Greetings,

I currently own a boxster S and am thinking of upgrading to a 911. I love the idea of having a convertible for those warm days, but I also want something safe for those track days of which I do maybe 3 or 4 times a year. I don't have a lot of info on the safety of tracking cabriolet/targas so here are my questions:

1) Are coupes significantly safer than cabriolet/targas?
2) Is the targa safer than the cabriolet?(I believe the targa is built off of the cabriolet body isn't it?)

Thanks for your time,

Greg

 

The center of gravity is lower on the Cabrio than the Targa, so it would be more stable in the turns. The Carrera Coupe is more rigid overall and would the the safest. Beyond that, get the car you want to drive 'off the track' the most. If you are using your track experience to guide the purchase of the car, I think you are coming at it wrong and should then just buy a GT variant.

 

I've been tracking the Targa and handles fine. As well as a coupe? No, for the reason stated above (center of gravity). I have to think the Targa is safer than a Cab at the track (in terms of roll protection) because of the steel pillars, but I think the differences overall are minor and agree with Minok's sentiment. Still, some things to keep in mind:

The Targa has the same chassis as the coupe -- see the NatGeo Mega Factories where they slide on the Targa top near to the end of production on an otherwise coupe chassis. It does lose some rigidity (I think it's about 20%) from the different roof though.

The Targa is AWD. That makes it more stable than the 2WD Carreras, on and off the track.

Not all tracks/clubs accept Cabs without additional roll protection. Something to explore in your region if you intend to track a cab.

 

Thanks for the replies. If I were to purchase a removable hardtop for a cabriolet, in your experience, would this be safer? Would this satisfy the additional protection issue for track clubs?

 

Your PCA region, Chesapeake, is holding their autocross down the road from you at BWI (remote parking lot) on May 14th. That could be a good time for you seek some inputs on this subject and see 1st hand the handling of the various 911 models. Not sure you see any 997 Targas, but who knows.

 

The hard top would suffice for most if not all DE track events.

 

Do you drive you car to the point where you think you might have a roll over? If so buy a race car with a full cage, if not buy what you want for everyday use.

 

Um, no.

 

I appreciate the rawness, sportiness, weight savings, etc. of the 2WD models but I honestly think the stability advantage of 4WD is a fact not opinion so i'm interested in why you don't think so (even though i suppose this is a bit off topic for the post). To state the obvious, 4WD gives you 2 more wheels creating traction.

I don't think it's a coincidence that the turbos are 4WD only and the GT2 is nicknamed the WidowMaker

 

Yes, that's why all of the GT cars, RSR, Cup cars, and frankly every race car is AWD....... Oops, wait, they're not.

AWD cars are great if you live in the snow 6 months out of the year. Beyond that they only add weight. Call it what it is, rationalizing a purchase of a vehicle with AWD; it is not superior in a performance realm.

 

I must admit. The way they hug the road is amazing. Not too mention the great rear end !

 

Racears are 2WD because those are the rules. I don't see the existence of those rules (which is the genesis of the GT2) as evidence that 2WD is quicker or more stable, though sure, in a certain kind of race (like most F1), lightweight is king. Most races also limit engine sizes and some electronic aids but I don't think you would say that is to keep the cars fast, would you? There's a reason outfielders don't have 30" baseball mits and tennis players wider racquets and it's not because those wouldn't be better suited to their purpose.

For the record, Porsche quotes the 4WD Turbo S at a not insignificant 0.3 seconds faster in 0-60 than the GT2, despite being heavier and down 90 horses. Equal 0-60 for C2S and C4S. Here's an interesting quote from a past thread from Hurley Haywood:

"(Carrera 4) maintains it's performance over a longer period of time. On a race track, the Carrera 2 would be faster for one or two laps. But over a five lap period, the Carrera 4 would be quicker because it manages it's tires better and allows you to lay down power through all four wheels."

My comment wasn't about speed anyway, it was about stability -- there's an important difference, especially for guys like me who go to the track for fun and not to break any speed records.

 

Frankly I can't wait to take my Targa out to the track this year!

 

Considering neither the Targa nor a Cab are ideal for track usage, they're still Porsche's and completely capable for "fun" as you say.

However the point of going to the track is speed. Weight is everything.

I suggest you post something on the GT forum of 6S should you have further doubts about my position and see how long before your theory gets whittled down to ...for track purposes their are better cars than AWD, Targas, and cabs...

Despite my snob'sh-sounding remarks, I think it's awesome that you actually drive your car likes its beautifully crafted to do. But when it comes to actual performance there are better candidates.

 

it's all good. i don't think it's snobbish and i really do appreciate the raw, more razor's edge 2's for what they are. i also agree that the targa is definitely not the ideal track candidate by any stretch. i just like it's public road feel too much to give it up for more of a track animal.

but really... if "weight is everything" as you say, we should each buy an elise or exige and call it a day... or trade our 997's in for 930's.