Porsche Adds Targa Roof to All-Wheel Drive 911 Models

911 Targa Photos

Targa is the original quasi-convertible. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

Available in regular or S models, but you cant get it with rear-wheel drive. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

Targa roof is lighter, quicker and faster. Much like the rest of the car. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

Its not that the cargo space is any bigger; its that you can actually access it better. (Photo: Porsche Cars North America)

For the Love of Open Air

As far as Porsche is concerned, having wide, open blue skies above and fresh air flowing through the cabin shouldnt only be limited to those who own a convertible. Companies have tried especially hard in recent years to blend together the practicality of a hard-top car with the fun nature of a convertible; attempts range from cars with full-length panoramic sunroofs to retractable hardtops such as the Volkswagen EOS, Volvo C70 or the Mercedes-Benz SLK that features a retractable glass sunroof inside the convertible roof structure. But the initial innovator among imports was the Porsche Targa, which was introduced back in 1966 for the Targa Florio. Now its back for 2007.

The 911 Targa will be available with less selection than the standard 911 Coupe or Convertible in that it only comes with all-wheel drive, and the extra-wide rear track that measures 1.73 inches wider than the non-AWD car. It can, however, still be purchased with a choice of engine and transmission; the Targa 4 comes with the 325 horsepower 3.6-liter unit, while the Targa 4S gets the more powerful 355 horsepower 3.8-liter engine. Both can be mated to either a six-speed manual or five-speed Tiptronic automatic. Porsche has left the multi-clutch plate all-wheel drive system as seen in the Coupe and Convertible alone, which directs anywhere from 5 and 40-percent of the power to the front wheels depending on road conditions.

What makes the Targa different from the Convertible model is what made it different in the previous generation; its roof system. With the Targa, the roofs side rails, which link the A-pillar to the tail dont move; from the side profile, the Targa and Coupe models look identical up to the mid-point of the roof, where the Targa drops towards the rear in a straighter line mimicked by the rear quarter glass that is triangular compared to the coupes classic curved cutout. Theres also a thin strip of chrome that outlines the roofs curve on the Targa. In essence, the Targas roof can be thought of as a gigantic, full-length sunroof that is completely retractable. Porsche improved upon the Targa system by reducing the weight of the 4.85 sq-ft two-ply glass roof by 4.2 lbs, and has made operation of the roof even faster: from fully closed to fully open in only seven seconds, faster than any normal power-operated convertible roof.

Another interesting factoid about this particular type of 911 is that its the third Porsche vehicle in the current lineup to feature two trunks! The rear glass on the Targa is mounted on a pair of gas-charged struts, operated either by a button in the cabin or on the key fob, which allows access to the rear of the cabin. Technically speaking, its only a trunk when the rear two jump seats are folded forward, but they do provide an additional 8.1 cu-ft of cargo space and much improved access to the storage area.

The 911 Targa models will go on sale this November; the base Targa 4 starts at $85,700, while the more powerful Targa 4S begins at $95,900.