Porsche 911 Targa Car Review

Facts At A Glance
Car: Porsche 911 Targa 4 range
Prices: £72,980-£80,270 - on the road
Insurance Group: 20
Emissions: 225g/km [est]
Performance: [Targa 4S] 0-60mph 4.4s / Max Speed 188mph [est]
Fuel Consumption: [Targa 4 PDK] (combined) 28mpg [est]
Safety: Twin airbags, ABS, PSM
Dimensions: Length/Width/Height, 4427/1808/1310mm [est]

TARGA GETS HOTTER

Our Rating: 8.1 / 10

The third bodystyle option for Porsche 911 buyers is the Targa. Steve Walker reports.

The Targa, with its retractable glass roof, is always likely to be the slowest seller of the three Porsche 911 bodystyles but that’s not to say there’s no place for it in the range. Available solely with the four-wheel-drive transmission system, it offers a desirable compromise between the Coupe and the Convertible.

Coupe or convertible, convertible or coupe; the Porsche 911 has long presented buyers with this interminable dilemma. The coupe represents this legendary sports car in its classic form: the convertible is the choice for the discerning poseur. So which do you choose? For some, the answer will be neither because Porsche, in its wisdom, offers a third way in the shape of the glass-roofed 911 Targa.

The 911 Targa made its debut at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show and Ferry Porsche branded it an "entirely new kind of car". He may have been a little over optimistic but the Targa was an entirely new kind of 911, one that history has seen carve out a small but significant niche for itself in the hierarchy of Porsche’s greatest model line. A glass-roofed Porsche will not be top of everyone’s shopping list but offered exclusively in all-wheel-drive form, it’s an unorthodox and interesting choice that holds definite appeal.

The Targa 4 and Targa 4S models have been moved closer in technological terms to the all-conquering 911 Turbo, a move which should boost their profile. Prior to the arrival of the latest 911, the Targa 4 derivatives featured an all-wheel-drive system that distributed its power via a viscose multi-plate clutch. Today’s models get the more advanced PTM Porsche Traction Management system that was developed for and previously only available on the 911 Turbo. The system, which has been modified for use in the Targa 4 models, uses an electronically controlled multi-plate clutch and features a mechanical limited-slip differential on the rear axle. It’s designed to feed optimum amounts of engine torque to each wheel in any situation enhancing traction and stability in the process. With the Targa 4 using a 3.6-litre 345bhp flat-six and Targa 4S powered by a 385bhp version of the same engine, there’s no shortage of power for the PTM to dole out.

The engine still sits way out at the back of the 911 and nowadays it’s a DFI unit featuring Porsche’s Direct Fuel Injection system. This utilises a sophisticated engine management computer and high pressure injectors to fire a fuel and air mixture directly into the combustion chamber. This mixture is constantly adjusted according to the demands being placed on the engine at the time. The results are said to include a more efficient combustion cycle, superior engine response and more power. The other major technological innovation on the latest 911 is the PDK gearbox. This is a conventional seven-speed manual transmission automated by a hydraulic control mechanism. It’s reassuringly high tech and operates with unerring speed.

The 911 Targa is quick and its roof doesn’t hang around either. Seven seconds is all it takes for the top section to slide completely underneath the top hinged tailgate section, creating a wide opening above the heads of the car’s occupants. The whole glass canopy is over 1.5 square meters and it lets a whole lot of light into the cabin. When in its open mode, it creates an aperture of 0.45 square meters and there’s an electronically-controlled sun blind that can be deployed to give shade whether the roof is open or closed. The glass in the Targa’s roof is heat reflective and also provides protection from UV radiation, even in bright sunshine. The roof gives the Targa a distinctive look, especially from the rear, and retains the rigidity that’s lost when the Coupe’s fixed roof is replaced by the convertible’s soft top.

Inside, the 911 Targa is as classy as its exterior lines would suggest. Expensively slush-moulded fascia materials made a welcome change to the hard plastics seen in the 996 and it’s possible to specify leather trim. The front seats are large comfortable items that still sit the driver low to the ground but there’s a choice of four different seat options depending on how racy you want to feel. The PCM Porsche Communication Manag