Photo: Porsche
Porsche does a lot of good things, but one area where the company does it better than anyone is this: special and commemorative car editions. Ladies and gentlemen, join hands for the company’s latest offering, the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet America Edition 2023. That name may be a mess, but the only words you need to know are the last two: America Edition.
True, this is our own star-studded variant of the 992-generation Porsche 911. Roadster, built to celebrate the 40th anniversary of that original 356.
Photo: Porsche
The America edition comes in a single color: Azure Blue 356, a modern version of the original blue of the first 356 America. Those with a keen eye will notice the white stripe on the sides of the car with an even smaller red stripe in the middle. Basically, they painted a Porsche red, white, and blue. Properly.
At first, the wheels look like plain white. Take a closer look: they actually have three different finishes, designed to make them explode and remind you of the silver wheels of the 356. Neato.
In addition, the windshield cover is painted black to give this Cabrio a more elegant look, making the eye think that the structure is thin and delicate, as in the 356.
Photo: Porsche
Inside, the starry motif continues. The interior has a black base color, but is adorned with all sorts of red, white and blue accents. Well, technically it’s not white. The company told us that the color is actually Pebble Gray, because white stands out too much. It’s about subtlety, something the United States is known for.
On the back, the badges also have a bit of color. “911 Carrera” is written in white and “GTS” is written in Guards Red.
Photo: Porsche
Small details can be found inside: a white tachometer and a red shift pattern and deviated seams are just a few. Porsche says it wants buyers of the America edition to keep noticing the new design aspects as they own and enjoy the car. Interestingly, there is no numbered badge indicating where your limited edition example is located. However, the word “America” is written on the center console in traditional Porsche lettering.
The door sills are also written in 1952, 1992 and 2022 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of America Roadsters. And the color of the ignition key matches the exterior of the car.
Photo: Porsche
At its core, the America Edition is a 911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, with a six-liter 3.0-liter twin-turbocharger that makes 473 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, just like the non-American version.
This power is distributed through a mandatory seven-speed manual transmission. You read that right: You can’t get the America Edition with a PDK dual-clutch automatic. Porsche says the decision was made based on enthusiastic preference for manual transmissions among U.S. 911 buyers.
Photo: Porsche
PASM also comes as standard equipment. They also do a sports getaway and the Sport Chrono Pack. Since Porsche is Porsche, there are still options. You will have to pay for the rear axle steering and carbon ceramic brakes.
You will also have to pay for the “extended inner package”. According to the people of Stuttgart, this package offers you all the delights of the interior that you see. This includes things like the 12 o’clock mark on Guards Red on the steering wheel and the Guards Red cross stitch on the inside edge of the steering wheel. It also adds two-tone stitching to the shift boot and adds a gear pattern to the manual lever in Red Guards.
In addition, vehicles equipped with the extended interior package Sport Seats Plus with double stitching in red Guards and Pebble Gray with seams “911” on the headrests in red Guards and the release loops of the leather back of the same color. The rugs also have the same two-tone seams in Guards Red and Pebble Gray. Finally, the vehicle key is painted in azure 356 blue to match the car, and a leather key bag with two-tone seams and “America” embossing completes the package.
So, if you really want to make your America Edition special, you better opt for the extended inner package. But how much will it cost to buy a limited edition Porsche?
In terms of cost, the MSRP for the America edition is $ 186,370 (including $ 1,450 for the destination). That means the America edition has a $ 36,000 premium over the basic GTS Cabriolet.
Photo: Porsche
You can expect dealers to get the vehicles by the end of 2022, and while they’re not talked about yet, Porsche expects them to sell out pretty quickly. In all, 115 copies will be produced, 100 for the U.S. and 15 for Canada.