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This is a cabrio supercar eclipse, the moment where two cars of different orbits overlap for a spectacular instant. The R8 Spyder has always traced a loftier financial loop than the 911 Carrera cabrio - the V10-powered R8 drop-top starts at £116,660, while you can get a box-fresh 911 convertible for £74,958 - but with the launch of this, ahem, budget-version R8 V8 and the top-of-the-line 911 GTS, two German giants have aligned neatly. True, there's long been the 911 Turbo to tempt soft-top buyers who simply wouldn't consider opening their chequebook for less than a six-figure sum, but for a proper, rear-wheel-drive 911 cabriolet, the £85,249 GTS is unchartered territory.

Words: Sam Philip

This article was originally published in the May 2011 issue of Top Gear magazine