2010 Porsche 911 Targa4

If we take such aberrations as the Cayenne and Panamera out of the picture, Porsche’s sports car lineup has always been at the top of enthusiasts’ lists for pure driving pleasure.

While Porschephiles argue the merits of the nimble, mid-engine Boxster/Cayman tandem, others debate the iconic, rear-engine 911 Carrera as the cat’s pajamas when it comes to driving thrills.

Yet, even within the 911 family, there’s a weak link: its name is Targa4.

Don’t let the Targa name fool you. Instead of a simple, removable roof panel like before, there’s now a complicated big hunk of glass that powers back, laying on top of another piece of glass. Not only does this distort the view out back, the box that holds the roof’s sunblind blocks rear vision as well. And the whole rig simply adds weight high in the car, exactly where every engineer will tell you that you don’t want it.

Throw in Targa4’s all-wheel-drive system that saps feel from the front wheels, and this is the sole 911 variant that can be left in the garage, thank you very much.