2013 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.comEdmunds.com Member, Administrator, Moderator Posts: 10,315
edited September 2014 in Porsche

image2013 Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet Long-Term Road Test

We take our long-term 2013 Porsche 911 convertible for a quick blast on the Mulholland Hwy., the most famous mountain road in the world.

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  • jederinojederino Member Posts: 0
    Nice example of how the 911 comes into its own in the hills. Is this car a little sedate when cruising around town - is that part of the criticism? And that it only comes alive when you take it to extra-legal speeds?
  • spdracerut_spdracerut_ Member Posts: 19
    So Scott.... do you think you would have liked the button shifters just as much as the paddle shifters up in the canyons?
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    "I guarantee you that if a guy in a new Viper tried to keep up he'd be off the road almost immediately." You can make no such guarantee.
  • spdracerut_spdracerut_ Member Posts: 19
    fordson1, I will actually back up Scott's statement. I know the roads well he traveled. And especially Las Flores, which is comprised of 20-25mph (10-15 if you drive like a sane person) 90-120 degree turns with lots of elevation changes in very short distances on a narrow two-lane road. I suppose if the Viper took up both lanes, it could keep pace, but asking it to not cross the double yellow would surely slow it down as the car is quite wide. Aside from the width issue of the Viper, the torque is of absolutely no value on these roads as the corners are such low speed due to how tight they are.
  • coxwill_coxwill_ Member Posts: 7
    They still make Zima?
  • noburgers_noburgers_ Member Posts: 79
    Other than the too-large wheels (for my taste) it sounds like a great ride, and I could probably get used to the id of the trans in no time. I assume that the Viper comparo would be a different story when it comes to wide-open roads.
  • fordson1fordson1 Unconfirmed Posts: 1,512
    The Viper is 5 inches wider - so that's 2.5 inches wider on either side. It's not a motor home. And exiting out of low-speed corners favors cars with...low-end torque. Really, this is a base-model 911 - not an S. A Viper has a lot more lateral grip, about 300 more hp, and a new one comes with T/C, stability control, etc. and weighs about the same as the 911. It's a different class of car. The idea that a Viper is some huge and unwieldy beast that can't handle tight-radius curves is hype.
  • quadricyclequadricycle Member Posts: 827
    I get what you're saying in this article, but would YOU have had more fun if you were driving a standard?
  • spdracerut_spdracerut_ Member Posts: 19
    fordson1, have you driven these roads? I have. Many times. In my S2000, Evo, and CBR 600RR. The road is tight, narrow, and minimal straights. I can't even go full throttle in the S2k on NT01 tires on many sections as the rear will step out; in case you can't read between the lines, that's a torqueless car with near R-compound tires. Oh, and my buddy in his Carrera 4S on equal tires couldn't keep up in the corners. Did I mention the road is narrow? With my S2000, I'd say I have only 1-2ft of extra road width, or 1/2 to 1ft per side and my car is 3.5" narrower per side, 7" total than the Viper. 3.5" eats a lot into the 6" per side. FYI, while I have not driven a Viper, I have driven a C6 Vette which is also pretty wide. One of the fastest cars I've ever seen up here was a Miata because it's small, nimble, and have high cornering grip. It's amusing to see a group of Lambos trying to navigate these roads as they barely fit. The road is very flowly in nature which eliminates power as an advantage. It's all about cornering grip which is why the Miata is so fast on these roads. Go ahead, look up Las Flores Canyon Road in Malibu and then head north onto Piuma. The torque of a Viper is a liability up here, not an asset.
  • eclogiteeclogite Member Posts: 48
    "...an ice cold Zima..."

    Well done, Sir.
  • duck87duck87 Member Posts: 649
    I'm not sure why everyone is assuming the Viper won't be able to keep up to the 911 on those roads either. It's a bit shorter lengthwise (granted, longer wheelbase), has enormous front and rear tire footprints, extremely sticky tires, and the issue of "not putting the power down" can possibly be mitigated by simply leaving the car in high gear, since the engine torque band is just a plateau nearing 600 lb. ft. It HAS a manual transmission, after all.

    The only issue is whether the suspension is compliant enough for real world roads (an issue noted on many Viper reviews). But you guys make it sound like it's a tractor trailer.

    @spdracerut: If the rear of your S2K is stepping out, have you used a zero-bumpsteer kit on it?
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