Its arrival marks the continuance of a tradition that began in 1952: offering an open-top, enthusiast-focused sports car made specifically for the North American market. The new model – revealed during the 2022 Porsche Parade in Poconos, PA – is based on the 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, and features the same high-performance chassis and powertrain as that model. Emphasizing its focus on driving pleasure, it is exclusively available with a seven-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel drive.
“The brand celebrates its heritage with this exclusive 911 model that brings us back to roots of the legendary 356 America Roadster from 70 years ago,” said Marc Ouayoun, President and CEO Porsche Cars Canada, Ltd. “We are delighted to be able to also extend the offer to our Canadian clientele, even if in very limited numbers.”
A high-performance sports car for open-top driving enthusiasts
The new 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet America uses a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter boxer six-cylinder engine to generate 473 hp and 420 lb.-ft. of torque. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) Sport is standard equipment, and lowers the ride height by 10 mm while adding helper springs to the rear axle. Sport Exhaust and the Sport Chrono Package are also both standard equipment. Rear axle steering and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brakes (PCCB) are available as added cost options. The standard cast iron brake rotors measure 408 mm in front with six-piston aluminium fixed calipers and 380 mm rotors in the rear with four-piston fixed aluminium calipers finished in black.
Along the doors, decals in white with Guards Red accents read “America”, while the model designation on the rear features “911 Carrera” in white and “GTS” in Guards Red.
Cross-stitching in Guards Red with surrounding stitching in Pebble Grey continue the colour combination through the cabin, including along the upper dashboard and door panels. Two-tone stitching in Guards Red and Pebble Grey continue the contrast on the centre console armrest where “America” is embossed in the leather. Unique illuminated doorsill plates commemorating the 70th anniversary of the 356 America Roadster are also included as standard equipment, along with a leather interior in black, seat belts in Guards Red, the tachometer and instrument cluster in white and a heated GT Sport steering wheel.
An optional extended interior package continues this theme with a 12 o’clock marking on the steering wheel in Guards Red and Guards Red cross-stitching on the inside edge of the wheel. This package also adds two-tone stitching to the shift boot and adds a gear pattern on the manual lever in Guards Red. Sport Seats Plus with double stitching in Guards Red and Pebble Grey with “911” stitching on the headrests in Guards Red and the leather backrest release loops in the same colour. The floor mats also gain the same two-tone stitching in Guards Red and white. Finally, the vehicle key is painted in Azure Blue 356 to match the car, and a leather key pouch with two-tone stitching and “America” embossment completes the package.
Pricing and Availability
The 2023 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet America is expected to arrive in late 2022 and will carry a starting MSRP of $206,190. Including the extended interior package, MSRP is $214,750.
About the 356 America Roadster
Max Hoffman, the first importer of Porsche cars to the U.S., found early success among American customers with the 356 when he began selling them in 1950. Hoffman knew that a more affordable model would help him reach more customers, and he convinced Porsche to develop a special lightweight version specifically for the U.S. market: the 1953 356 America Roadster. With all but the bare essentials removed, the car used a 1,480 cc boxer four-cylinder engine generating 70 hp. That figure represented a significant jump from earlier models with a smaller engine making 40 hp. That barebones sports car quickly inspired the 356 Speedster, which used the steel body of the 356 Cabriolet, but with minimal equipment taking after, but not quite to the level of its earlier sibling. Only 16 examples of the 356 America Roadster were built, placing it among the rarest 356 models. It stands as a symbol of the passion for performance among American drivers, and the mark their enthusiasm continues to make on the brand.
About the 964 America Roadster
In 1992, roughly 40 years after the first “America Roadster,” Porsche revived the concept as part of the Type-964 generation 911. Once again, a model specific to the U.S. with an open top and a focus on performance improvements reached American showrooms in limited quantities; in this case 250 units. This special model featured the wide body, brakes, suspension and 17-inch Porsche Cup wheels of the contemporary 911 Turbo. In that sense, the commonality between the Type-992 911 GTS models and Turbo models combined with a version of the engine used in the Carrera models make the new car a true spiritual successor.
