I’ve never been entirely sure about convertibles. I was put off in my younger days by a friend’s Alfa Romeo Spider. It was pretty with its Pininfarina styling but with the hood down your hair was parted in the middle by the wind, you couldn’t hear yourself speak and most of the time it seemed to be too wet or cold to go topless anyway. Our attempt to pass ourselves off as the coolest of Italian stallions ended in embarrassment when my friend put his foot down pulling away from a junction, lost the tail and we ended up facing the wrong way on the road. (Read more of Nick Herbert’s car reviews here.)

And yet when the sun makes one of its brief British appearances there is something about the allure of the drophead, and so I decided to try out one of the most iconic convertibles of all: the Porsche 911. Porsche owners are a loyal clan. Once seduced by the machine’s legendary handling and performance, many swear they will never drive anything else. Others may view a Porsche and certain of its occupants with, let’s just say tactfully, jealous disdain. But for enthusiasts it’s a true drivers’ car.

A 2+2 seating layout

The 911 is as old as I am, dominating the roads for more than six decades. Despite all its technical advances over the years (water cooling, turbocharging) neither this model’s singular looks nor its fundamental set-up have changed: its engine still sits, unusually, behind the rear wheels. So it’s not a mid-engined two-seater, like its younger and cheaper 718 brother: it’s a 2+2, meaning that if you’re a child, particularly petite or a smallish dog you can sit in the back.

The Carrera 4 GTS I drove was launched in 2024, and is an all-wheel-drive, highperformance version with a clever new mild hybrid engine derived from motor sport. You don’t plug the car in: the battery charges as you go along, adding power to the turbocharged, 3.6-litre, flat six-cylinder engine. The result is a seamless delivery of raw power with no perceptible turbo lag.

The front boot

The 911 was quite different to drive than my own V8-engined, more powerful but heavier BMW M8 Competition. Both have the tenacious traction of four-wheel drive and are blisteringly fast but the Porsche is a much smaller car with rear-axle steering: perfectly suited to twisting and narrow country roads, threading its way around potholes and nipping past cyclists. The BMW is more of a grand-tourer, luxurious and effortlessly commanding on the open road, and capable of carrying two large suitcases where the Porsche won’t fit one.

A red button worth pressing

But who cares about luggage? From the moment you press the start button in the Porsche and the boxer engine roars you’re hooked. Push another button and the fabric hood retracts in seconds. Another and the sports exhaust is even louder. Another still and a spoiler rises menacingly from the car’s rear. Best of all is a red button marked ‘Drive Mode’. Press it, the engine revs to its maximum and you’re launched like Artemis II, ready to orbit Milton Keynes twice while avoiding landing.

Speedometer calibrated to 225mph

The aerodynamics of the convertible are remarkable. At reasonable speeds I could easily hold a hands-free mobile conversation where my caller could detect no wind noise. Quicken up, as it’s all too easy to do in the 911, and you will struggle to hear the radio but this is a car in which to play loud music with a thumping bass, not to listen to some dreary debate.

Sporty yet comfortable, the 911 is a joy to drive – a perfect tonic on a summer’s day. Parked by the seaside in its Carmine Red livery it attracted admirers and enthusiastic conversation alike. I was reluctant to hand the keys back… but then it started to rain

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet

Engine: 3.6-litre petrol six-cylinder flat six/1.9kWh battery Power: 541hp Transmission/drivetrain: eight-speed automatic, AWD rear-engined Top speed: 194mph Acceleration 0-60: 3.1 sec Fuel efficiency: 25.7mpg CO2 emissions: 245g/km

Price: £168,145 with extras

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