PERHAPS the most impressive aspect of the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet is not how fast it can go from zero to 100 kmh but rather how fast it takes to get from 100 kmh to a complete stop.

The answer to this is - very fast. Slam on the brakes and the red aluminium callipers seem to grip the four cross-drilled discs with the ferocity of a caged beast in the netherworld. Yet there is still incredible pedal sensitivity and the Turbo Cabriolet offers outstanding opportunity for modulating the pressure. All you are likely to experience from behind the wheel, though, is one or at most two sets of pulsing action from the ABS as you pull off an emergency brake manoeuvre.

To say the latest generation of the 911 Turbo Cabriolet is powerful is an understatement. Even the design language of this convertible screams muscular. Like the coupe version, there are 480 horses and a massive 620 Newton-metres of torque. When the two turbos go into overboost mode, the torque is further increased to 680 Nm.

Because of the convertible's 70 kg weight deficit, though, the zero to 100 kmh sprint with the Tiptronic S gearbox takes just 0.1 second longer at 3.8 seconds.

But also like the Turbo coupe, there is permanent all-wheel-drive to rein-in all that power. With the sophisticated PASM or Porsche Active Suspension Management, high speed driving over uneven road surfaces gets a further confidence booster. Just choose the sportier mode and the shock absorbers get stiffer. But because it is an electronic active damping system, it has the ability to adjust for ride comfort over poor road surfaces.

And when you press the 'Sport' button beside the PASM button, the throttle response is heightened and the Tiptronic S transmission holds it in gear longer before shifting up faster for very sporty driving behaviour.

Therein lies the exquisite appeal of the Turbo Cabriolet. Its electric fabric hood allows it to be driven with all the glamour of an open-top car, but its chassis is more than adequate for true sports car performance.

Accelerate hard and the exhaust responds with an aggressive bark as you quickly hit obscene speeds.

Drive swiftly through a series of curves and its poise and stability shine through. The grip is astounding. Yet its flexibility means you never have to fight with it at lower speeds. The Porsche remains tractable at all times.

A 911 Turbo Cabriolet with full specifications may never exceed the price of an entry-level exoticar, but it is an immensely more versatile alternative.

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet
Engine: 3,600cc flat-6 twin-turbocharged
Gearbox: 5-speed Tiptronic S transmission
Max power: 480 hp @ 6,000 rpm
Max torque: 620 Nm @ 1,950-5,000 rpm (680 Nm @ 2,100-4,000 rpm with Overboost)
0-100 kmh: 3.8 secs
Top speed: 310 kmh
Price: from $695,888 (with COE)
Distributor: Stuttgart Auto, tel: 6363-0911