First things first: There is no practical reason to buy the 2021 Porsche 911 Targa over a 911 Cabriolet. The roof mechanism is slower to operate and more complex, and it only works when you are sitting still. The whole assembly is also heavier, and when the roof is open, the body is no stiffer than a top-down 911 Cabrio.
But you can not buy a 911 Cabrio. You just can not. It’s like putting Cheez-Whiz on a premiere, pairing a cashmere Tom Ford tux with a pair of flip flops, or decorating the front lawn of your castle with dozens of plastic flamingos. It is not done.
Porsche has taken steps to improve the profile of the 992 drip top, but it still looks frumpy and strangely proportionate, making the dust roof ruin the classic lines. And that’s just aesthetic. 911 Cabriolet drivers bought this brilliant car from the open top driver and turned it into an indulgent fashion statement.
But the 911 Targa is indulgent without being obvious. It offers performance relative to the Coupe and convenience relative to the Cabriolet, but the uniqueness inherent in the design makes it cool. It’s rare. It has heritage. It’s exclusive. If you’re set to die on an outdoor 911, the Targa is the only way you should go.
The roof is on fire
The 911 Targa may have a similar profile to the 911 Coupe, but the base body itself – or anything but the roof structure – comes from the Cabriolet. And that’s good. While the proportions of the convertible are a bit twisted, they are so because the dust roof cannot leave the shape of the 911 behind. The rest of the car is very curved, especially the stepped-up belt line that follows the rear rear before they are tied together above the rear grille.
But where the Carrera Cab drops the ball with its dust roof, the wraparound glass on the Targa retains the basic 911 shape and looks damn good by doing it. The rear window, the lack of C-pillars, and the high tail make the Targa the most attractive member of the 911 family, complete stop. And from the rear three-quarters, this could be one of the fist-bitingly beautiful cars.
But it does not hold a candle to the Cabriolet in terms of practice. The folding soft top of the Cabriolet goes up and down in just 12 seconds and works under 30 miles per hour. The roof of the Targa takes 19 seconds to operate and you have to stay stationary while the mechanical ballet is playing. And it’s quite the performance, with the entire rear window up and past the tail of the car. Fortunately, the rear parking sensors of the 911 prevent the top from working if you are too close to an obstacle.
As far as the actual open air experience is concerned, it’s hard to tell the difference from behind the wheel between the actual convertible and this. The Targa lets in just as much sunshine as an accurate convertible, though windscreen is less noticeable at higher speeds. The Targa seems to emit less engine noise than the convertible, although it’s worth noting that we’re driving a Euro-brand car with a sound-emitting petrol particulate filter and without the sports exhaust system. It is possible when we finally ride a US brand Targa, the sound will be more prominent.
Still A 911
As the heaviest non-Turbo 911, it is reasonable to expect some performance loss in the all-wheel-drive-only Targa, at least relative to the Coupe. At 3,658 pounds, it is more than 200 pounds heavier. But the overall performance is largely in line with the Cabriolet, which is only 44 pounds lighter than the Targa.
Like the Cabrio, the Targa is available in base and S variants with twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-sixes that pack 379 hp and 341 pound-feet as 443 hp and 390 lb-ft. The result is identical sprints from zero to 60 mph of 4.2 seconds for the base and 3.6 seconds for the 4S (subtract two tones of each number for cars with the Sport Chrono suit).
Our Targa 4 tester felt spritely, but unlike the Carrera 4 Coupe we tested a few weeks ago, a little more power would help.
Our Targa 4 tester felt spritely, but unlike the Carrera 4 Coupe we tested a few weeks ago, a little more power would help. The Targa is slower in a straight line due to its extra weight, but the engine remains a superstar with ultra-linear torque and a willingness. This is still a very comfortable car to wind down to redline.
That is partly down to the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic. Porsche will offer a seven-speed manual on the Targa 4S, but the base model is busy with the two-pedal rig. We would normally regret this fact, but Porsche’s dual-clutch transmissions are probably the best on the planet, and rapid changes of 100-millisecond ripen when set to maximum attack, while doing their job perfectly in regular cruises. Get the sand speed as you can, but also do not feel too bad about going over the car.
The handling character of the 911 Targa is also similar to the Cabriolet, which means that the Coupe is rougher and stiffer and the right choice for people who appreciate maintenance the most. The new roof adds weight for the start, but it also increases the center of gravity and shifts the weight balance back a bit – you probably won’t notice these things outside of a racetrack. What is clearer, however, is that lack of rigidity. The Coupe is the most resistant to rotating motions. Hold the roof up and the Targa comes second and the Convertible third. However, the peaks drop on the last two, and the levels of torsional stiffness are identical.
You can feel that difference along the way. The Targa feels sturdy enough – we have not encountered a bullet gate or other poorly convertible ways – but it is less envious of changing directions and feels more easily disturbed by bumps and imperfections. Push hard and it delivers a 911-worthy handling experience, however. There are high levels of lateral grip and a lot of feedback through the chassis. The steering is also fast and good weight. Truly, the Targa is a hoot to throw around, even if its immediate boundaries lag behind the Cup.
The cost? What costs?
Perhaps our favorite thing about the 911 Targa is that it costs no more than a Carrera 4 or 4S Cabriolet. That’s true, you’ll spend the same for a full fabric roof as for the more elaborate design. Prices on both cars start at $ 119,300 for the 4 and $ 135,200 for the 4S. Props to Porsche for not charging extra for the cooler body style.
The Targa costs the same as the convertible, is just as fast and probably a little rougher, is more stylish and probably has better convertible ways. And to top it off, this body style is much rarer. In the last generation, just 15 percent of all 911s presented this unique top mechanism – Porsche would not speculate on take rates for the 992 Targa, but we would bet a large chunk of change that is 15 percent likely. Yes, the Targa is heavier and its top is a little less handy. But when we talk about rarity and style in a sports car, a little overload is well worth it.
