1983 Porsche 911 SC Cabriolet
After producing no convertibles for 18 years, Porsche launched the 911 SC Cabrio in the spring 1983. The top made extensive use of metal plates and fixed components to maintain rigidity at high speeds and offer some rollover protection. When first offered to North America, Road & Track listed a price of $34,450. Available options included $1,905 leather seats, $795 Monterey stereo and $1,850 16-inch forged wheels with Pirelli P7s.1
Road & Track also found that the Cabriolet was only marginally slower than the Coupe, taking 7.0 seconds to reach 60 mph instead of the Coupe’s 6.7.
Sources & Further Reading
Lamm, John. Porsche 911 Cabrio.Road & Track. February 1983.
In Detail
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Series Production Car |
| built at | Stuttgart, Germany |
| price $ | $ 34,450 |
| engine | Air-Cooled Flat-6 |
| position | Rear, Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Natural |
| fuel feed | Bosch K-Jetronic Electronic Injection |
| displacement | 2994 cc / 182.7 in³ |
| bore | 95 mm / 3.74 in |
| stroke | 70.4 mm / 2.77 in |
| compression | 9.8:1 |
| power | 152.1 kw / 204.0 bhp @ 5900 rpm |
| specific output | 68.14 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 74.18 bhp per tonne |
| body / frame | Unitary Steel Monocoque |
| driven wheels | Rear Engine / RWD |
| front brakes | Ventilated Discs w/Vacuum Assist |
| rear brakes | Ventilated Discs w/Vacuum Assist |
| f suspension | MacPherson Struts w/Torsion Bars, Tube Shocks, Anti-Roll Bar |
| r suspension | Semi-Trailing Arms w/Torsion Bars, Tube Shocks, Anti-Roll Bar |
| curb weight | 2750 kg / 6064 lbs |
| weight distro | 42 % / 58 % |
| wheelbase | 2273 mm / 89.5 in |
| front track | 1369 mm / 53.9 in |
| rear track | 1379 mm / 54.3 in |
| length | 4291 mm / 168.9 in |
| width | 1651 mm / 65 in |
| height | 1311 mm / 51.6 in |
| transmission | 5-Speed Manual |
| gear ratios | 3.18:1, 1.83:1, 1.26:1, 1.00:1, 0.82:1 |
| top speed | ~235 kph / 146.0 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~7.0 seconds |
| fuel econ epa | 10.01 L/100 km or 23.5 mpg-us |
