2006 Porsche 997 Carrera 4S Targa

Price new/now: £70,320-£77,370 (2006)/£30,000Engine/power: 3.6-3.8 flat-six/321 -376bhp0-60/Top speed: 5.0-4.7 secs/177-185mphNumber produced: 1,760

For the next-generation 997 Targa, Porsche stuck to the formula it created for the 993 and went on to refine for the 996. While the standard Coupé arrived in 2004, as before, the Targa model was launched two years later, in 2006.

This time around, Porsche made the Targa more distinctive, with the addition of chrome window frames that arced from the wing mirrors to the back of the car. It certainly helped the newcomer stand out when compared to its predecessor, especially if you went for a dark paint scheme.

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Once again the glass roof was complemented by an electrically retracting sunshade that made the Targa feel just like the standard Coupé, while the glass section slid back beneath the rear window at the press of a button, too.

The 996’s opening rear screen was also carried over to the 997, as this gave the Targa a more practical edge that could potentially sway buyers to stump up the £7,400 premium the Targa model commanded over the standard Coupé.

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Under the skin, the 997 Targa was offered exclusively as a four-wheel-drive model, although you did have the option of choosing between the standard 321bhp 3.6-litre Targa 4 and the more powerful 355bhp 3.8 Targa 4S seen here.

Whichever model you chose, you were guaranteed a scintillating drive, as the 997 generation proved to be the fastest and best-handling 911 yet. And Porsche’s extensive options list included plenty of performance-enhancing kit, such as a 376bhp power upgrade for the 4S and a rasping sports exhaust – which was even more enjoyable with the Targa top down.

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By now, other car makers had managed to engineer their own panoramic glass systems, leaving the 997 feeling less special than its predecessors. So Porsche decided to give the Targa concept a wholesale rethink for its replacement, leaving the 997 as the last of the line of the glass-roofed Targas.