Car Throttle

Not a single "drops it's top" pun eluding to ladies riding in a Porsche in that headline.  Aww, dammit.  Ruined it already.  To the shock and awe of approximately three people, Porsche debuted the drop-top version of the new (991) 911 in the flesh today. That means that everything which is new on the 991 Coupe is also new on the Cabriolet.  For gearheads, let's talk power.  If you want to ruin your Trump Toupee in a righteous hurry, either of the Cabrio's available engines will do it for you.  The base 911 Carrera Cabriolet has a 3.4L 24v flat-six, now with direct fuel injection.  This one's good for 350bhp,  and can be had with either a 7-speed manual (no typo) or the 7-speed PDK twin-clutch. 

Porsche has been adamant about the need to add new models to the lineup. Sources say there could be as many as three coming over the next few years. One of the new models that was recently introduced is the Panamera four-door sedan. A cabriolet variant of that car could be coming quickly. The cabriolet itself hasn't been officially confirmed, but there has been many comments about new models from executives. A recent one was by Porsche development chief Wolfgang Duerheimer speaking with Automobilwoche "We have a broad range of 14 derivatives of the 911 that are very successful, so it stands to reason we should diversify the lineup for the Panamera as well." Reports are saying the car would be a two-door, not a convertible version

The appeal of the Saab 9-3 Viggen is enigmatic, to say the least. Objectively, it's not that great of a car.  It's reasonably quick (2.3L turbo I4 with 235bhp in a small car will do that!) but suffers from an awful shift linkage, massive wrist-snapping torque steer, and a chassis as stiff as cooked spaghetti in convertible form. Still, I have this deep-seated urge for a Viggen (as you can see in my recent post here).  They have character.  And I like torque steer.  Also, they're quite photogenic. This beautiful Viggen-in-the-sunset picture comes courtesy of the most talented Flickr user Mugley, who seems to have an affinity for blowup sex dolls and jackal masks in his unique photography.  Takes all types, I suppose.  The clarity of

Italian automaker FIAT has revealed the expected convertible version of the 500 supermini ahead of it's debut at the Geneva auto show next month. It's pretty much what fans of the super cute subcompact were expecting, which is no bad thing. The drop-top (sort of!) version, called the 500C, differs from it's competition mainly in it's structure.  Instead of having a full drop-top (as in, the entire roof folds), the 500C retains it's roof arches and C-pillar, with a powered roll-back canvas top providing fresh air. I suppose the main benefit of this is retaining the majority of the closed car's structural rigidity and rollover safeness, but I suspect it also has a lot to do with it being cheaper as well as a historical reference.  See