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By Jonathan Crouch

Introductionword count: 68

The truth is that there are no real downsides in getting an open-topped Porsche 911 over a fixed-top one. The 911 Cabriolet improved in huge measures with this '992'-generation model. The hood remained a brilliantly-engineered piece of kit and the chassis dynamics were better than ever. Here's where we look at earlier 2019-2024-era versions of this 992 model from a used buyer's perspective and try to find out.

Modelsword count: 21

2dr sports Cabriolet (3.0 Carrera & Carrera4, Carrera S & Carrera 4S, Carrera T, 911 S/T, Carrera GTS, Turbo, Turbo S)

Historyword count: 208

The Porsche 911 is more than just a car. It's a legend. As such, it carries a huge weight of provenance. Obscure design cues speak volubly. Individual colours have historical resonance. It's something to obsess over. Thing is, for some people it is just a car. A pretty and fast car, but just a car nevertheless. While most 911 purists would never choose an open-topped version, there's a healthy proportion of 911 customers who like the idea of limitless headroom. 'Real' 911 buyers tend to sniff at Cabriolet variants, denigrating those who choose them as not getting the whole 911 'thing', but so good was the post-2019-era 992-generation car that we thought at launch that perhaps the purists were painting themselves into a corner. If owner experience and enjoyment are key to owning a sports car, who's to deny that 911 Cabriolet customers aren't one step ahead of the obsessives? As usual with 911 development, more variants were added to the 992 Cabriolet line-up as time went along; the introduction of the Turbo and Turbo S in 2020; and a mid-level GTS model in 2021. The second phase 992.2 Cabriolet models arrived for the 2025 model year, but it's the earlier 992 models that we focus on here.

What You Getword count: 279

The shape of this 992-generation car retained the classic 911 design cues but it looked sleeker than its predecessor and the more elegant silhouette certainly complemented the Cabriolet design. You certainly don't get the hunchbacked look of many 911 Cabriolets of the past. It even looks great with the hood up, not something you can say of many cabriolets. The hood itself is an intriguing piece of equipment. Porsche has never subscribed to the trend for folding hard tops and this roof incorporates a lightweight magnesium frame, uses a fabric-skinned composite panel for the upper and rear part of the structure and can be raised and lowered at speeds of less than 31mph. It takes just 12 seconds to raise or lower and has a series of metal bows within that maintain its shape when travelling at high speeds. You get a very effective windbreaker, too, while the roof folds itself into position more compactly than with previous generation open-topped 911s and so takes up less space. Grab one of the motorised door handles to gain access to the cabin and you'll find the usual disciplined high quality Porsche interior. With early versions of this 992-era design, the brand didn't follow its rivals by switching to a fully-digital instrument cluster, but most of what's on offer in the binnacle uses this technology, though the rev counter retained a classic analogue dial. The seats are beautifully comfortable and supportive. Plus, as ever in a 911, the rear pews are suitable only for tiny children or designer shopping bags. The front boot space offers 132-litres in the various Carrera models, regardless of your drivetrain choice; it's 128-litres with the Turbo variants.

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