Faults:

I have owned my Cabriolet for 3 years now. Apart from general servicing (including new brake discs and pads), the only thing that has gone wrong is that the differential had its internals destroyed when a bearing inside broke. This was fixed under manufacturers warranty. These cars are extremely reliable if properly maintained and serviced, don't skimp or it'll really hurt your pocket.

General Comments:

A true Porsche in every sense, don't worry about comparisons to the 924, people don't know unless they have driven one and let's face it, most people have never even SAT in a Porsche so comments should be treated with the respect they deserve. The Cabriolet model is different to the Coupe in that not only does the top drop electrically (no pun intended!), but the rear styling is completely different with a classically designed flat & square back end, in fact many times passers-by have commented on the nice Ferrari they think I'm driving past in, I really don't mind the car being mistaken for a Ferrari even though I love Porsches!! This car is fast, it can beat 911's (non-turbo) which are older than about 1987 so performance is very respectable. Not only that but the weight distribution is 50/50 making it one of the best handling cars of all time - important when you consider that prohibitive speed limits in the UK mean that top-speed isn't really exploitable (if you want to keep your license that is!). Every time I drive this car I get a big stupid grin on my face - not many cars can have that effect.

Faults:

This car has covered 95k miles and I have owned it for 2.5 years and quite a few things have gone wrong. Brakes and discs replaced all round (£450), lower front aluminium wishbone balljoint went, complete unit replacement (£500), front shox (£300). Wrong balance shaft belt fitted by specialist (watch out for this - use only the genuine part!) this caused the oil scavenge pipe to fracture in the engine.

Early shutdown of engine prevented disaster ... cost (£300). Clutches are expensive, my replacement cost (£600) albeit it did last until 90k and was original and I drive this car as it was intended ... hard!(when warm of course)

General Comments:

This is a fabulous car to drive in all aspects. It has a wonderfully flexible engine which is virtually unburstable if correctly maintained. The handling is very sure footed and highly forgiving for those who are over-enthusiastic. The only downsides are a boring engine note, the 'forever compared to the 924 cliche' as this is a true porsche. If you are considering buying one this is probably the best model to go for and make sure you don't jump at the first one you see. Get it professionally inspected. Most specialists are happy to do this and it's well worth the cost.