Used 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Convertible Coupe Review & Ratings

The Porsche 911 line is more than just a part of the automaker's lineup; it's the most iconic model in the brand's history. The 911 helped to shape Porsche's name and reputation, and some enthusiasts consider it to be the only "true" Porsche luxury sports car. The Porsche 911 coupe replaced the Porsche 356, which was basically a heavily-modified Volkswagen Beetle in the mid-1960s. It was an immediate success, and it continued this success into the next decade (the 1970s) as well, when it was known predominantly for its performance. In the 1980s, it became more of a sophisticated style icon, and the 1990s saw a sporty, powerful Porsche 911. Today, the 911 continues its iconic presence- as it's known to many as what represents a true European luxury sports car. And, we can't forget to mention- the Porsche 911 has also been very successful on the race track over the past few decades.

In 1982, once the 911's stylish reputation had been established for two solid decades, Porsche introduced an open-top convertible, or Cabriolet, version of the vehicle. Since its first appearance, the Cabriolet version has accounted for about 40 percent of the 911's sales, with the other 60 percent going to the traditional coupe version. The newest 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet convertible has reduced its weight by nearly a hundred pounds; it's lighter and more aerodynamic than ever before. Most of this weight loss revolves around the car's new aluminum floorplan, which replaces the outdated steel structure. This allows the new Porsche to have an improved torsional rigidity of over eighteen percent. The new Cabriolet also comes with an improved roof for this model year, which opens and closes in only eleven seconds. This convertible roof is made of fabric-covered composite panels that are attached to a lightweight magnesium frame. An actual glass window is attached to this apparatus, making for a unique and technologically-sound component.

With so many choices in the Porsche 911 lineup for the 2012 model year, it might be hard to determined exactly which one is right for you, but we think the 911 Carrera Cabriolet convertible warrants at least a second look. It's affordable, fast, powerful, aerodynamic, and has a reasonable starting price for a luxury convertible at $93,700. There is also a second Cabriolet model- the 2012 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet S- which is a sportier variant of the base Cabriolet convertible. After review, we can say that both of these vehicles are quite impressive, with the S variant coming in about $10k higher than the base model. Though there isn't a huge difference in power, it will be noticeable to drivers.