The original 911 Targa was a product of ththe 1960s. Convertibles went out of style in the advent of air conditioning and heavy duty crash standards, so Porsche threw a hoop over the closet and came up with a cool new model. Today you can buy a 2021 911 Targa as an alternative to a full drop of traditional hardtop. I’m just not sure you want that.
(Full revelation: Porsche lent me a few hours in a 2021 Targa 4S and called me to a teleconference with some engineers to hear some wisdom about its construction.)
(Testing Conditions: A few hours in heavy traffic in Los Angeles and some glorious moments of cruising on the Pacific Coast Highway.)
At this point, you should know that every version of the Porsche 911 is objectively good. I mean, I’m not obsessed with P-cars, but there’s a reason this model is a gold standard in performance GTs. You will never catch me thinking after a 911 run, with keys in hand, “this is going to be bad.”
I would also say that even though I drove a yellow sports car, it was not exactly an over-the-top or flamboyant machine. This 911 Targa was competent and capable, and my experience changed not only from the yellow paint job. But we are not here to talk about performance. Today’s review is specific to the roof experience of 911 Targa. (That is the extent of the value proposition of the model. It’s in the name and everything!) The roof had, sure, its moment, and it also had a big flaw. Just not what the internet would expect.
Effects on Vehicle Dynamics
The first thing nerds always want to talk about is, “Was there a sacrifice in rigidity when the roof was removed?” Thomas Krickelberg, whose position at Porsche is director, Model Line 911, was prepared last week for this question on a party line with a bunch of test pilots. Effective, no. The main difference between the coupe (hardtop), cabriolet (cabriolet) and Targa (removable roof center section), “lies in the thickness in sheet metal in the rocker areas.”
This means that the Targas are reinforced along the bottom to compensate for any losses of stiffness inherent in loosening the car’s roof. From a point of view of what I could feel on the road, yes, no, it certainly did not make the 911 into a wet noodle. I could not detect a lack of stiffness in both peaceful and aggressive city rides.
More importantly, you can only specify a Targa with all-wheel drive. That’s probably the most important way a Targa will change the 911’s driving experience, though somewhat indirectly.. Whatever the reason, Krickelberg said in principle that the Targa tended to be bought by people with a keen interest in safety and all-wheel drive appeal to them. I think Porsche just does not think that enough people through a Targa with two wheels will justify the cost of creating these.
Stand still
There was one moment of true brilliance that I shared with my Targa borrowed car and I dare say … It was beautiful. After getting up to a stoplight in Manhattan Beach, I pressed the button on the lower roof. The car Transformers-ed itself from a sleek, shiny sports car to a sleek, shiny sports car with a guy’s head in it (mine) and as soon as I got the roof opening complete warning from the dashboard the light turned green and I slide away.
I will not lie, I felt like a boss there for a hot second. Actually more than 19 seconds, because that’s how long it takes for the Targa’s roof to fall. And not just that fall that’s why it’s so fair cool. The rear window opens to the rear, a shed of small metal pieces rumbles round as Edward Scissorhands does a haircut, and all this drama just to remove a small piece of dust that protects the pilot of the car from the sun.
It’s kind of like a drum roll, and then, tish, you appear! Behind the wheel of a 911! How nice.
This trick is the whole reason to buy a Targa, and if that’s enough for you, I’ll get it. It’s lovely. I also like the fact that the car has a dedicated button for “roof up” and another for “roof down”, so you never have to ask if it gets confused when you stop pressing the mid-process .
In motion
With the roof closed, it’s cool and quiet in the interior of 2021 911 Targa just like any other 911. With it open, the wind is gentle and sweet at and below about 45 mph. Beautiful back roads, picturesque coastal roads and around the city at a gallop is beautiful. That’s the kind of driving I’m thinking a Mercedes SL is optimized for, that’s where I got the headline here.
But once you go hard, the wind is annoying and uncomfortable. It does not really matter if you have the windows up or down, but 70-plus km / h creates more ambient noise than I wanted to handle. And that comes from someone who sometimes rides in an International Scout with no roof at all. Admittedly, I calibrate my standards every time I change keys. But still.
I’m not sure what exactly happens aerodynamically, but I felt like the noise intensity in the 911 Targa with the top down on the speed was more aggressive relative to its closed mode than other targa and t-roof cars where I have been .. Maybe I’m too sensitive, and will drop some decibel readings in the comments and exclaim that I’m an idiot and the 911 Targa is the next targa ever.
However, I do not know what to tell you yet – I love wind, but I did not like that this Targa drove out of the roof quickly. And that being the case, I feel like I would much rather pack a coupe if I wanted the sleek look or a convertible if my priorities were wind and sun. However, I already know a lot of people I follow on Twitter who furiously disagree with me, so I think it’s cool that the Targa is an option for people who want one.
Just make sure you enter the test properly to make sure you are before you drop six figures on one.
911 Targa 4S Specification Rundown
Porsche sent out a punch list with specs for the 2021 Targa 4S, so I’ll share it with you here in case you’re interested:
- Design / function of Targa roof has Targa beam, retractable roof part and inverted rear window reminiscent of the original from 1965
- Powertrains and chassis setup generally shared with the 911 Carrera 4 and 911 Carrera 4S
- The closest relative in the 911 model lineup are the Carrera 4 Cabriolet and Carrera 4S Cabriolet
- 3.0-liter two-turbo six-cylinder Boxer engine required 443 hp (+23 hp) and 390 lb-ft (+22 lb-ft) torque (net-S gets 379 hp / 331 lb-ft)
- 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds with PDK, and use Launch Control (-0.4 seconds compared to 991.2 Targa 4S)
- Eight-speed PDK (new as of 992)
- Front track is 2 inches wider (vs. 991.2 911 Targa 4) (new as of 992)
- Striped wheel diameters (new as of 992)
- New generation PASM dampers (enables firmer and softer settings, significantly faster adjustment and better damping against fast, sharp stimuli ex: cobblestones) (new from 992)
- Soft top panel constructed with two integrated flat magnesium pieces to ensure that top is tight and provides sound and thermal insulation (same as 991)
- Roof mechanism opens in 19 seconds from start to finish
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