Porsche 911 Targa 4S is a design statement and a pleasure to drive fast or slow

LONG story short: Porsche doesn’t make duff cars. That’s why it can charge what it likes and still sell more. The entry-level Cayman costs £47k and a 911 Turbo S Cabriolet is an eye-watering £165k. But every model, be it a sports car or an SUV, comes with two guarantees. The first is that it […]

LONG story short: Porsche doesn’t make duff cars.

That’s why it can charge what it likes and still sell more.

The entry-level Cayman costs £47k and a 911 Turbo S Cabriolet is an eye-watering £165k.

But every model, be it a sports car or an SUV, comes with two guarantees.

The first is that it has a 24-carat chassis, and the second is that it is 100 per cent guaranteed to make you more attractive to the opposite sex.

All the engineers I know — and that includes some big cheeses at Aston and Lotus — openly admit Porsche dynamics are king.

And all my motoring journalist comrades would have a Porsche in a heartbeat.

So, the question is: Which one would I buy? 

Hmmm. I honestly can’t say. That’s like choosing a favourite child.

But I can narrow it down to two cars. A Cayman GT4 or a 911.

Design statement

The GT4 is intoxicating. Powerful, rear-drive, short-throw manual, faultless handling and balance and as comfy as a concrete mattress. I love it. It’s a proper track-day weapon.

The 4-litre flat-six is taken from the current 911, only with the turbochargers removed and the cylinders substantially bored and stroked out.

As for the 911 itself, well, that’s the last word in engineering perfection, in my book. As well as being iconic and seductive and heroically fast.

And now you can have a Carrera as a coupe. Or a cabriolet or a Targa with a big glass roof.

Watching the electric roof do its thing never gets old. It’s pure theatre.

The big glass panel moves upwards and then slides back, as though the car is passing it over to the vehicle behind.

All Targas are powered by a 3-litre flat-six paired with a magnificent eight-speed PDK gearbox and all have all-wheel drive as standard.

The top two gears are for cruising — you hit top speed in sixth.

The fastest Targa 4S — the one you’re looking at now — pumps out 450 horses, which is 30hp more than its predecessor and four tenths quicker in a race to 62mph. 

It rolls on mixed wheels — 20in at the front, 21in at the rear.

Now let’s have a poke around the cabin. It’s just as you’d expect from Porsche — pure class. 

The horizontal dash is a nod to 911s of old and the analogue rev counter is flanked by two digital screens, as well as a 10.9in central touchscreen.

And I do love Pasha seats. And I do love the Sports Chrono button on the steering wheel for 20 seconds of full party mode.

But just as important is the driving position and visibility and sensibly placed switches. This car is a pleasure to drive fast or slow, roof up or down.

To conclude, then, the new Targa is a design statement and a sports car and another pedigree Porsche.

But you knew that anyway.

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