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Auto Express Car Reviews
Porsche 911
Porsche 911 Targa 4
The Porsche provides impressive road manners and decent practicality with a generous boot, and even small rear seats
By Paul Bailey
September 2006
- Rating:
There's no doubt that the Porsche 911 is an impressive piece of machinery, but is the latest addition to the line-up the 'glassiest' yet? The Targa 4 is the ultimate solution for drivers who want a cabrio's uninterrupted view of the sky without sacrificing the refinement and performance of a coupé.
Auto Express climbed behind the wheel of the £70,320 car to find out if it really is that good.
Not only does the Targa look great, but the glass canopy creates a unique ambience in the cabin. On the move, scenery rushes past and over you - just as it does in a cabrio. But here, wind noise is dramatically reduced. Special sun filters added into the glass cut out heat and UV rays, ensuring the cabin is cool and comfortable, too. And because the glass is relatively lightweight, performance is near-identical to that of the standard 911 Carrera 4. The bodyshell remains very stiff, while there's virtually no detectable flex in the chassis on rough roads.
In fact, due to the combination of accurate steering, a potent engine and permanent four-wheel-drive transmission, the Targa 4's driving experience is very much like the fixed-roof Carrera 4's - an achievement of which engineers at Porsche can be very proud. Clearly, the new Targa is worth a look.
Auto Express climbed behind the wheel of the £70,320 car to find out if it really is that good.
Not only does the Targa look great, but the glass canopy creates a unique ambience in the cabin. On the move, scenery rushes past and over you - just as it does in a cabrio. But here, wind noise is dramatically reduced. Special sun filters added into the glass cut out heat and UV rays, ensuring the cabin is cool and comfortable, too. And because the glass is relatively lightweight, performance is near-identical to that of the standard 911 Carrera 4. The bodyshell remains very stiff, while there's virtually no detectable flex in the chassis on rough roads.
In fact, due to the combination of accurate steering, a potent engine and permanent four-wheel-drive transmission, the Targa 4's driving experience is very much like the fixed-roof Carrera 4's - an achievement of which engineers at Porsche can be very proud. Clearly, the new Targa is worth a look.
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FIRST OPINION
- As an alternative to both coup's and cabriolets, the new Targa 4 makes some sense. Of course, it is matched by the latest breed of metal folding roofs that are available on the likes of Mercedes’ SL. However, the Porsche provides the added appeal of impressive road manners and decent practicality with a generous boot, and even small rear seats.
AT A GLANCE
Due to its rear-engined layout, it would be virtually impossible to fit a metal folding roof to the 911 – and Targa makes up for that.
- Engine: 3.6-litre flat six, 325bhp
- 0-60mph: 5.3 seconds
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