Frank A.

Hi all. I am new to the Pcars and to Rennlist. I am looking to purchase my first Porsche and I am having trouble deciding if I should go with the Targa or not. I will be purchasing pre-owned and I am looking at the 4S cars from 2006-2008. So, I would love to hear your thoughts about the pros and cons of purchasing the 4S as a Targa or not. Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Frank A.

utkinpol

A lot of people complain about rattling noises from glass roofs on Targas. Other than that - it is same 997 car as any other one.

Gj325

Frank
I have a 2009 Targa 4S. I am now thinking about upgrading to a Turbo with PDK and everything I wish my Targa doesn't have now.

As for the Targa we bought mainly because we have pretty hot summers here in Memphis. To hot for my taste when 110 heat index for top down and I don't like the looks of a Cab. with the top up. The Targa gives you a nice open feeling without the look of the Cab.
Nothing better than a day with low 80's for a high and the top back.

I have 5000 miles on my Targa no rattling or leaks. The car doesn't get too hot AC works great nice sunscreen that works well also. I like the look of the Targa I would order another one if they made a Turbo Targa.

They are rarer than the other models. I like the hatchback on the Targa makes getting things in and out of back area alot easier and you have more room. I can easily get two golf bags back there no problem.
Make a run to get Pizza for the family no problem.

The downside is with the Glass back it really blocks your rear view mirror view. You will depend on side mirrors or don't look back if on open road.

Good Luck in your Search

Gj

richc

The Targa is nice. I'd owned 11 coupes and in 2007 bought my first cab. My wife hated it, too windy for her so after 9 months I traded it for a '08 4S Targa. It's the best of both worlds, no wind she doesn't like and the open top which I enjoy. They do have some squeaks I never noticed in the coupes. I had a minor issue with the hatch top not closing, I found a piece of short rope to tie it down to the emergency brake (if this happens, don't tie it to the emergency brake - tie it to the seat belt thing) and got it fixed when I got home. Sitting out in the sun they do get very hot inside.

LlBr

In my not fully informed opinion? I would only consider the Targa if I were lugging golf clubs or luggage in my life on a regular routine basis.

The clean and classic teardrop profile of the 911 is slightly but noticeably compromised by the targa as shown below, BTW, this is just a sterile side view photograph comp. In person they look much more distinct.

KeninBlaine

I agree with Gj325. I just sold my T4S after having it for 1 1/2 years and 15000 miles. I didn't have any rattle problems. I guess if I was going to have a 4S, I would opt for the Targa due to the uniqueness of it and convenience of hatch etc. I only sold mine because I decided a cab was best for the Southern Cal climate.
BTW, the 997 Targa wasn't released until 2007. One advantage of getting an 08 or 09 is they used a heavier sun shade. But the 07 was fine too, just a little brighter. Regarding hot interior, I didn't notice any appreciable difference. The glass top is treated to reject most infrared and UV from the sun. And while the side profile may not be as pleasing as that of the coupe, I think the look from the rear is better, especially with a light color body for the dark top and rear window to contrast with. Mine was GT silver, and looked really classy (I thought). I didn't open the top too often due to the impaired rear vision, so I don't view the Targa as a compromised cab. It is more like a coupe with a brighter and more open feeling interior, plus that handy hatch.
Good luck in your decision making.

kosmo

Frankly I (operative word ) never understood the targa. For me it was either Coupe or Cab. If I was a decision maker at P, I would eliminate the Targa.

Asquared

I had an 08 Targa. Loved it.

I live in Chicago and wanted a year-round daily-driver. The summers around are too short to spend too much time with the top down, and I like having a hard top in the winter. I never really liked the look of the Cab with the convertible top up or with the hard top on.

Plus, I owned a Miata for 13 years, and my top was slashed 3 or 4 times, mostly to steal spare change or just to be obnoxious. Yes, I now have a garage, but only one of those times was at my house. Putting on and taking off the hard top on the miata was a PITA.

And I loved the hatchback, I used it almost every day to put my briefcase in the back to drive to work and it made packing for the weekend so much easier.

I would get a few squeaks on bumpy roads just after closing the targa, but the seals would settle after a while, and no squeaks.

wwest

I'm still trying to convince my wife to let me have a local custom body shop retrofit my '01 C4 into a T-top. Porsche said their custom shop wouldn't do a Cayman with T-tops otherwise I would be up for another factory delivery.

Spoiled by our '78 Targa.

cmg

To me a Targa is the only way to go. Mine is an heavily optioned 04' with 18K miles on it. There are no top rattles & I like the idea that it is but 5% of the 911 market. It also provides much more usable space than the cab. & IMHO is the best looking of the bunch. I just wish it had the high polished roof strips of the 997. One downside is that because the market is so small it means that there will be fewer people to sell to when that time comes unless you lease/trade. CG

Edgy01

You're thinking about the US marketplace. In Europe the Targa roof was much more popular. However, today's cabriolet tops (with glass windows and reliable, modern, weatherproof mechanisms) have eroded much of the Targa sales. Why go with a Targa when you can drop the entire top?

It's funny that I have never considered for a moment a Targa. But many with them love them. Your climate would probably dictate whether they are the right top for you. I think they're interesting in that they will be found to be extremely rare. What I find interesting is that Porsche does not offer a Turbo Targa. THAT would be nice!

YA911Fan

Never have liked the shiny trim above the windows or the C-pillar seam -- they're both visually distracting to me. The seam makes it look like the top was just bolted to a cab, although iirc they now start with a coupe body.

NJtarga4

I like my targa, On the East coast we only have limited top down weather but every day is OK for driving with the sunscreen open and if it is not raining or terribly cold or terribly hot the roof is open. I think it is the best option available-even my wife doesn't complain with the top open.

Iggy

I have 2008 Targa 4s and absolutely love it. For me it was the only choice. I traveled all the way to Denmark (2000 miles from my home town with no direct flights so I had to fly to Germany and drive another 300 miles) to buy the one I liked (6 speed manual, meteor gray with sand beige).

I like the feel of open air but our climate is of harsh continental type with very hot summers making cabrio impossible to drive with open top in the day time from late june until late september.

With Targa you always have that open air/space feeling, even with the roof up. I absolutely love glass roof and have it on all of my cars. After Targa coupe feels too dark and claustrophobic for my liking.

However, if you have mild summers, or sunny winters (like Florida) you may consider cabrio instead.

Regarding styling: In my opinion Targa looks more classy and less sporty in comparison with other forms. It all depends on your needs and style and personal preference. Targa is en elegant car that goes very well with business look (suit, tie, briefcase...).

As sportiness/handling goes: you can feel some difference in handling comparing to coupe, but its really insignificant unless you are a driving god, (in which case you should probably go with GT3). The car is more than adequate even for (super) spirited driving on public roads.

I absolutely love this car, and if Porsche made Targa Turbo I would never even consider buying another car as a daily driver.

Optical TDI

Targa pros: hatch for getting to the rear. That's not why I bought it, but what a great feature I've come to like. Opening the top even at 35 degrees F with the heat on is great. Same rear seat position as the coupe - the cab rear seats are straigt up / almost face forward, so not good for putting kids in the back if that's a concern.

Cons: not as pretty profile as the coupe, but better than the cab imo. Heavier. Noisier depending on the temperature.