Mix the spectacular GTS performance with the open-air delight of a Targa and you have a potent cocktail.
The Porsche branding machine is in full swing, and the Targa 4 is the latest 911 to get the Gran Turismo Sport treatment. The GTS tag goes all the way back to Porsche’s 904 of the ‘60s, but you’ll now find it across all three 911 body styles.
You get more standard equipment, more power and distinctive design features like a black radiator cover, which matches the black detailing all over the wide-body shell.
The 911’s image is divisive, but you tend to find that the people who criticise its rear-engine layout or its relatively conservative styling probably either can’t afford one, have never driven one or both. The 911’s unique appeal is well-deserved; its image more or less bulletproof.
Whether you like the black detailing is a matter of taste, but the wheels look fantastic in their matt finish, setting off the brightly coloured brake calipers perfectly. The Targa 4’s big appeal is its graceful electric roof, which more or less overnight made it the fashionable 911 for sunny climes.
Obviously there’s not a great deal of room in the under-bonnet storage bay. But the ‘boot’ floor area is bigger than the biggest airline hand luggage cases, so you can lie them flat, stack two or three and surprise yourself at how much you can get in there.
On paper the Targa 4 doesn’t seem like a natural fit for GTS genes, but it blasts away those doubts in very short order. Its pace, poise and spectacular stability give drivers so much confidence to just enjoy the ride.
The chassis telegraphs its reactions through the chassis with unexpected clarity, and even well within the limits of grip you can feel the precise balance and power shifts between axles. There’s immense lateral grip, boosted by brake-based torque vectoring at the rear wheels.
If you only specify one option, make it the Sports Exhaust. From the low-down throaty growl to the hollow, spine-tingling yowl towards the rev limiter and the glorious series of burbles and pops it delivers on the overrun, the 911 Targa 4 GTS sounds wonderful. But it’s not over-done; you won’t get bored or irritated by it. It can be switched off if you like – let’s just call that ‘mother-in-law mode’.
GTS versions of the 911 share exceptionally comfortable and supportive seats, as well as a grippy Alcantara steering wheel and gear lever trim. The Targa falls victim to an unexpectedly large amount of buffeting with the roof down, though, which Porsche insiders say can be cured by rolling the windows down by a centimetre or so.
The suspension is quite firm, too, with 20mm lower springs than the Carrera S. The harder Sport mode is just too jittery for British roads (albeit perfect for the Ascari Race Resort circuit) and the Comfort setting can still be overwhelmed by consecutive potholes.
When you tot up the extras added to the Targa GTS, it’s actually pretty good value. Options like the PASM adaptive suspension, Alcantara interior and power upgrade don’t come cheap, and if you care to sit there and attempt to spec a Targa 4S up to GTS levels you’ll quickly see the GTS as a £104,385 bargain. Everything’s relative . . .
Want a convertible but fancy something a bit different? Got a budget the size of a small third-world country? Plan to use it every day (or near enough)? There’s nothing to touch the overall Targa 4 GTS package. Just keep those windows lowered a bit.
Facts & figures
Model: Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS
Price: £104,385
Engine: 3.8-litre six-cylinder petrol producing 424bhp and 325lb/ft
Performance: Top speed 187mph, 0-62mph in 4.3 seconds (PDK)
Economy: 9.2mpg combined (PDK)
CO2 rating: 214g/km (PDK)