The Carrera S convertible was introduced to the market at the same time with the Carrera Cabriolet, a few months after their coupe-versions were unveiled.
The 996 generation was the first to feature water-cooled engines and it was not such a big success as expected. Porsche fans, especially, didn’t enjoy it too much so, the introduction of the 997 generation in 2004 was very important for the German sports-car maker.

The convertible version for both Carrera and Carrera S was developed at the same time with the coupe. Thus, the engineers installed on the coupe some reinforcements needed for the cabriolet. As usual, most of the body parts from the open-top version were carried-over from the coupe. The platform was strengthened to act as a chassis. The convertible was only seven kilograms (15.4lbs) heavier than the coupe, which made it as fast as the closed-version. At the back, the rear wing was extended 20 mm (0.79”) more than the spoiler on the coupe, and that helped the Carrera S achieve the same top speed as a convertible or as a coupe: 293 kph (182 mph).

Inside, the Carrera Cabrio featured the same options as the coupe, plus the wind deflector. That allowed a normal conversation even with the top down at highway speed. To cover or uncover the car, the electric system needed only 20 seconds at speeds up to 50 kph (31 mph).

For the engine compartment, the 911 Carrera S Cabriolet 997 was fitted with a 3.8-liter flat-six that offered 355 hp. It was paired as standard to a 6-speed manual, while a 5-speed automatic with manual override (Tiptronic S) was offered as an option. The Porsche Stability Management was a standard fit for both Carrera and Carrera S Cabriolet.