Premiere
Those Carefree Top-Down Moments
The youngest member of the 911 family, the Turbo Cabrio,
didn’t have to look very far to find a fitting destination for its first
road tour—the birthplace of a genius: Leonardo da Vinci.
By Jutta Deiss; Photos by Tyler Larkin
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t the corner café in downtown Vinci,
every one of the rickety old chairs is taken—all facing the street for the best possible view. This is the birthplace of Leonardo
da Vinci, and all the local folks seem to be
watching closely who might be visiting this
way-station in the life of their town’s illustrious scion. Because there’s no way anyone
intending to pay homage to one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance could possibly pass by these watchers unobserved. Especially if that someone is a uniquely gifted
star as well. The café’s patrons momentarily interrupt their animated conversations.
Could it be the engine’s deep rumble that
has drawn their attention? In vain are the driver’s proficient attempts to maneuver the
A
route to Leonardo’s birthplace inconspicuously in the sluggish traffic: Everyone is
staring at the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet.
Small wonder: The astonished spectators have just discovered the top-of-the-line
model among 911 Cabriolets, which will enter the market in October and is presently
passing their vantage point in Tuscany
on its road test. “Porsche wouldn’t be
Porsche,” notes CEO Wendelin Wiedeking,
“if we weren’t able to raise the bar a bit higher yet in the premium Cabriolet segment.”
And indeed the new Porsche Turbo has
what it takes to face even the most critical
audience—relaxed, composed and selfassured. It can have confidence in its own
design and technical data.
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First things first: This is the first time in
fourteen years that the “topless turbo” is
available again as a production model (in
1995, fourteen Turbo Cabriolets were specially built). It took all of its designers’ skills
to master the technical challenges of providing the driver with a maximum of active
safety as well as driving comfort at the
dizzying power output of 415 horsepower
(309 kW). The result: The selective use of
reinforcements to replace the stabilizing
effects of the sheet-metal roof has resulted in a body that ranks among the most
rigid of all open-top 911 structures. In conjunction with Porsche Stability Management (PSM) and the well-proven braking
system using monoblock fixed calipers,
this body gives the speedster and its passengers a wide margin of safety.
So there’s no need to let troublesome
thoughts about hazardous situations dampen your enjoyment. Tuscany is being
scorched by searing heat. Rows of cypress and pine trees that line the perfectly
straight country roads provide little shade,
but this early in the day, the distinct contours of the hilly landscape still appear
soft. It’s high time to enjoy those open-air
moments: In barely twenty seconds, the
top folds down at the push of a button—
even while driving at speeds of up to
50 km/h (30 mph)—and vanishes silently
and automatically under a cover panel.
Top-up or top-down is not a question of outside temperature here, but of what you
want to enjoy. In Tuscany too, speed is
best savored with an adequate air supply.
That’s no problem for this engine: The sixcylinder boxer gets a generous dose of air
from two turbochargers, fed by large air intakes in front and at the sides. These air
scoops are as much a hallmark of the
Turbo as are the wide fenders and the retractable rear spoiler.
Even such extraordinary technical facts
are admittedly forgotten as the magnificent landscape unfolds before you like a
painting. Tuscany is an ideal venue for
motorists, as it presents even a very focused driver with fantastic views of its
gently undulating hills in the distance.
When you think of Florence, Siena and
Pisa, you may wonder why we decided
to detour this open-top super-athlete to
the small town of Vinci (population
14,000), of all places, about thirty kilometers (20 miles) west of Florence, on the
hills of Montalbano. But the idea has appeal: Porsche expects so much of a new
product that in their search for total and
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La Dolce Vita:
Tuscany is a natural
setting for topdown
enjoyment in the
latest 911
seamless technological solutions its engineers must invent the future today. So why
not arrange an encounter between the
Porsche 911 Turbo Cabrio and the roots
of Leonardo da Vinci, the Renaissance
genius who created so many futuristic
sketches of his technical, scientific, and
artistic visions during his lifetime
(1452–1519). These achievements were
most fully appreciated by later generations, who can, for example, admire accurate modern display models of his original designs in the Museo Leonardiano in
Vinci.
Located in the castle of Count Guidi, the
museum is well worth visiting. Here the
Turbo Cabrio buff can even view a model
based on a Leonardo drawing that is now
regarded as the precursor of the automobile: da Vinci’s “carro automotore.” The
versatile innovator had designed a vehicle
with a chassis, a rigid rear axle, a front
wheel and even a steering wheel mounted
on a long steering arm—apparently muscle-powered.
That was 500 years go. But brilliant
ideas don’t lose their power, even when
technological progress overtakes them by
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Points of view:
The Turbo Cabrio
combines classic
values of the
911 with the latest
technology
light-years. On the contrary, they become
even more fascinating. A more recent example dates back a mere fourteen years:
From 1987 to 1989 there was an earlier
Porsche Turbo that made its mark as a
convertible. Its 3.3-liter engine delivered
the then extraordinary output of 300 horsepower (221 kW) with a top speed of 260
km/h (162 mph).
The open-top power car created in
2003 overtakes its predecessor respectfully but with ease. With the standard sixspeed manual transmission, the Turbo
Cabrio of this next generation accelerates
to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.3 seconds and
attains a top track speed (with the top
closed) of 305 km/h (190 mph).
Endowed with such power, it’s no wonder that this very macho Porsche model
may get disgruntled about having to
obey legal speed limits as it rumbles along
Tuscany’s country roads. This argument
between man and motor is of course all in
good, clean fun. Once you have learned
the language of the Turbo, you can hear its
powerful and seductive whisper: Come on,
let me loose, let me run, I’m ready... And
then you can hear its explosive “Hurrah!”
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as it gets a chance to show off all its skill,
all its power.
But what about safety? In technical
terms, the Turbo Cabriolet provides extraordinary deceleration through its fourpiston monoblock fixed calipers and 330millimeter (13.0-inch) diameter ventilated
and cross-drilled disc brakes, front and
rear. Put more plainly, you can count on
short braking distances. A small sigh may
be in order here. When you’re looking
ahead where the road winds uphill to Anchiano and the shiny leaves of the olive
groves scatter the silvery sunlight, reassuring thoughts about safety remain discreetly in the back of your mind. The Turbo
Cabrio’s standard all-wheel drive puts you
at ease as it propels the car uphill through
those switchback turns with surefooted
control—swiftly banishing any thoughts
about driving hazards. How could one even
think, in this earthly paradise, of two roll
bars concealed behind the back seat that
are deployed swiftly by spring pressure
the instant an inclinometer senses an impending roll-over?!
A much nicer thought occurs to you
here: In Anchiano, about 2.5 km north of
the road to Santa Lucia and Faltognano,
you can visit the Casa di Leonardo, the ancient farm house that is believed to be the
birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. The genius was the illegitimate son of Ser Piero,
a notary who might not have been acting in
a manner befitting his station when he
caused a maid named Caterina to become
a mother on April 15, 1452. A scandal, perhaps? At any rate, young Leonardo first
lived with his grandparents. But his dad
recognized and encouraged the boy’s talent and eventually sent him to Florence as
an apprentice to Andrea del Verrocchio,
who allowed Leonardo to collaborate in the
painting “The Baptism of Christ” (1472),
among others. Da Vinci’s lifetime accomplishments in art, engineering, and the natural sciences rank among the most impressive of the Renaissance.
What can you learn in a Porsche 911
Turbo Cabriolet from the pleasurable realization that people on the sidewalk aren’t
looking at you with envy or hostility, but
with a flash of curiosity and amazement?
At least this: It’s often those carefree
top-down moments people find most fascinating. 304 Christophorus 35