Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet 991.2 vs Porsche Boxster S 981: which is truly faster?

Off the line, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet hits 100 km/h in 3.65 s versus 5.08 s for the Boxster S. At this point, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet leads by 1.43 s and sits roughly 14 m ahead.

At 200 metres, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet is doing 162 km/h against 143 km/h for the Boxster S. The gap is 1.17 s. The challenger starts to claw back ground.

At 400 metres standing start, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet crosses the line in 11.55 s versus 13.23 s. The 1.68 s gap represents roughly 80 m of track — a gap visible to the naked eye.

Past 400 metres, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet continues to build its lead. At 600 metres, it runs at 224 km/h versus 198 km/h. At 1,000 metres, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet finishes in 20.93 s versus 23.87 s, with a 2.94 s lead.

The 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet features all-wheel drive (AWD) against the Boxster S’s RWD. At low speeds (0-30, 0-50, 0-80 km/h), AWD doubles the driven contact area: all four wheels transmit torque to the road, virtually eliminating wheelspin at launch. This traction advantage is decisive in the range where the motor delivers peak torque, before power and aerodynamics take over.

Both rivals are electronically governed, but not at the same level: the 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet is capped at 307 km/h, the Boxster S at 274 km/h. This isn’t a physical engine limit — it’s a manufacturer choice, usually for tyre safety or homologation reasons. Neither car reaches its true aerodynamic top speed.

With two combustion powertrains, the difference comes down to power-to-weight ratio (3.26 kg/hp vs 4.32 kg/hp) and transmission (Automatic vs Unknown).

In European road use (130 km/h max), both vehicles reach the legal speed limit in under 7.45 seconds. The 1.43 s difference in 0 to 100 km/h is mostly felt in motorway merging and overtaking.