mikey175

Has anybody heard any details about the 997 Targa -- i.e., is the glass roof system the same as that used in the 996 Targa, or will we once again get a removable roof?

Thanks.

-- M

tnunnery

According to the guides I spoke to while touring the factory, the targa for the 997 will be exactly like the 996.

MJSpeed

Here are the pics to confirm that...

phonetics

Is targa exactly the same as C2S except the glass roof?

JFScheck

Odd, I heard that they were no longer going to make a Targa...

mikey175

MJ --

Thanks for posting the pics. I am anxious to see whether Porsche has re-engineered the operation to allow clearer rear views when retracted. Should be a nice variation on the 997.

-- M

nkhalidi

I think the latter two photos are closer to what the Targa will be as opposed to the photos of the silver car. Notice how the rear windows come to a sharp angle at the C pillar on the black car and 996 targa (pictured below), while in the silver car and standard C2s, the windows are curved at the C pillar.



I really like the Targa; it's too bad Porsche doesn't seem to sell very many of them.

donkeyman

Hopefully there will be a "Targa S" - 3.8 litre with an option of the power kit.

The Targa is definitely the rarest of the water cooled 911s - I see more Turbos than Targas. But nothing beats having the big glass roof letting the sunlight in whilst having the air-con on.

Texas993

[QUOTE=nkhalidi]I think the latter two photos are closer to what the Targa will be as opposed to the photos of the silver car. Notice how the rear windows come to a sharp angle at the C pillar on the black car and 996 targa (pictured below), while in the silver car and standard C2s, the windows are curved at the C pillar.


If you look hard at the silver car, you will see tape in the rear windows making it appear to be curved. Under the tape it is exactly like the black car.

caf

It definitely sounds like a Targa is coming.

I don't think Porsche will ever go back to the removable roof Targa, as in the pre-993 cars, which is fine by me. Having the side rails makes the Targa as structurally strong as a coupe, unlike the older design. And the glass roof is a cool effect in any kind of weather. Furthermore, the ability to open and close the roof on the fly is a big plus with the newer design. You don't have to worry about whether or not that threatening storm cloud is going to cut loose while you're on the highway, and don't have to worry about an important phone call coming through with the roof open, since it's closed again in just a few seconds.

If you're really a convertible person, though (I'm not) then only a cab will do. The cabs are considerably more popular in the U.S. than the coupe. The Targa is for those of us lost in the middle, I guess.

mikey175

Agreed, an S version would be sweet. I might see another Targa once a month, if that...at least here in Atlanta.

mikey175

Though I love my 996 Targa, there are things that leave me baffled, hopefully things that will be solved with the 997 version. i) How come the top does not slide all the way back? Though it seems as though it was originally designed to do this, stopping several inches short decreases the open space and damages rear visibility. ii) Rear visibility with the top retratced is weak. Probably nothing can be done here, given the effect of two panels of glass.

Minor quibbles, because I am a Targa lover and will seriously consider the 997 version.

-- M

boolala

So now it's just a big sunroof? What a rip. There are ways to increase the structural rigidity of the car without adding that bridge between the A and B pillar. Cabs do it all the time. The previous version of the Targa gives a true open air feeling (a cab, as it were, without the soft top).

nkhalidi

It's been a big sunroof since the 996. That's why I never understood the modern interpretation of 'targa'.

I stand corrected, pjconner. Thanks for pointing out the tape disguise.

gr8330

The sun roof in my 996 is so small I ask why? I'm used to the sunroof in my BMW...large and quite. I would definatly look at a Targa if they produce it.