Porsche Convertible: Every Open-Top Model You Can Buy (and the Classics)

Here is every open-top Porsche you can buy today, plus the classics worth knowing.

What a Porsche Convertible Means Today

Porsche builds three kinds of open-top car right now. Each drops its roof a different way, and each suits a different buyer. Knowing the split makes the rest of the shopping simple.

The 911 is the anchor of the range. It comes as a full Cabriolet and as the semi-open Targa. The mid-engine 718 Boxster is the dedicated roadster, built from the start with no fixed roof.

The 911 Cabriolet

The 911 Cabriolet is the classic idea of a Porsche convertible. A full fabric soft top folds away in about 12 seconds, and it works while you roll at low speed. The car keeps the 911 shape, the rear seats, and nearly all of the coupe’s usable space.

You can buy the Cabriolet across most of the 911 range. That runs from the base 911 Carrera to the Carrera S, the GTS, and the range-topping Turbo S. It is the most flexible open-top Porsche.

The 911 Targa

The Targa is the halfway house. It is not a full convertible. A powered roof panel folds back behind the seats, while a fixed roll hoop and a large wraparound rear glass window stay in place.

The result is open-air motoring with more structure and a fixed silver bar overhead. Porsche only sells the current Targa as an all-wheel-drive Targa 4, in GTS and 4S forms. Our 911 Targa guide covers the mechanism in full.

The 718 Boxster Roadster

The 718 Boxster is the pure roadster of the lineup. It sits below the 911 on price and puts its flat engine in the middle of the car. That layout gives it sharp, balanced handling that many drivers rate above the 911.

The Boxster shares its structure with the Cayman coupe. If you are weighing the two body styles, read our Cayman versus Boxster comparison. The Boxster model guide covers every generation.

The Current Lineup and Prices

Here is the full open-top range on sale, with power and starting price. These are US figures, and the 718 prices are approximate. The 911 prices exclude the $1,995 delivery fee, while the 718 figures include destination.

911 Carrera and Carrera S Cabriolet

The Carrera Cabriolet is the entry point to open-top 911 life. It uses a 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six making 388 hp, paired to an eight-speed PDK. Porsche lists it from $133,400 on its US model page.

Step up to the Carrera S Cabriolet and power jumps to 473 hp for about $159,600, per the 992 model data. The S adds bigger brakes, wider rear tires, and a sport exhaust option. Both cars ship with heated sport seats and a leather interior as you climb the options list.

911 Carrera T Cabriolet

The 992.2 Carrera T Cabriolet is new and important. For the first time, the lightweight Carrera T is offered as an open car, and it is manual only. Porsche fits a six-speed manual as the sole gearbox, with no PDK option.

It makes the same 388 hp as the base car but trims weight and adds rear-axle steering as standard. The open version reaches 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and starts at $147,300, per the Porsche Newsroom technical data. For manual purists who want the roof down, this is the pick.

911 Carrera GTS and Targa 4 GTS

The Carrera GTS now uses a T-Hybrid system. A 3.6-liter flat-six works with an electric turbocharger and a small battery for 532 combined hp. The GTS Cabriolet starts near $178,200.

The only open Targa is the Targa 4 GTS, which shares that 532 hp hybrid setup and adds all-wheel drive. It lists around $186,000. For the wider 992 story, see our 992 generation guide.

911 Turbo and Turbo S Cabriolet

The Turbo S Cabriolet tops the open-top 911 range. The current 992.2 Turbo S switches to a T-Hybrid flat-six making about 701 hp, as detailed in the T-Hybrid reveal. That is enough to run with far more expensive supercars, roof up or down.

Pricing climbs hard here. The Turbo S Cabriolet lists around $284,300 for the latest model year. It keeps the full soft top, so you lose none of the drama of dropping the roof at a light.

718 Boxster, S, and GTS 4.0

The 718 Boxster range is the affordable way into an open Porsche. The base car uses a 2.0-liter turbo flat-four with 300 hp and starts around $76,900. The Boxster S steps to a 2.5-liter turbo four with 350 hp, per the 718 range history.

The sweet spot is the Boxster GTS 4.0. It drops the turbo four for a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six with 394 hp and a proper six-cylinder howl, as the 718 model data confirms. It starts near $101,800 and pairs beautifully with the no-cost six-speed manual.

718 Spyder and Spyder RS

The 718 Spyder RS is the wild one. It borrows the 493 hp naturally aspirated flat-six from the 718 Cayman GT4 RS, as our 718 Spyder guide details, and revs to 9,000 rpm. It uses a lightweight manual top and comes only with PDK, listing at $164,200 with destination.

The Spyder RS is the closest thing Porsche builds to a road-legal race car with the roof off. It closes out the naturally aspirated 718 era in style.

How the Tops Actually Work

The three open-top styles use very different roof systems. The differences shape how the cars feel, how much noise they let in, and how you live with them day to day.

The Cabriolet Soft Top

The 911 Cabriolet uses a fabric soft top with a magnesium frame. It opens or closes in about 12 seconds and works while you roll at low speed. That means no waiting at a full stop when the light turns green.

The top is multi-layer and well insulated. With the roof up, the modern Cabriolet is nearly as quiet as the coupe. A fixed glass rear window with a defroster sits in the fabric, so rear visibility stays clear.

The Targa Roof Mechanism

The Targa is the showpiece. Press a button and the large rear glass lifts up and back. A fabric panel folds behind the seats, then the glass settles into place. The whole dance takes about 19 seconds and looks incredible.

The trade-off is that the Targa only opens the section over the front seats. You keep the roll hoop and the rear glass. It is quieter and stiffer than a full Cabriolet, but it lets in less sky.

Cabin Comfort and Wind Deflectors

Wind management is where these cars earn their keep. The 911 Cabriolet and Targa both offer a wind deflector that clips behind the front seats. It cuts buffeting so you can hold a conversation at highway speed.

The 718 Boxster has no rear seats, so its wind blocker sits between the roll hoops. Inside, every open Porsche can be optioned with adaptive sport seats, a heated GT sport steering wheel, and full leather. Neck-level heating warms your shoulders on cool nights with the roof down.

Options That Matter on an Open Porsche

A convertible order sheet reads the same as the coupe’s, but a few options earn their keep faster with the roof off. Here is where the money goes.

Performance Options

The Sport Chrono Package is the first box to tick. It adds drive modes and, on PDK cars, launch control. Every current 911 Cabriolet except the Carrera T pairs its engine with the 8 speed Porsche Doppelkupplung PDK transmission, and Sport Chrono makes the most of it.

The sport exhaust system matters more here than on any coupe. With the top down you actually hear it. Rear axle steering comes standard on the GTS and Turbo and works with the electromechanical power steering to tighten the chassis noticeably; even the standard Carrera, with 331 lb ft of torque, feels quicker to respond with it fitted. Few open sports car rivals offer that kind of menu.

Cabin and Personalization

Porsche’s Exclusive Manufaktur program covers almost any exterior color you can imagine, including Paint to Sample. Small touches go a long way in an open cabin that everyone can see into: the Porsche crest embossed on the headrests, extended leather trim, and a storage net in the passenger footwell for the things that would otherwise blow around.

Driver assistance is worth a look too: lane change assist earns its keep when the top is up and over-shoulder vision shrinks, and adaptive cruise control holds your distance in traffic. Beyond that, two practical picks: Surround View makes parking a long Cabriolet far easier, and the brighter matrix headlights are worth it if you drive at night with the top down. A classic black soft top hides age better than the lighter colors.

The 718 Boxster’s Final Year

The current 718 Boxster is living its last chapter. Porsche has confirmed the end of the combustion Boxster, and an electric replacement is on the way. If you want a gas-powered mid-engine Porsche roadster, the clock is running.

End of Combustion Production

Porsche plans to end production of the combustion 718 Boxster and Cayman in 2025, according to the model’s history record. The company has already stopped taking many new custom orders, leaving dealer stock and existing contracts to fill.

That makes the final gas Boxster models collectible from day one. The naturally aspirated GTS 4.0 and Spyder RS in particular look like future classics, since they close out the six-cylinder era.

The Electric Successor

The next Boxster will be fully electric, built on Porsche’s PPE platform at Zuffenhausen. Unlike the Cayenne and Macan, which keep both gas and electric versions, the 718 line moves entirely to battery power.

The electric roadster has slipped past its original launch window because of battery and software delays. Early test cars point to the same compact size and driver focus, just with an electric heart. For now, the combustion car remains the one to buy.

The Classic Open-Top Porsches

Open-top Porsche did not start with the 911. The story runs back to the 1950s, and several classics are worth knowing before you shop. Some are icons, and one of them saved the company.

The 356 Speedster

The 356 Speedster is where the legend begins. Porsche launched it in 1954. Wikipedia’s 356 history records that US importer Max Hoffman pushed for a cheaper open model, with a base price under $3,000. It was a spartan, lower-cost car for the American market.

It had a low cut windshield, thin bucket seats, and a minimal top. That focus made it a hit with West Coast racers and set the template for every stripped-back open Porsche that followed. The name Speedster still carries weight today.

The First 911 Cabriolet

The 911 went without a full convertible for nearly 20 years. Porsche finally showed the first 911 Cabriolet at the 1982 Geneva show. It was based on the 911 SC and reached buyers as a 1983 model, as the 911 history records. This was the first true open 911.

Buyers loved it. In its debut year, convertibles made up a large share of US 911 sales, and the car sold out well ahead of production. The air-cooled SC and later 3.2 Carrera Cabriolets remain approachable classic open-tops today.

The 944 and 968 Cabriolet

Porsche’s front-engine, water-cooled cars also went topless. The 944 S2 Cabriolet arrived in 1989, per the 944 record, followed by the 968 Cabriolet in the early 1990s. Both used a four-cylinder engine and near-perfect weight balance.

These are the value entry to classic open Porsche ownership. They drive with real poise, parts support is decent, and prices sit well below any air-cooled 911. A clean 968 Cabriolet is one of the smarter buys in the back catalog.

The 986 Boxster

The first 986 Boxster is the most important open-top Porsche of the modern era. It launched in 1996 when Porsche was in deep financial trouble. Per the 986 Boxster record, the car is widely credited with saving the company.

It was Porsche’s first road car designed as a roadster from scratch since the 914. The name blends the words boxer and speedster. Early 986 cars are cheap now. Buyers should still budget for the known M96 engine risks in our IMS bearing guide.

The 911 Speedster Editions

Porsche revives the Speedster name on the 911 every so often, always as a low-slung, limited convertible. The 997 Speedster of 2010 was built in just 356 units, a nod to the 356 model number, as the 997 history notes. It used a 408 hp flat-six and PDK.

The 991 Speedster of 2019 is the modern high point. Porsche built 1,948 cars, a tribute to its 1948 founding year, per the Porsche Newsroom launch. Each one uses the 502 hp naturally aspirated flat-six from the GT3 and a six-speed manual. Our 911 Speedster guide tells the full story.

Buying a Porsche Convertible

An open-top Porsche brings a few buying quirks that a coupe does not. Get these right and the roof-down life is cheap to run. Get them wrong and a tired top can cost real money.

Coupe Versus Cabriolet Value

On the used market, a Cabriolet usually costs less than the same coupe. Enthusiasts favor the fixed-roof car, so demand and prices for coupes run higher. That makes a used 911 Cabriolet a value play if you want the open-air experience.

The clear exception is the Speedster. Those limited cars trade above coupe money and often above their original sticker. For the wider picture on how each 911 era holds up, see our 911 generations guide.

Soft-Top Maintenance

The soft top is the one part a coupe buyer never thinks about. Check that it opens and closes smoothly through its full cycle. Listen for grinding, which points to a worn motor or a stretched cable.

Inspect the fabric for tears at the fold lines and the rear window for cracking. Keep the roof drains clear so water does not back up into the cabin. A full soft-top replacement can run into the thousands, so a healthy top is worth paying for.

Open-Top Ownership in Thailand

Thailand looks like perfect convertible country, and for much of the year it is. Cool, dry mornings from November to February are ideal for roof-down drives to a cars and coffee meet. Early starts beat the heat and the traffic.

The catch is the rest of the year. Midday sun and the long wet season mean the roof stays up more than you would hope. A light interior bakes in the heat, so many owners here choose dark leather and a garage. Treat the open-top as a weekend and early-morning car, not a daily.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the cheapest Porsche convertible you can buy new?

The 718 Boxster is the cheapest new Porsche convertible, starting around $76,900 with destination. It uses a 300 hp turbocharged flat-four and comes as a roadster with a power soft top. The naturally aspirated GTS 4.0 and Spyder RS sit higher up the same range.

Is the Porsche 911 Targa a convertible?

The 911 Targa is a semi-open car, not a full convertible. A powered mechanism folds the fabric roof panel behind the seats while the wraparound rear glass and roll hoop stay in place. It opens only the section over the front seats, so it feels stiffer than a Cabriolet.

How much is a new Porsche 911 convertible?

The 911 Carrera Cabriolet starts at $133,400 before the delivery fee. Prices climb through the Carrera S at about $159,600 and the GTS near $178,200. The range-topping Turbo S Cabriolet costs over $280,000.

Is a Porsche convertible good in the rain?

Yes. Modern Porsche soft tops are multi-layer, well sealed, and rated for highway speeds. The fabric roof handles heavy rain without leaks when it is maintained and the drains stay clear. With the top up, a current Cabriolet is nearly as quiet as the coupe.

Which Porsche convertible holds its value best?

Limited 911 Speedster editions hold value best and often sell above their original price. Among regular models, the 911 Cabriolet depreciates less than the 718 Boxster. The Boxster is still the better value on the used market if you want the most driving fun per dollar.

Images: 992 Carrera Cabriolet (hero) by Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0. 992 Carrera Cabriolet by Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0. 992 Turbo S Cabriolet by Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0. 911 Targa 4 GTS by Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0. 718 Boxster by Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0. 718 Spyder RS by Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0. 356 Speedster by Alexander-93, CC BY-SA 4.0. 911 SC Cabriolet by nakhon100, CC BY 2.0. 944 S2 Cabriolet by Charles, CC BY 2.0. 986 Boxster by OWS Photography, CC BY 4.0. 986 Boxster interior by Damian B Oh, CC BY-SA 4.0. 991 Speedster by Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.