i agree with what u said.
i once read an interview with Walter de Silva (Designboss of VW, former Audi and Alfa design chief).
he said, that people think that itīs much more difficult to create a new model than doing an evolution,
a new generation of an existing one.
itīs the opposite. when u create a new model, u have so much freedom and room for creativity,
to experiment, to risk etc etc. itīs much more difficult to create an evolution that looks better
and fresh but still has the DNA of the predecessor. everything is limited cause there is a generation before
and there are loyal customers which u cannot risk to lose.
so there is only a thin line between doing it awfully wrong or exactly rite.

thatīs what i admire about the 911 design. some (outside the 911 community) may say it is the same looking
car since 19.....whatever, but the truth is, it`s tough to create a new, fresh and interesting evolution now and then
with so little room to maneuver.
those who say 911 designers are lazy sadly don`t understand and appreciate what a difficult but fantastic job the 911
designers have done for decades.

 

Massive golf bag fits perfectly!

 

did Butzi design the Targa arrangement as well, back in the old days ? Anyways, I like the sliding glass roof better, just my 0.02.

 

What would be the point? Werent the original Targa's a first gen sunroof? No natural light with that on. Looks cool, but impractical and a lt less convenient than a coupe with a sunroof.

There is nothing like driving in a 997 Targa in the rain...

 

I hope Porsche builds both versions of the Targa! :-)
Manual and the current automated version like the 997. Personally, I prefer the automated sliding glass roof.

On a related topic... Its interesting to hear others talk about performance impact due to weight of the Targa but how many people can actually extract even 50% of a 911's performance potential? My 2008 Targa 4S has more speed then I'll ever use :-)

By the way, I saw the 991 in person today at my dealership. Beautiful design and evolution of the 911. The overall appearance looks very substantial, expensive and has great road presence. Perhaps in the next 3-5 years I'll get a used 991 Targa 4S OR C4S to replace my '08 Targa. Or not! Love my 997.1 Targa! :-)

 

The current "Targa" isn't a targa at all. A targa roof is a removable panel like on the Corvettes and earlier Porsches. A sliding glass panel is a classy sunroof. I love the true targa and this rendering but I sincerely doubt that Porsche will be doing a throw-back Targa.

 

Thank you for the clarification! I didn't know there was a real definition for "Targa"

I'm wondering back then when they only had removable panels, they didn't have the proper technology to do a sliding glass roof that is "light weight", reliable and didn't distort the overall shape of the car?

 

that is almost too nice, can't wait till they depreciate

 

and if the roll bar is 1/2 the width of the opened space it could be designed to retract into it... lots of options, that rear window coould be hinged as well...

 

I think I like the newer sliding roof Targa design, though I've no personal experience with it at all.

 

IF the new design includes manual / removable panels, the Targa becomes a much rarer variant than it already is. Maybe it goes all Dodo bird on us.
The retro look is great. Love it, no doubt. But who's going to pay up just so that they can spend 10 minutes digging around, yanking roof bits out of wherever, latching / unlatching them every time you want to stop for a quart of milk, or a restaurant meal, or just because you don't want your car full of phlegm and disused copies of the Daily Worker when you park at a meter on the street? I don't see people taking that route after they think it through.
Look at the Boxter Spyder. Or maybe not. Who's actually seen one of those things in real life. Not me.
Sadly, I think a return to a 'lift 'em out and stow 'em yourself' design would relegate what is a terrific multiseason, multiclimate, daily driver to perfect-day-only-special-drive-only status.
The old panels were great in their time. But I guess skin tight bell bottoms and double-knit shirts for men were too. Thank god nobody's lobbying for them.

As far as the panel design 'fixing' the squeaky Targa 'problem'.......(again)
.....There's just NOT a real problem. It's a maintenance item. Clean and lube the roof rails properly about once a year, and it's silent. Sort of like the black crusty brake dust on the wheels 'problem' - break out a sponge and a little soap. The difference is maintaining the sliding roof is about 1/20th that amount of hassle.

Just my .02, Or maybe .03 in this case.

 

I thought I was the only one that hated it. Every time I see that, I'm reminded of a Fiero with T-Tops, and not the original Targa.

 

Targa is a brand-name, as it were. It doesn't define to a specific thing, but evokes an image in our minds. Its a model name, named after the Targa Floria race. There is no requirement that it be removable panels, that is just what the first generations of the 911 Targa was implemented as. Porsche gets to decide what Targa means for its 911 Targa. Same way they still market them as 911's though they haven't been that for a loooong time.

I'm fine with Targa being a more broadly defined notion of the ability of a more open roof configuration while maintaining a fixed rear window, so not a convertable. The giant sun roof of glass gets you there... and provides the light input when the roof is closed.

I'd not want a removable panel solution.
1) Storage of panels
2) Open/close while moving - no way.
3) more seals/seams to deal with.

 

You don't have to lose anything. On the Corvette you have the targa top, which slides right in behind the seats and locks down. Additionally, the rear hatch works fine with the targa top. I hear a lot of likes and dislikes, and that's fine, but anything else is pure speculation as the car has not been made - and in my guess never will.