► Porsche unveils the 992-generation Targa, in 4 and 4S guise
► Expensive but high standard spec
► Effortlessly handsome, oh so desirable
Porsche is turning back the hands of time with a 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design edition. Tipping its hat/roof to the ’50s and early ’60s, it uses the 1963 version of Porsche’s crest on its bonnet, wheels and key, and has a two-tone red/beige interior trim scheme. That includes corduroy trim for the seats and doortrims, echoing that of some classic Porsche 356 models.
‘We’ve brought corduroy back because we see it in fashion and furniture today and sometimes when you see it at old-timer car shows, you’re reminded that it can be cool,’ says head of interior design Ivo van Hulten. ‘We’ve also picked out the logos on the pillars in gold. For many years we wouldn’t have done that but again, in furniture and home interior design, we see copper and gold tones, and I think it’s a really modern touch.’
Other throwback details include a quality seal badge on the rear grille, based on a shield that used to be given to Porsche 356 owners when their car had passed 100,000km. There are four paint options, including the Cherry Metallic pictured here (‘a reinterpretation of a colour called Pascha Red on the 356 in the late ’50s,’ van Hulten says).
With the aim of becoming a collector’s item, only 992 Heritage editions will be made. Certain elements of its interior will be available as part of an option pack for all 911 models, however. In the UK, it’s priced from £136,643.
Three further Heritage Design limited editions will follow elsewhere in Porsche’s range.
Porsche 911 Targa: the CAR lowdown
Porsche has been turning out the 911 derivatives since launching the current, 992-gen car early in 2019. We’ve had the Carrera S and 4S, the non-S Carreras, the Cabriolet, the Turbo, and now the Targa.
With ferocious logic Porsche’s engineers, acknowledging that the previous, 991-generation Targa mechanism (folding roof section above the seats, timeless Targa bar, a neat nod to the ’65 original, and a wraparound rear screen) was a work of some genius, have left it all but unchanged, and simply grafted it artfully onto the 992 platform.
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How much?!
The 911 might be the best sports car of its generation but it is not cheap. And the Targa really isn’t cheap. You’ll need £98,170 for a Targa 4 and an eye-watering £109,725 for a Targa 4S. Stiff money, but of course all-wheel drive is standard (as before, you can’t buy a two-wheel-drive Targa), standard-fit PASM adaptive dampers, the very effective Wet mode and, of course, that elegant, balletic, folding roof mechanism.
Why not just build the Cabriolet and save themselves the bother?
Weirdly, though the Targa looks and feels more like a coupe, it’s actually around 20kg heavier than the Cabriolet, which in turn is some 50kg heavier than the coupe. But that won’t put off Targa buyers.
‘In the sales figures we see here there is a significant number of people who just go for this iconic shape and design of the car,’ explains Porsche sports car boss Frank-Steffen Walliser. ‘What’s more, these are really good customers who don’t look to save every penny. We see full-spec cars, and a higher share of the more powerful engines than when I compared to the Cabriolet or coupe. So, we have a powerful business case for the Targa.
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‘18% of 991 Carrera and Carrera S cars were Targas, a pretty big number, and a bigger number than was the case with the previous Targas,’ continues Walliser. ‘They were pretty much a big glass sunroof. The iconic Targa look, which the 991 brought in, was a breakthrough.
Powerful business case, powerful car
Out back you’ll find the 911’s standard-issue twin-turbo, 3.0-litre flat-six, hooked up to either the latest eight-speed PDK auto or Porsche’s seven-speed manual. The 380bhp Targa 4 is good for 0-62mph in 4.2sec and 180mph; the 4S 0-62mph in 3.6sec and 189mph.
As before, it’s four-wheel-drive only. ‘Four-wheel drive is a typical option for this type of customer,’ explains Walliser. ‘Maybe there is a small case for a two-wheel-drive Targa, but to be honest there is a constant pressure not to offer too many 911 variants.’
The new Targa is on sale now, and due with first (very, very lucky) customers in August – fingers crossed we get a proper summer.