First drive: New 911 Targa rebuts Porsche purists

SO-CALLED ‘purists’ who scoff at the idea of a 911 without a traditional coupe roof may need to sit down and listen up now. History is not on your side and nor is the latest Targa.

The creator of the original 911 – Ferdinand (Butzi) Porsche – always intended for the back window to open hatchback-style. But back in the early 1960s the technology wasn’t available.

Subsequently, the first 911 Targa of 1965 included a zip-out item, as well as a rollover hoop to provide better than convertible protection and strength, but the styling divided people and there were sealing, sound and security drawbacks.

Today’s Targa, however, is something quite unique.

Yes, you can dismiss the sliding roof module that reveals almost 1.5 square metres of exposed sky over the occupants as nothing more than an oversized (and rather expensive) sunroof.

And at 60kg over the weight of an equivalent Carrera 4 at the highest point of the car, both the 911’s mass and centre of gravity attributes are (slightly) compromised compared to the fabulously balanced 911 Coupe.

But these penalties are measured only in degrees, and for the overwhelming number of potential Targa buyers out there, the minor fuel consumption, performance and on-the-limit handling deficits are completely inconsequential when you can sashay up to your Porsche with a reasonably large load of shopping, crack open the hatch and throw your goods in without undue effort or care.

Plus, you could argue that loading the rear-seat area rather than the boot under the bonnet with a pair of weighty overnight bags reduces the amount of mass in the nose of the car, for whatever dynamic gain this may give.

It is a masterful feat of engineering, this Targa roof system, and one that should give owners a sense of pride and satisfaction.

For instance, as a sunroof, it slides open effortlessly, offers an effective light cover and ample UV-ray protection, and features a nifty and impressively acrobatic wind deflector to help banish buffeting. Beehive hairstyles have never had a better chance of survival in a fast open-top car.

The tailgate, meanwhile, springs open with ease, needs but a gentle prod to electronically latch shut, and evokes memories of the (also rear-engined) Hillman Imp in its practicality, if not proportions, performance and appeal.

Another Targa bonus is that there’s 25 litres more luggage space to play with, as well as a tad more headroom for taller occupants who are unlucky enough to be exiled to the back seat.

Over a rather demanding mountainous route covering a range of uneven and super-smooth road surfaces, we marvelled at the Targa’s lack of roof rattles and squeaks, barely discerned any sort of body flex or shake, and appreciated the brighter cabin ambience when it was swathed in glorious sunshine.

There are downsides too, including reduced rear vision when the sunroof is fully retracted, a rather flimsy looking roller screen (the edges don’t fully stop light streaming in), and the fact you cannot operate the sunroof remotely due to (US-led) legislation.

Apparently the fear of possible decapitation of heads poking out of the roof has prompted Porsche to deny us this useful feature.

A potentially deeper pitfall for Porsche is the fact that for the same price as this admittedly fancy sunroof you can have the full-phat 911 Cabriolet..., which is almost $40 big ones more than a base 997 Carrera Coupe with a sunroof, and more than $20K beyond a Carrera 4 Coupe.

And this doesn’t include a rear-window wiper as standard. Surely even the rich will find this a little rich! Yet the Targa feels tighter, tauter and more terrific as a driver’s device than the Convertible.

This car is virtually as mesmerising in its performance, cornering capabilities, body control, braking and all-weather grip as the Carrera 4 Coupe, leading us to conclude that it would take a back-to-back comparison by very skilled, hardcore drivers or owners of the latest 911 Coupe to pick the differences in the way the Targa dances on the road compared to the closed car.

The fact that Porsche doesn’t offer the Targa in the Carrera 2 body or in rear-wheel drive guise further underlines the comfort, security and refinement objectives that have been built into this car.

Don’t get us wrong though. Use the Sport Chrono Pack's dynamic settings (optional in the 3.6 but standard in all 4S models), and we defy Targa sceptics not to be impressed with the harder, more focussed performance and handling edge that ensues, accompanied by the glorious 911 mechanical symphony.

This is particularly astonishing in the dual-clutch PDK automated manual, which provides electrifying responses and just as many thrills as the (still more involving) six-speed manual gearbox.

So the latest Targa simply adds to the wonderfully sublime experience that is the latest 997 911. It makes a convincingly practical and useable addition to the range, providing another dimension to a series that continues to defy critics, newcomers and even mortality.

Purists should be embracing the Targa for the fact alone that it provides yet another avenue to enjoy the 911. After all, history deemed it to be so.

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