Porsche have brought the third variant of the 992-series 911 and this one is the Targa. A unique and elegant shape that started in 1965, it stands out the most among the previous cabriolet and coupé versions.
The Targa is one of the rarest Porsche 911 bodies.
It’s easy to point out with a bold silver Targa bar that substitutes the B-pillars on this Porsche 911. Right behind it is a glass screen that folds open to equip automatic roof which only takes 19 seconds. As an option, you can get the Targa bar in black. According to Dr Frank-Steffen Walliser, Vice-president Model line 911/718, there was even more improvements with this model’s aerodynamics. This is especially with the roof down making the ride just that much smoother.
This 992-generation of the Targa has more pronounced wheel housings around different sized wheels. On the Targa 4, the front wheels are 19-inches and back wheels are 20-inches. On the next model up, the 4S, wheels are 20-inches and 21-inches respectively.
A true Porsche 911 interior made better in this Targa.
Inspired by the older 911s, this Porsche has a stunning interior. With solid lines and strong colour, smooth shapes and integrated features, just looking at the car from the outside is fun. Both 4 and 4s Targas come with an 11-inch infotainment screen with the same system we have seen on previous two Porsche 911 models. In the driver’s display, there are two digital screens surrounding a traditional tachometer. I usually prefer a single digital screen, but Porsche managed to even convince me on this design. Satnav and Connect Plus come as standard but we have not heard anything about Android Auto or Apple CarPlay yet.
What can this new Porsche do?
Both the 4 and 4s versions of the Porsche 911 Targa come with the same 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-6 engine but with different outputs. The Targa 4 produces 283 kW and 450 Nm and when paired with the Sport Chrono pack, can get from 0 to 100 kph in only 4 seconds. The Targa 4S gives 331 kW and 530 Nm. With the Sports Chrono pack, it goes from 0 to 100 kph in just 3.4 seconds.
While both the Targa 4 and 4S come with an 8-speed dual-clutch (PDK) automatic transmission, the 4S also comes with the option of a 7-speed manual. All options drive through an intelligent all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Management (PTM). Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) system and Porsche Torque Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus) both come standard on both Porsche 911 Targa 4 and 4S.
A new standard with this 911 Targa is Porsche Wet Mode which uses sensors to detect water on the road. If the system picks up that the roads are too wet, it activates the stability control system to suit wet road conditions.
Porsche InnoDrive is an option for the automatic PDK-equipped Targas. It gives the car adaptive cruise control and it can predict the road ahead of you for up to 3 km away. Why does it do that? To activate the Smartlift function that raises the nose of the car for bumps, hills and that one speed bump in the neighbourhood.
We can’t wait to see it on the road.
The Targa is a stunning looking car in the 922-generation of the Porsche 911 series. It’s said to be released late 2020 for North America and we can expect a date close to that for South Africa. I wouldn’t expect it to take longer than early 2021.