911 Carrera Targa Loses Top in Detroit, We Lose Our Minds
One look at the Porsche 911 Targa and you will be sold, if not for its sleek, roll-bar-accentuated profile, then for the way it turns itself into a topless beauty. There are plenty of videos below for you to see the targa-top mechanism in action. Watching it in operation is awe-inspiring, making you feel like the people who saw television for the first time back in the late 1940s.
My dad always used to tell me stories about how his family had the first television in the neighborhood, and how people would come from miles away to catch a glimpse of its glow. Pick up a Porsche 911 Targa after it goes on sale this summer, and you will probably get looky-loos from all over town flocking to see your 911 do its best Transformers impression.
Porsche is marketing the Targa as a 911 variant that can make the best of all seasons; therefore, the car will be sold only in all-wheel-drive versions. The Targa 4 will use the 350-horsepower, 3.4-liter flat-six. Porsche says naught to 60 will take 4.6 seconds when optioned with the Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) dual-clutch gearbox and Sport Chrono package. Top speed is said to be 174 mph, but 175 if you opt for the seven-speed manual transmission. The Targa 4S will be powered by the 400-horsepower, 3.8-liter flat-six, and can get to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds with the PDK and Sport Chrono package. Top speed is 182 mph with the PDK and 183 mph with the manual.
If the 911 Targa captivates you enough to write a check, the base Targa 4 will start at $101,600, while the 911 Targa 4S will start at $116,200.
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The 2014 Porsche 911 Targa
The world premiere of a modern classic
Atlanta. At the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Porsche is introducing two new models to the 911 range: the 911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S. These models are the first to combine the classic Targa concept with cutting edge, innovative roof technology. Just like the legendary original 911 Targa of 1965, the new models feature the distinctive Targa roof bar, a movable front roof section, and a wraparound rear window. But unlike the classic 911 Targa, the roof segment can be opened and closed at the push of a button. The fully automatic roof system stows the Targa top behind the rear seats.
Both 911 Targa models exclusively come in AWD version, featuring the wider rear track and body, and the same Porsche Traction Management (PTM), found in all 911 all-wheel-drive models. It is an active all-wheel-drive system that helps to ensure the optimal distribution of drive power for optimum traction in most road scenarios, whether on long straights, through tight corners, or on surfaces with different friction coefficients. The combination of the wide body, the Targa bar, and the wraparound rear window results in an extremely sporty and low-slung profile.
The 911 Targa 4 is powered by a horizontally opposed 3.4-liter 6-cylinder engine with 350 hp. Equipped with the optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Sport Chrono package, the 911 Targa 4 accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and is capable of a top track speed of 174 mph (175 mph with the manual transmission). The 911 Targa 4S delivers 400 hp from its 3.8-liter horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine, and accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds when equipped with optional PDK and Sport Chrono package. The 911 Targa 4S is capable of reaching a top track speed of 183 mph when equipped with a manual transmission and 182 mph with PDK.
The 911 Targa 4 will have an MSRP of $101,600 while the 911 Targa 4S model will have an MSRP of $116,200. Both cars also have a destination charge of $995. Deliveries of the 911 Targa in the U.S. are scheduled to begin this summer.
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