Porsche 911 Targa 4S: First Look

By Motoring Channel Staff - 18/July/2006

Stuttgart, Germany — Porsche has taken its sweet time releasing the full Type 997 range of 911 sports cars, which began in earnest in July of 2004 with the 911 Carrera, and is still going today with the launch of one of the more stylish poseur models, the 911 Targa.

A targa topped car is a half-way house between a full metal roof and a convertible. Detractors call the targa topped style of car a waste of time, fitted with "an oversized sunroof", but check out the photos - it's a bit more than simply a super-sized sunroof.

There could be a sliver of truth to the claims that targa roofs are dead, as the advent of metal folding roofs, seen in vehicles such as the Peugeot 206 CC and Holden/Opel Tigra Twintop, are seen by many as rendering the targa style of roof obsolete. For a prestige marque like Porsche however, it's part of a tradition that isn't expected to die off just yet, as the company has always stubbornly stuck true to its roots, which is seen most clearly in the overall design of the new 997 Porsche 911 range.

Apropos, Porsche has taken the wraps off its new targa models, designated the 911 Targa 4 and the 911 Targa 4S - the latter of which is the more powerful sports model, featuring a larger engine a few extra features that will allow owners to look their noses at drivers of the 911 Targa 4. It's for buyers who want the thrill of (almost) open air driving but the stiffness that roof rails bring, which supplies the car with more stable handling than the convertible models.

As Porsche revealed during the unveiling of the new car, which is set to hit European car showrooms in November (and coming to Australia in Q1 2007), the new Type 997 Targa models will be available exclusively with permanent all-wheel drive, and due to this specification, it was necessary to increase by 44 millimeters the car's width at the rear. This accommodates the AWD system, but also gives the car a much meatier rear end, adding to its street credibility.

Just like their precursors, the Type 996 models, the large glass roof and folding rear window are the most striking features of both of these high powered sports cars, which can reach speeds of more than 280km/h thanks to their powerful engines and cleverly optimised aerodynamic forms.

As Porsche explains, the most distinguishing feature of the Targa 4 is a large glass roof that blends in seamlessly with the sports car's lines, matched by a side-mounted polished, anodized aluminium trim strip running the length of the roof frame, a styling cue that helps emphasize the car's smooth silhouette. The glass roof is not just a visually appealing highlight says Porsche, but also ensures a light, airy interior.

It can be opened in 7.0 seconds to as much as half a meter, no matter what the speed, by means of two electric motors. The maximum roof opening area is then 0.45 square meters, and the roof unit is comprised of two-ply specially tinted glass, which is 1.9 kilograms lighter than its predecessor. Porsche has gone to great pain to ensure would-be buyers that wind noises are kept to a low level, even at high speed, by a newly developed sealing system, while a wind deflector minimises turbulence inside the vehicle, allowing the roof to be opened even at lower temperatures.

Other features of the tradtional targa roof system still in use by Porsche include the semi translucent black cloth roller sunblind, which offers protection from excessive solar radiation, and both the glass roof and roller blind are activated by a switch on the central console next to the handbrake lever. Because the roof is made of glass, the rear windshield tilts upward thanks to a gas strut system that's operated by a remote control (a button on the key fob). With this feature, loading the relatively small boot (230 litres with the rear seats folded away) is simplified.

Being Porsches, the new 911 Targa models have of course had lots of attention paid to their engines, both of which consist of the familiar flat 6-cylinder layout, often called boxer or horizontally opposed engine types. The €79,000 Porsche 911 Targa 4 is powered by a 3.6-litre flat 6-cylinder engine that features 4-valves per cylinder and Porsche’s VarioCam Plus valve control system, giving it 239kW (325bhp) of power and 370Nm of torque @ 4250rpm. These two statistics, combined with a low kerb weight and the AWD nature of the car, enable the 911 Targa 4 to sprint from zero to 100km/h in 5.3 seconds.

The more expensive €87,900 Porsche 911 Targa 4S is powered by a larger 3.8-litre flat 6-cylinder engine that generates 261kW (355bhp) of power, 22kW more than its sibling. It's also faster to 100km/h than the 3.6-litre model, shedding 0.4 seconds and completing the zero to 100km/h sprint in 4.9 seconds, which is probably due more to the extra 30Nm of torque that hits higher in the rev range - 400Nm @ 4600rpm - than the extra peak power. Top speeds for the curvy Porsche's are remarkably high for their power output, as the 911 Targa 4 tops out at 280km/h and the 911 Targa 4S can do another eight kays, doing 288km/h at full tilt.

Similar to the coupe and cabrio versions of the all-wheel drive 911 Carrera models, the engines' power is fed to both the front and rear axles via a 'Visco' multi-plate clutch, and Porsche says that, depending on driving conditions, the advanced 4WD system can apportion between five and 40 percent of the torque to the front axle at all times, giving drivers more confidence to open up the throttle through bends, and giving the car more traction when its raining or on greasy roads. The engine's power is transferred through the standard issue 6-speed manual gearbox, with short, precise shift strokes according to Porsche. Of course, for lazy drivers there's also the option of installing the 5-speed Tiptronic S automatic transmission, which can be left in drive mode for auto shifting or can be used in tiptronic mode, where drivers can change ratios via finger pads mounted on the steering-wheel spokes.