2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet

The paint isn't even dry yet on the all-new 2012 Porsche 911 coupe, and the aggressive Stuttgart sports car company has already introduced the convertible version. The new 911 Cabriolet was revealed at the January 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Like the coupe, the 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet is about four inches longer in wheelbase than the previous-generation 911, and about two inches wider in front track width.

The new version of the 911 Cabriolet has a fully automatic fabric top than can be raised or lowered at speeds up to 31 mph, and is the roundest, most form-fitting top ever created for the 911 roadster, made to look as much like the coupe as possible, without visible bows, and still have full weatherproof function. The top takes just 13 seconds to open or close, and can be operated from the key fob as well as the dashboard button.

The 2012 911 Cabriolet uses more exotic metals, including magnesium, than before and is substantially lighter than the outgoing model. It also has, for the first time, an electric wind deflector that is deployed in just two seconds from behind the rear seats for easier conversations at high speeds and can be deployed at speeds approaching 75 mph.

The top-down version of the seventh-generation 911 will come in two flavors, Cabriolet and Cabriolet S.

The 2012 Porsche 911 Cabriolet will use the smaller 3.4-liter flat-six engine, rated at 350 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 287 foot-pounds of torque at 5600 rpm. A Sound Symposer system, part of the Sport button's regime, admits louder engine sound into the cockpit. Porsche says the new 911 Cabriolet can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds.

The Cabriolet S will use the larger 3.8-liter version of the flat-six engine, making 400 horsepower at 7400 rpm and 324 foot-pounds of torque at 5600 rpm, a real screamer of an engine. According to Porsche, 0 to 60 comes in 4.1 seconds in the 911 Cabriolet S. The Cabriolet S also gets Porsche Torque Vectoring and a locking differential as standard equipment. Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control, or PDCC, will be optional on the Cabriolet S, adding still more chassis controls.

Both engines will be available with either a 7-speed manual (yes, seven forward speeds and a clutch) or a 7-speed PDK double-clutch automatic transmission. The PDK, or Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, if you prefer, allows driving convenience and slightly quicker acceleration than the manual.

Sport Chrono will be available for both models, which adds an additional range of chassis and engine controls to the Sport button and allows lap and race timing with the dashboard clock/timer.

This is one of the quickest, fastest, best performing convertibles in the world. We're guessing pricing will remain similar to that of the previous Cabriolets, which start at $88,800 for the Cabriolet and $101,500 for the Cabriolet S.