Le Chef

Sat in a Targa on Saturday with the roof panel fully back and rear visibility seems poor. A bit like looking through misaligned double glazing, as if the two panes were not parallel, so the view is fuzzy and distorted.

Is this the way it is, or was there something wrong with this specific car?

jjl

I do not own a Targa (although i wish i did), and it's my understanding that the poor visibility with sunroof open you describe is a known issue with the current Targa. I don't really see a way around this issue, as the sunroof has to go somewhere. Price you pay for the light and air.

geof

This is the way it is. When the roof panel is open, visibility out the rear window is poor and slightly distorted as you describe, even with the shade rolled up. (Also you can't open the rear hatch when the roof is open.) Minor issue, though, since you can open and close the roof panel at any speed. I find it an issue only when backing up in unfamiliar territory. If you are in a delicate situation just close the roof, back up, and then open the roof later at your leisure. But to some it may understandably be a turn-off.

cello

As you are looking thru two panes of glass it will not be as clear (obviously). You do not state the circumstances under which you were in the car; ie, showroom, outside, etc. I do not find the rear view distorted in real world or normal driving conditions. That is, so long as the screen is retracted, when there is backlight (either daylight or car lights/street lights, etc) I do not find an appreciable 'distortion'. However, the view is partially blocked by the peice which holds the retracted sun shade as you can see from the photo. I too do what geof described.

kennygoodboy

+1

Le Chef

The car was outdoors with the sun coming through the windshield. The glass was fully retracted as were all the screens.

I guess in the Cab you have a small rear screen and in the Targa you have one that potentially distorts. Take your pick!

cello

Le Chef - Maybe try another car? "Distortion" can mean different things to different people; What you may perceive as bothersome may not be to me, for example. Per the literature: "The glass panel itself is actually two layers of partially pre-stressed laminated safety glass separated by a tough, thin plastic film." So it is posible that roof system in the car you were in was not to spec. Other than the fact that you look thru two panes, mine is in no way 'distorted' (at least as I use/understand the term) as I think is evident from the photo looking thru same I posted. Best would be to drive the same!

Le Chef

By "distortion" I mean fuzzy or out of focus. This was a brand new car that had just been prepped.

jcnesq

I had 993 and 996 Targas and, while I don't remember having any major "distortion", there is no question the view is restricted and probably a little fuzzy. I still like Targas and could see myself getting another one someday.

kennygoodboy

Oh, the sacrifices we make to feel a little extra breeze off Lake Michigan...

cello

... or the southern NJ coast!

printemps2001

When I bought my C4, I considered a Targa as the dealer had one he was hungry to sell (basically the same price as the coupe). I ultimately decided against it for the visibility reason you described. Also, thought I don't know this for a fact, the rear window seemed smaller even when not obstructed (perhaps because of the liftback?). I think the way to look it is that a Targa is not as a hardtop with a retractable roof but more of a compromise between a coupe and a cab. If you don't mind giving up some rigidity and visibility, there isn't a better $7000 sunroof on the market. Ultimately, I chose the coupe as I drive the car daily and the visibility was important to me. If it was a weekend car, I probably would have gone for the Targa.

Le Chef

With apologies to my old mate Bill Shakespeare. Yeah, as long as there's sunshine the top will go down. Even in January you get sunny days when you get the top down. Put the wind-blocker and windows up, butt warmer on, and heater on max and you good to go.

ChipAZ

Don't get the roof tinted, as the Scottsdale dealer talked me into. You can't see anything. It's getting to the point to where I am trying to figure out on how to get the tint off.

The excellent visibility provided by the the two side mirrors provides more than enough coverage of what is going on back there. Like driving an SUV or pulling a trailer it takes some getting used to. As was said before close the roof if backing up in a parking lot.

patela

Reviving an old thread... So I sat in a targa 4s yesterday, and what I saw from very briefly playing with the roof and the explanantion the sales guy gave me was that if you retract the roof, rear visibility is just about gone.

The shade stayed in place over the glass panel, and the whole thing retracted, leaving me (attempting) to look through the shade and two panes of glass. In bright sun, I couldn't see anything - it was like being in a cargo van.

Is that the way it's supposed to be, or is there a way to roll-up the shade and retract the glass (which I could probably live with)? It looks like that's possible from cello's pic above that this is possible, but not what I was told.

I can't believe that anyone would design something like this, but the sales guy seemed to be familiar with the problem.