In Los Angeles, the Strip of Sunset Boulevard is the once stomping terrain of low-slung guitar types from the city’s famous music scene. While that section of neon-lit asphalt is famous for being the playground of every lothario from Jim Morrison and Axel Rose to Vince Neil and David Lee Roth, the roads just west are playgrounds for another kind of pleasure-seeker: the dissolute joint.
It is here on this twisted asphalt – where serving palms are replacing nightmares – that we are testing the mettle of 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S, and we are not easy on it. The angles come fast and hard, and often wild off-camber. Fortunately, late at night, these roads are empty, allowing you to really stretch the legs of this open-air 911. And the feeling is … wonderful.
The 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S.
Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.
This is where Porsche’s alphabet soup of proprietary technology begins to work, with exact orchestration similar to that of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. The active anti-roll bars of the PDCC (Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control), rear-wheel drive (both are only available on the 4S) and active dampers give the Targa enough belt to attack corners with ferocity, without even a wiggle to shake. It’s amazing how planted, how completely unshakeable this 911 4S feels at speed. Eight-speed laser fire downshifts with dual-clutch PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe) – probably the best transmission on the planet – ensure you are always in the perfect rpm bandwidth. And should you ever get too froggy on that gas valve, which you almost likely will, the PCCB ceramic discs will quickly scrub.
The configuration of the roof of the Targa makes it the Goldilocks of outdoor games.
Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.
By all accounts, the 911 Targa 4S’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo boxer-six conducts, infusing this glorious Teutonic engine with rolling chords of power. The numbers do not grip in the time of the modern supercar, 443 hp and 390 ft lbs of torque compared to the Targa 4, which produces 379 hp and 331 ft lbs of torque. But on this platform, and with AWD wide track and sticky Pirelli P Zeros, it’s everything you’ll ever need. Explosive throttle (zero to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds) makes it possible to make cardiac fibrillating outputs from a peak, and lumbar warming bursts up when peak momentum hits at just 2,500 rpm.
Keeping you connected to machine are some of the best performance seats in the business. The 18-way adjustable Sport Seats Plus rides on that fine but nebulous line between supportive and memorable, not to bother you as you slalom through the hills of Bel Air as you cuddle like a mother.
The cozy interior of the 2021 Porsche 911 Targa 4S.
Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.
And that controversial Targa top. Is there a better solution in the automotive world for open air driving? The unsealed cabin connects you to reality. There is no “video game” effect here, as a sound-dead bar that separates you from the elements. With the soft top securely tucked in the trunk, the elements play with you: the wind blows-dries your cage; the sounds of physics and gasoline burning ring in your ears. You’re here right now, young locust. Be there.
Then there’s the convertible action: the way the soft top stacks in the rising back end is more Transformers then rolling top MG. The fact that our Targa 4S Bumblebee yellow only exaggerated the robotics of everything. Does not mean that the chronography-like movement of this 992 generation Targa is the same as that of the previous gene 991 Targa – that is unimportant. The famous Caliber 101 movement by Swiss watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre was invented in 1929 and the company has assembled its 95 components to this day. If it is not broken, do not fix it.
The car’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo boxer six is responsible for 443 hp and 390 ft lbs of torque.
Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.
Some aestheticians may argue that the Targa is totally unnecessary. There’s already the Carrera coupe for the average commuter, then several versions with higher performance from the Turbo to the GT3 for those with an eye on the track. Meanwhile, if you want to catch some rays as you ride to and from the country club, the convertible is there for you, roof wide open in welcome.
We may be the minority who claim that the Targa is not the redundant option – it is actually the ideal option. If you are not a track rat, then so be it. Because the 4S offers all the performance any non-racer could ever ask for, while the Targa roof is the flirtatious Goldilocks of outdoor games – it’s right.
The Targa 4S approaches zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds.
Photo: Courtesy of Porsche AG.
Raise your head and no matter where you look, all you will see is heaven. You do not have to go down the roof as much as in the Cabriolet. It is also one of the few “supercars” we have driven where you do not have to crawl every ramp on the parking plate at 2 km / h (or activate a hydraulic nose lift). This may seem like a small detail, but in LA, where you run out of drains for water drainage every time you cross Sawtelle, La Cienega or Crenshaw, this front is an opiate. The same can be said for the overall driving experience of the new Targa 4S in general.
