borrow the front apron molding featuring high performance LED indicators in the outer air intake ducts. The compact front fog lights are neatly positioned on the outer edges of the front apron.

The rear vertical air ducts for the engine and brakes will be replaced by more stylized units similar in shape to those found on the coupe version. Porsche will use the same fabric top because the Turbo Convertible will use a rear engine and a hard top roof won’t fit.

Under the hood, you will see the same 3.6 liter Flat-6 engine with an output of 480 hp at 6000 rpm (60 hp more than its predecessor). Torque will also be increased — from 413 lbs-ft to 457 lbs-ft. It will feature and all-wheel-drive system and six-speed manual and Tiptronic S automatic gearbox.

Already unveiled in the Porsche Cayenne, 997 Turbo Convertible will also use the new Direct Fuel Injection (DFI) technology, which is supposed to lower the fuel consumption of individual models by over eight percent (NEDC). In real driving conditions, savings of up to 15 percent are possible. The same DFI technology will be used in all the 911 future models.

The 911 Turbo Convertible will make the 0 to 60 mph sprint in 3.5 seconds and will have a top speed of 191 mph.

The 997 Turbo Convertible will feature new and larger wheels combined with 19-inch tires, weight reduction on the various components as well as enhanced torsion and flexural stiffness.

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History

It was at the 1974 Paris Motor Show that Porsche presented a high-performance sports car setting an outstanding new benchmark in terms of acceleration, torque, dynamic performance, and brake power: the 911 Turbo 3.0. Maximum output of this outstanding sports car was 260 bhp from three litres engine capacity. Achieving a top speed with this power of 250 km/h or 155 mph, the Porsche 911 Turbo 3.0 was for a long time Germany's fastest road-going sports car. A comparison with the current successor to the first Turbo, the Porsche 911 Turbo S in 2004, clearly shows, however, that the process of development never comes to an end: Maximum output of the current model is 450 bhp from 3.6 litres capacity, giving the car a top speed of 307 km/h or 190 mph.

In 1987 the Coupé version was joined by a Targa and a Convertible. At an initial price of DM 152,000, customers received one of the fastest open cars in the world coming as a no-cost option with electrical operation of the roof. Just one year later, five-speed transmission replaced the former four-speed gearbox, close gear increments serving to keep turbocharger pressure even more consistent while shifting gears and improving acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h by 0.2 seconds to 5.2 seconds.

By 1989 the Porsche Turbo became the fastest best seller in the German market, with sales amounting to almost 21,000 units hardly modified in their exterior design and appearance.

Following a break in production of two years, Porsche presented a new 911 Turbo in 1991: The 3.3-litre power unit now developed maximum output of 320 bhp, the new car being based on the 911 model series code-named the 964 within the Company and by the connoisseur. When Porsche modified this model in 1993, power was increased in the process, the 911 Turbo 3.6 now developing maximum output of 360 bhp.

Entering the 1994 model year, the 964 model series was replaced by the 993. But the new Turbo in the 911 model range took a bit more time coming, the next Turbo generation entering the market in 1995 and immediately setting a new standard once again: The power unit of this 911 Turbo based on the air-cooled 3.6-litre engine of the 911 Carrera and featuring two turbochargers developed maximum output of 408 bhp at 5750 rpm. Acceleration from 0 – 100 km/h came in 4.3 seconds, top speed was 293 km/h or 182 mph.

The exhaust system featured two metal-based catalytic converters and four oxygen sensors. A significant contribution to superior environmental protection typical of Porsche to this very day was made by the on-board diagnosis system II (OBD II). Fitted worldwide in all 911 Turbos, this sophisticated system permanently supervises all components relevant to exhaust emissions, immediately detecting any defects and activating a warning light in the cockpit. As a result, the 993-series Turbo was lauded the world over for its particularly clean exhaust emissions.

The performance this gives the 911 Turbo Cabriolet (996) is truly breathtaking in every sense of the word: Acceleration from 0 – 100 km/h with the six-speed manual gearbox featured as standard comes in 4.3 seconds, the car boosting on to 160 km/h or 99 mph in a metre 9.5 seconds. This overwhelming demonstration of power and performance does not end until the 911 Turbo Cabriolet reaches its top speed of 305 km/h or 189 mph.

Like the Coupé, the 911 Turbo Cabriolet comes as standard with four-wheel drive complete with a viscous multiple-plate coupling conveying 5 per cent of the engine's power to the front wheels on a good road surface with firm grip. Whenever road conditions deteriorate, for example as a result of wet or slippery surfaces, up to 40 per cent of the engine's drive power is conveyed to the front wheels for superior traction at all times.

Enjoying the thrill of open-air motoring in combination with supreme power and performance – this is the unique experience offered by the 911 Turbo Cabriolet with Porsche's famous turbocharged power unit at the rear providing outstanding performance wherever you go. Maximum output of this horizontally-opposed six-cylinder boosted by two turbochargers is 309 kW or 420 bhp at 6000 rpm. And maximum torque of 560 Newton-metres or 413 lb-ft is maintained consistently from 2700 – 4600 rpm.

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Competitors



Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder

As with every Lamborghini, the Gallardo Spyder adopts the stylistic principles of purity, athleticism and sharpness. The Spyder is not just an open-top version of the Coupé, it sets forth the tradition as seen with Murcielago Coupé and Roadster creating a self standing model.

The new Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is powered by the 90° V-engine familiar from the 2006 model-year Lamborghini Gallardo and the Lamborghini Gallardo SE. It is a ten-cylinder unit with a displacement of 4,961 cc and a maximum output of 520 bhp (382 kW) at 8000 rpm. At more than 100 bhp per litre, its specific output is on a par with that of racing cars.

These specifications enable the Gallardo Spyder to attain a top speed of 314 km/h with the soft top up and 307 km/h when the soft top is down. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in an impressive 4.3 seconds. The maximum torque of 510 Newton metres is reached at 4,250 rpm, with 80 % of this value available at just 1,500 rpm. The stroke is 92.8 millimetres, the bore 82.5 millimetres. The cylinder liners are made of a eutectic alloy. The cylinder heads have four valves per cylinder, operated by chain-driven double overhead camshafts on each cylinder bank. The ignition system features spark plugs with integrated ignition coils.

Ferrari F430 Spider

The F430 signals the arrival of a brand new generation of Ferrari 8-cylinder models. This new car takes Ferrari’s extraordinary achievements with aluminium technology, begun with the 360 Modena, to a whole new level, and offers a series of extremely significant innovations directly derived from the Ferrari Formula 1 single-seaters.


Two of these innovations are world firsts for production cars: the electronic differential (E-Diff) and the steering wheel-mounted switch (better known to the Formula 1 Scuderia’s drivers as ’manettino’), which manages the integrated systems governing vehicle dynamics.


The other main characteristics of the new F430 Spider are its light, compact 4,300 cc 90° V8 engine, which punches out 490 hp to achieve a specific output of 114 hp/litre, also providing the new Ferrari berlinetta with a weight-to-power ratio of 2.8 kg/hp (dry weight); a braking system with carbon-ceramic discs for optimal efficiency under extreme use (optional); a Formula 1-derived gearbox that cuts gear shifting times down to 150 milliseconds allowing the driver to make the very most of this truly high performance car (0-62 mph acceleration in 4 seconds flat, a top speed in excess of 196 mph) and an aerodynamic design that embodies the very latest competition technologies, specifically the flat underbody and large rear diffuser to increase downforce.


Aston-Martin V8 Vantage


"The V8 Vantage Roadster is a pure sports car, a car that heightens the senses and provides a dynamically thrilling driving experience.


The Vantage Roadster delivers exceptional performance with careful development and engineering ensuring that the Roadster equals the achievements of its Coupe sibling, with 0-100km/h (62mph) achieved in 5.0 seconds (0-60mph in 4.9 seconds) and a potential maximum speed of 280km/h (175mph).


Vantage Roadster will be available with two transmission alternatives from launch. Offered as standard is the fast-shifting, six-speed Graziano conventional stick-shift manual gearbox, with ratios perfectly matched to the performance of the V8 engine. This is joined by Aston Martin’s new Sportshift automated manual transmission – an ultra-quick system that provides the driver with heightened precision via fingertip control of gear changes using paddles to progress smoothly and swiftly through the ratios.