I'm curious as to why there seems to be Targa's available at what seems like reasonable prices but not C4s cars. I would think the Targa to be harder to get. What am I missing. Other than a slight weight and performance loss what are the negatives to a Targa?

thanks

 

pred8or,

from what i gathered speaking with other porsche owners and salesmen (mind you i never had the opportunity to test drive a 997 targa so take what i have to say with a grain of salt)

1. history of leaking roofs in previous generation targas, probably not a problem with the 997 model but i guess still an area of concern for some

2. comes only with awd which is an issue for some like myself that live in the tropics and thus are interested in the targa roof style but are deterred by the heavier weight that comes with the awd and the glass roof

3. weight (see #2)

4. rear view somewhat compromised when glass panel is retracted back

5. poor resale value historically with previous generation targas

6. majority of porsche enthusiasts are polarized towards either the fixed roof coupe style or ragtop cabriolet style. the targa falls somewhat in the middle, kinda like "New Coke" tried to do (when most consumers like either regular Coke or diet).

but who really cares? if you love the targa style then that's all that matters. i personally think it looks beautiful and feel that criticism heaped on the c-pillar is mostly by folks who've never seen the targa4 in person.

 

At times that chrome swoosh looks like painted eyebrows on a stripper who's pole shift is 2-4pm, at other times like eyeliner drawn out just a tick farther than accepted convention on a very attractive lady.. I think it works perfectly to tag the Targa. Good for you!

 

Looks good but could you have got it without the snow....lol

 

Thanks surfer, those were some of my thoughts and concerns and to be honest I was only interested because they are available and more reasonably priced. Probably wouldnt entertain one unless it was a very good deal.

 

They are?? I musta missed all the deals. Cuz the only discounts I saw were 2007s and guards red ones.

 

yeah the deals were on 07 targas. still 15 k off sticker ain't too shabby on a "new" car even though it is 1 model year old. both deals were in cali. could you put up with driving basalt black is the question? in h-town it's been raining daily for like 1 month so i probably couldn't.

 

Red with Tip and lots of carbon fiber inside. Original list was 105k...with 3k miles I bought from the dealer for 75k. Sure, the resale vallue is not good....I am the beneficiary of that and I keep my cars for 10-15 years.
abe

 

well done,all the above analysis does not matter really,the last paragraph is the "money"
to me the 997 targa is the only elegant looking Porsche,here's mine a2007 targa 4s

 

my point about the targa being more elegant

 

Nicu - do you have a problem with glare from the dashboard reflecting in the window with the sand beige interior? i like your color combo, but wondering about a beige/black combo to deal with the glare from all beige.

 

The black/sand beige combo looks great. That was the color I was going to get if I had ordered the Targa.

The black really helps to break up all that beige.

 

I'ts a big hype,never a problem,btw,mine's a midnight blue which imo is a more elegant combo option

 

I looked at the Black/Sand option when I ordered my Cab. My concern was that it would look "bitsa". Too busy, too many colors and materials and too much happening in a small space. But each to his/her own.

I think that you can order just the dash in black if you want, which might be a visually simpler look than having the door tops in black as well.

 

Initial follow up on the new ride. Had some great weather today...saw upwards of 55* down in Newport today. Some milky sunshine most of the day.

Put the Targa top down on the drive to Newport and it was fantastic! Would have had the top down on the cabriolet with the heat blasting. Didn't need the heated seats or the heat on in the Targa.

Great day for a drive down to Newport for lunch. Took a spin down Ocean Drive and stopped to enjoy to ocean for about 30 minutes.

Very happy with my decision to try a Targa.