Can You Drive a Porsche Convertible on Rainy Days?

The other day, I received this question.

Is it okay to drive a Porsche convertible on rainy days? Are there any precautions I should take?

I’ve written before about caring for the Porsche convertible soft top, and today, building on that, I’d like to share what I’ve learned from my husband and our dealer representative.

To get straight to the point, you can definitely drive a Porsche convertible even on rainy days.

When my husband bought his Boxster, he was told by our dealer contact, Mr. H, that there’s no need to wash the soft top every time you wash the car; just rinsing it with water is enough.

Some other Porsche owners have been told that automatic car washes are safe for the soft top (although the manual does warn that some types of automatic washes could damage it). Overall, getting the top wet in the rain is no problem, and there’s no need to worry about it getting ruined.

Before our Boxster came home, I had a vague prejudice that foreign convertibles might leak on rainy days… but after driving through heavy rain several times, I’ve learned that they don’t leak and there’s no need to worry (sorry for the misunderstanding!).

Always Open and Close the Soft Top When It’s Dry

That said, there is one important point about handling the soft top on rainy days:

Always open and close the soft top when it’s dry.

If you open the top while it’s still wet or damp, the moisture and water droplets can cause rubbing damage, which will wear out the soft top. So it’s crucial to only operate the top when it’s dry.

This also applies after washing the car, and my husband always follows this rule.

As for his regular care routine, after driving the Boxster, he quickly brushes off dirt with a clothes brush, and if bird droppings land on it, he washes them off immediately (because once they harden, they’re hard to remove and can cause discoloration). About once a year, he also uses convertible top-specific care products to apply a protective top coat.

(Though unrelated to this article, I’ve also written about headlight fogging issues before.)

Considering a Soft Top Replacement

That said, my husband’s Boxster is approaching seven years since delivery, and after many tours and repeated opening and closing of the soft top, the top has started to show some fading and scuff marks (more noticeable on close inspection than from a distance).

While you might not notice this just by looking at his Boxster, the difference becomes clear when it’s parked next to a new Boxster.

Since he plans to keep this 981 Boxster GTS for life, he’s considering replacing the soft top around the 10-year mark.

So, in summary, it’s perfectly fine to drive a Porsche convertible on rainy days, but being mindful of when you open and close the soft top and doing some regular care will help keep it looking good for longer.

I’ll continue sharing various articles about maintaining and caring for our beloved cars.