After all that discussion about Cayman vs Boxster in the other thread I got to thinking, is the 911 Targa the best of both worlds?
Anyone with real world experience?
You get the top down feel when you want but yet have a stiffer structure too.
Thoughts?

1. It’s heavier than the coupe
2. The engine is still in the wrong place

 

And the wind buffets around the cabin, its has nowhere to go so will give you a headache after a while.

 

The Targa is the ultimate grand touring 911. Weighs on average 600 lbs more than a 718 and only comes in all wheel drive. It's engineered to serve an entirely different purpose.

 

I was trying to compare a coupe to a convertible and thought the Targa is a nice happy medium. I never intended on comparing the drive of the 718 to a 911.

 

Earlier Targas had roof panels that you removed by hand. Now it is done at a touch of a button. I followed a recent Targa GTS on a PCA drive and watched him open the top. Quite a process and it isn't surprising that it weighs so much.

Probably is a good medium between coupe and cabrio. Or you could get a Cayman and a Boxster for the same price or less.

 

Well now that you put it that way…lol. But I would never have two of basically the same cars. I would try and find a different convertible, preferably hard top, to scratch that itch.

 

After all that discussion about Cayman vs Boxster in the other thread I got to thinking, is the 911 Targa the best of both worlds?
Anyone with real world experience?
You get the top down feel when you want but yet have a stiffer structure too.
Thoughts?

Think the Cabriolet and Targa use the same body structure so it's not any stiffer. Both are chopping the roof structure anyway

Also Porsche Media has some cool body structure slides

 

Which two worlds? The world that I can't afford one or the world that I don't have enough connections to get an allocation in this decade?
It's beautiful though.

Maybe Targa Lite: Mazda MX-5 RF.

 

Maybe Targa Lite: Mazda MX-5 RF.

Engine in the wrong place on that one, too.

 

My first 911 was a 1970 911T coupe, great car I drove everywhere - I ran that car hard and it got me hooked. Next was a 1972 911T Targa were the top could fold. Also enjoyed it since it reminded me of my 914 with the top off but it leaked a little and was not as secure. Next was 1987 Cabriolet so I covered my bases. I now have Cayman GTS 4.0 They are all great driving cars that have their pluses and minuses so I say try them all!

 

I've not been in a current Targa, but my father had a 1981 911SC Targa. It felt more like a car with a large sunroof rather than an actual cabriolet. I drove Fiat X-1/9s for a few years, similar experience. Early model RX-7s had a large lift off sunroof, and I'd say the the 911SC Targa was closer in feel to that than it was to a convertible. I had a Fiat 124 Spyder, and that had the classic open car feel, somewhat like riding in an open boat. Personally, I've mostly owned cars with sunroofs in them. Obviously, my incoming Cayman won't, and I'm OK with that. Most of my sunroof usage was going into work April through October, and evening driving, neither of which I do much any more.

Writing that makes me wish that there were more sports cars on the market, and that more people drove them. When did we all get to be so boring?

 

Never liked the Targa or the Spyders either. Coupe all the way.

 

Duplicate 😜

 

It looks cool but its the least sporty 911 in the range. If you want to just pose, get a Ferrari - you'll get far more attention.

 

It really depends on what you're looking for. Porsche is not great (in some cases downright awful) when it comes to bang for your buck, but the Targa might be the worst deal in that regard. If money is no object and the "neither here nor there" nature of the whole thing is right for you, go for it!

However, personally I've always seen the new Targas (since 997) as not particularly desirable. Many years ago, I owned a base 6-speed 997.1. A family friend bought a 997 at the same time - a Targa 4 with the TipTronic automatic transmission. Now, especially by modern standards, my old 997 was not exactly a rocket ship either (a modern 718S will absolutely take its lunch money) but that Targa was INCREDIBLY slow. Between the extra weight from the roof and AWD, the sluggish transmission was just the icing on the cake. Not what I would call a "sports car experience".

Now, with the 992 and on account of the fact that the new turbo-charged engines in the 911 put out a lot of power by Porsche standards, this is not AS MUCH of an issue as the car will at least get out of its own way. Should be pointed out in this regard though that a 718S is still markedly quicker than a Targa 4 and only slightly slower than a Targa 4S (which is pretty much twice as expensive). The roof shenanigans are cool from an engineering standpoint, but at this price point? Not for me, but not knocking anyone who's into it.

 

I think anyone spending close to a 1/4 million on a car doesn’t really care about bang for their buck. Lol. They’re on a different level financially and are buying what they want when they want.
Im not in the market for a 911. I will get one in the future, fingers crossed, in PDK so the wifey can drive it as well.
She doesn’t even want to try and learn to drive a manual. Lol.

 

After all that discussion about Cayman vs Boxster in the other thread I got to thinking, is the 911 Targa the best of both worlds?
Anyone with real world experience?
You get the top down feel when you want but yet have a stiffer structure too.
Thoughts?

As much as I love the Porsche brand, I'd take this over the 911 Targa. Yes, it's original MSRP was nearly $100k more, but if you paid that for one in 2020/2021, you could now sell it for enough of a profit to pay for a 911 Targa GTS and fill it with gas.

 

I dunno. I like the look of Targa-ish cars but yes, many disadvantages. Also, many other options as others have mentioned.
And, now that I've dipped my toes into the convertible world (never had one before), I ain't going back. Love 'em.

 

I dunno. I like the look of Targa-ish cars but yes, many disadvantages. Also, many other options as others have mentioned.
And, now that I've dipped my toes into the convertible world (never had one before), I ain't going back. Love 'em.

Didn’t really hear anyone state any disadvantages really apart from the fact that it’s heavier. Well obviously. It’s bigger. This thread was to never compare the drives of the two cars.

 

Its a tricky one.. I too need a convertible in my life and I have thought and asked many
questions about the Targa. One of my friends friend has just got a new one and has a few
problems with rattles, so my friend was against me ordering one, but his advise was to get
the coupe with the glass sun roof. I know already that a sunroof isn't going to give me the
open roof feel. So it will be either a Cabrio or Targa, I will need to test one for a weekend before i'm
sure.
My problem is that I would want a manual gearbox and looking at the 911 GTS Cabrio, yes you can have
a stick but its only a 3.0 litre engine. ( only lol 😀 )

For me to have the same 4.0 litre I have to go GT3 but they don't do a Cabrio.
Is the grass really greener on the other side?

 

My friend Will has a 12 month old, ex demonstrator 911 Targa and he came round this weekend to show it off/take me for a spin.
It has just about every option, including front end lift and rear wheel steer.
First impressions......in Python Green and a greenish cream leather interior it is striking.
It sounds good, even if it is s turbo.
I took him on some roads that show up ride/NVH issues and on which my 2016 build 718 performs amazingly well. Better than the 911.
He demonstrated its acceleration.. yes, well it goes, initially seems faster than the Boxster.
I was surprised by the amount of buffeting, roof panel removed.

Overall, an impressive GT car, not a sports car. The experienced convinced me that the Boxster is a "purer" sports roadster, with better ride, less wind buffett and more storage than the 911.
Would I change?
No,

Why? We have an AMG C43 for when we want a quick, AWD GT car. The 911 Targa is bigger, heavier and uses more fuel. It is, somehow, a bit more "look at me" than the Boxster S.
It is also almost 2X the price......

Fun experience: have others made a 718/911 Comparison?

 

My friend Will has a 12 month old, ex demonstrator 911 Targa and he came round this weekend to show it off/take me for a spin.
It has just about every option, including front end lift and rear wheel steer.
First impressions......in Python Green and a greenish cream leather interior it is striking.
It sounds good, even if it is s turbo.
I took him on some roads that show up ride/NVH issues and on which my 2016 build 718 performs amazingly well. Better than the 911.
He demonstrated its acceleration.. yes, well it goes, initially seems faster than the Boxster.
I was surprised by the amount of buffeting, roof panel removed.

Overall, an impressive GT car, not a sports car. The experienced convinced me that the Boxster is a "purer" sports roadster, with better ride, less wind buffett and more storage than the 911.
Would I change?
No,

Why? We have an AMG C43 for when we want a quick, AWD GT car. The 911 Targa is bigger, heavier and uses more fuel. It is, somehow, a bit more "look at me" than the Boxster S.
It is also almost 2X the price......

Fun experience: have others made a 718/911 Comparison?

Interesting timing, I got a call last week from my SA that moved to a new dealership. They have/had an immediately available build slot for a 2024 911 Targa GTS that the buyer backed out of. I knew I wasn't interested, but I went through a build exercise anyway: 911 Targa 4 GTS | Porsche Car Configurator. Essentially $200,000 WITHOUT including PTS Acid Green. (He didn't think PTS would be available on this particular build slot). He also indicated he could potentially get me a 911 Coupe GTS build slot that would include PTS and has LWBS as an option (the Targa does not). But they dropped the sport design exterior package for 2024 and my build for a GTS coupe in Acid Green still came in at $190k. The only good news on the pricing was that he could give me original MSRP on my 2022 CGTS on a trade in.

But, as you have assessed, the 718 is a more visceral sports car and the 911 - especially with the AWD/heavy Targa - is not. I'll be taking my wife for a weekend getaway in a couple of weeks, twice thankful that I will be behind the wheel of a great sports car on the back roads, and that my golf clubs will be behind me when we get there.

 

Ha! Maybe a 2024 Targa GTS at $200k MSRP is a bargain: 2023 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS Chantilly VA | Centreville Fairfax Vienna Virginia WP0BB2A91PS233783

But it's still not the right car for my priorities.

 

Jeez, I saw some used 992 GT3s lower than that price PTS or not

Used 2022 Porsche 911 For Sale at Porsche Grapevine | VIN: WP0AC2A90NS268417

Used 2022 Porsche 911 from Porsche Grapevine in Grapevine, TX, 76051. Call (833) 628-3564 for more information.

www.porschegrapevine.com

 

I wonder how many GT3 buyers are really capable of driving the car anywhere near it's limits. They are expensive and hard to get, which tends to lead to well-heeled and well-connected buyers, not necessarily people that can wring out the car. I am not a track junkie, so I am relying on anecdotal evidence. Any comments?

Chris Harris might be the only one lol

 

Enjoy Chris Harris....and his opinions.

That was a super video, but I'm glad I wasn't in the car....my body doesn't cope with that sort of sudden change of direction! The last time, at Mercedes World, Brooklands in a AMG C43 I had to get out to be sick......very embarrassing.

 

The sound of the GT3 in that Harris' video makes you want that car, no matter how good a driver you are or aren't.