The very first Porsche 911 Targa was born nearly six decades ago and today the variant continues to occupy a small niche within the iconic nameplate's line-up. Should more buyers consider this slightly quirky cabrio/coupe offering? We take a classic 3.2 Targa and the modern-day 992 Targa for a coastal drive outside of beautiful Cape Town.
Words: Wilhelm Lutjeharms
Images: Peet Mocke
Porsche’s 911 Targa is one of the rarer models in the range that enthusiasts either like or dislike. That can’t really be said of the other models. Surely a Carrera S or GT3 is not as polarizing? However, at the same time it can be argued that a Targa can possibly represent the best between what a standard Carrera coupé and a standard Carrera convertible offers. The best of both worlds?
In terms of the roof, the Targa slots represents a half-way point between being a Coupe and a Convertible. You can still enjoy fresh-air motoring, but at the same it is less "windy" than in a full convertible.
Porsche’s Targa history has been well documented. We’ve seen 911 Targas since the earliest of times with its soft rear window. That transformed to what can be viewed as a large sunroof in the 993-, 996- and 997-generation 911s. With the arrival of the 991 and now the current 992, the beautiful U-shaped metal bar returned with the fixed rear window and a fully automatic system.
The classic
The owner of this Targa has had just over ten classic, air-cooled 911s through his garage over the course of more than a decade. He currently owns three, of which this Targa is one, which he also uses several times a week. It is a true daily driver.
Setting the alarm clock for just after 06:00 AM, we all meet up just over an hour later next to the road outside Gordon’s Bay, around 45 km east of Cape Town. This coastal road is known as one of the most scenic routes in South Africa with a perfect ribbon of tarmac – a great place to enjoy these cars.
Fitted with the rear whale-tale, this red Targa looks much more purposeful than those units without it. If you prefer the more simplistic lines of the 911, you will undoubtedly rather select one without the large wing.
We decide to start the photography a little later and first enjoy the crisp morning air, the lightly traffic and the scenery. Clarence Drive is a single lane, flowing road that hugs the coastline. However, with a rock face on the one side and a low, man-built rock wall on the other, you must keep your enthusiasm at bay behind the wheel of a car. We decide to keep the removable top on for now, which allows decent conversation in the cabin although there is evidently some wind noise.
Even with more than 172 000 km on the odo, this 915-gearbox still feels good. As long as you don’t rush the gearbox (why would you anyway?) the gears slip with relative ease between the five speeds, while some gears are closer to one another in the horizontal shift action than others.
You can cruise at low engine speeds of 2 000 to 3 000 rpm, and with light throttle inputs there is sufficient torque to accelerate in a spirited manner. The Targa feels compact and, as expected, low to the ground, just like a proper sports car should. I drop a couple of gears and press the throttle pedal a little harder, the revs quickly climb and with a strong manner the rev needle swings past 5 000 and 6 000 rpm. It is during these bursts of acceleration and also during braking that I’m reminded that the 3.2 Targa only tips the scales at a claimed 1 210 kg.
After a while I start to feel more confident behind the wheel and enjoy every moment that the free-revving engine sends the needle around the clock. When you start to push on, you do realize there is some scuttle shake, but that's also to be expected. I almost want to say you are more aware of it, as in the cabriolet the parts that indicate scuttle shake are further behind you and also stowed away. However, in the Targa you have the bar and sculpted rear window right behind you.
There are a number of ways the Targa makes up for it though. Lift the targa top and then fold it up. You can either store it behind the seats, while it can also be placed in the luggage compartment in the front – where it is safer and movement is also more limited, depending on what else you have in this compartment.
With the roof down and picking up speed past 100 km/h, the wind buffeting is very limited. There is some wind noise of course, but just enough fresh air is blowing through the cabin, while the owner and I can still keep our conversation going. Approach high speeds and it starts to become more difficult.
In a straight line, but especially as when the road twist and turns, the steering wheel is communicative and you can sense precisely what the front axle is up to. Fitted with the small (215/60 R15 in front and 195/65 R15 at the rear on this car) wheels and tire combination, the Targa also rides very well. Turn in is as good as you would expect, while there is limited body roll, similar to any other 911 of the era.
The owner shares some thoughts about 911s and his Targa. “I’ve owned, bought and sold, just over ten 911s over the years and I’ve kept a few. This particular Targa I’ve had for the past 9 years. Ideally, I would have liked to have a coupe, a Targa and a cabriolet, but I sadly sold a very neat G50 Cabriolet a few years ago. I found the Targa to have a little more headroom than a coupe, although this matters little to me. My love for Porsche stems from my first car, which was an oval window 1.1-litre, air-cooled Volkswagen Beetle. I was the second owner of that car.”
The narrow body and small footprint elevates the experience behind the wheel even further. The upright front lights indicates where the corners are, while the rear axle is not much further behind you. The sloping of the front lid also means there is no obstruction to your view out in front of you. The fact that the steering wheel is not adjustable has never really bothered me. The distance between the ‘wheel and the gearlever is spot on, so all you have to do is move your seat forward or back. The pedals are off-set to the left, but that seems to only bother the moment you get in. Once you’ve adjusted your legs, I found the seating position perfect.
The modern alternative
Step into the 992 and it is evident you’ve made a near four-decade jump in terms of technology. While the 3.2 looks compact and focused (mainly because of the wing), the 992 is notably larger, but is smooth in its elegant design, partially also owing to the Carrera Exclusive Design wheels painted in the exterior colour (Aventurine Green Metallic) of the car, an optional extra.
This modern, suave design continues in the cabin. Any 992 customer will feel at home. What I especially appreciate with the specification of this model, is the relative lack of driver and driving options. No exhaust button and no rotary dial on the steering wheel. There is a sport button and a damper button – that is it. This is after all a Targa 4, which means it does offer all-wheel drive.
Another visual highlight in the cabin is the wood panel that runs across from the passenger side, just below the dashboard, to the right-hand side of the cabin. Another two, minor options, are the Porsche crest on the headrests and the truffle brown seatbelts. Needless to say, it is a classy cabin.
As expected, you sit satisfyingly low in the car, while the range of adjustment on the seat and steering column makes it a cinch to personalise your driving position.
Start the engine and there’s still that typically raw, flat-six sound together with an all-too-obvious blowing noise from the turbo. Pay close attention and you can hear how the latter’s whistle changes depending on the throttle input.
I head out and quicky the PDK gearbox selects the highest gear as we cruise along for some final pictures. Squeeze the throttle and it is the level of torque that impresses first, allowing the car to linearly pick up speed without any fanfare. Peak torque (450 Nm) is after all developed from an impressively low 1 950 rpm. This scenario can immediately be changed by simply pulling the left steering-wheel mounted paddle.
The gearbox reacts immediately, and within what feels like a second I’ve gone down three or four gears. Press the throttle and the engine reacts with a combination of power and torque, having you wonder for a moment if this Targa 4 is really any heavier than a standard Carrera. Even though the road is slightly wet, there is no wheel spin, possibly helped by the all-wheel-drive system, but at the same time even Porsche’s rear-wheel-drive models offers an immense level of grip and the all-wheel-drive system just takes it up a notch.
It’s a unique experience as the rear of the car squats and propels you out of those corners. At times (most times) it doesn’t feel like a 1 730 kg car and you can trust the grip and performance.
Even though the peak power of 283 kW is developed at 6 500 rpm, you can let the rev needle (analogue thankfully!) run all the way to the 7 500 rpm redline, urging you to make full use of the what the lovely 3.0-litre has to offer. The corners suddenly come fast and continuously. The brakes are strong with good feedback through the pedal, while the additional ratio in the transmission has little effect on the car’s outright capability, only keeping revs low when you relax on the open road, but now the gears come in quick succession. The steering ratio is fast and steering feel, in terms of feedback, is less compared to the classic, as you would expect, but nonetheless satisfying.
I’ve known the owner of the 992 Targa for a good few years and know he has never bought a new 911, although he owns and has owned a number of air-cooled and modern classic 911s, one of them a very neat SC since 1997. “I like Targas, but the first time I saw this 992 Targa it simply talked to me. The design is just perfect, even when the roof is down. I don’t like a convertible and in the Targa you feel a bit more ensconced as well. It is like having a large sunroof. Recently after acquiring the car earlier this year, I attended one of the best driving events in South Africa, The Cape 1000. It is beautiful multi-day, 1 600 km drive along the Western Cape’s best and prettiest mountain passes. It was the perfect car for the event.” Without stating the obvious, it is clear that this car will be used regularly for the foreseeable future.
The 8th-generation of the 911 Targa takes Porsche’s iconic sportscar to the next level in terms of offering performance in conjunction with an al fresco experience. It still drives like a modern 911 (and thus feels charmingly familiar) but offers the latest technology in a package that’s hard to beat, particularly if you consider the performance on offer at this price point.
This car instils immense confidence in its driver. As with the coupe versions, the Targa is a recipe which Porsche has perfected since the first Targa’s introduction in September 1965. This latest model ticks so many boxes, but at the same time I can understand why many enthusiasts will walk directly with the key in hand to the G-body Targa. It is more basic, more involving to drive, much slower but at times also more fun. It will also need more maintenance to keep on the road, but for some of us, that is part of the experience.
In both cases you get a driving experience that is very close to that of the coupe, but offers nearly everything that the convertible will too – it does represent a very likeable middle ground. It is hard to fault the Targa!
Specifications:
Model: 992.1 Porsche 911 Targa
Engine: 3.0-litre, flat-six, turbopetrol
Power: 283 kW at 6 500 rpm
Torque: 450 N.m at 1 950 – 5 000 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic (PDK)
Weight: 1 730 kg
0-100 km/h: 4.4 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: 289 km/h
Model: Porsche 3.2 Targa (G-Series)
Engine: 3.2-litre, flat-six, petrol
Power: 152 kW at 5 900 rpm
Torque: 264 N.m at 4 800 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Weight: 1 210 kg
0-97 km/h: 6.3 seconds (claimed)
Top Speed: ± 240 km/h