New Porsche 911 Targa revealed

The fourth all-new Porsche 911 Targa since 1965 has made its global debut online ahead of first Australian deliveries from around September.

Once again equipped exclusively with all-wheel drive Porsche Traction Management, the 2020 Porsche 911 Targa 4 and 4S are available to order now, priced at $275,800 and $314,100 plus on-road costs respectively.

No manual transmission will be available in Australia, where extra standard equipment will include an eight-speed dual-clutch PDK automatic transmission, Surround View, Lane Change Assist, Comfort Access, heated and 14-way adjustable sports front seats with memory, digital radio and BOSE Surround Sound system.

Other standard additions for Australia will include LED main headlights with Porsche Dynamic Light System Plus (PDLS Plus), windscreen with grey top tint, electrically folding exterior mirrors, automatically-dimming mirrors and metallic paint.

Among the usual array of optional extras is the new Smartlift function that increases front ground clearance.

The third body derivative of the latest 992-series 911 – following the coupe and cabriolet – is once again expected to attract a relatively small but enthusiastic audience.

Traditionally in Australia, about 20 per cent of all 911 Carrera models sold are all-wheel-drive, and of that the Targa should account for about half, the rest being Carrera 4, 4S and GTS.

Mirroring the latest 911 Carrera 4 and 4S, both Targa models are powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six boxer engine developing 283kW in the standard Targa 4 (up 11kW) and 331kW (up 22kW) in the Targa 4S.

Peak torque is listed at an unchanged 450Nm over 1950-5000rpm and 530Nm (up 30Nm) over 2300-5000rpm respectively.

Fitted with the optional Sport Chrono package including launch control, 0-100km/h acceleration is quoted at 4.2 seconds for the entry model (0.1sec faster than before) and 3.6 seconds for the 4S (down 0.4sec).

Without Sport Chrono you can add two-tenths to those times, which are in turn two-tenths slower than the corresponding 911 Carrera coupe. Top speed, meantime, is 289km/h (up 2km/h) and 304km/h (up 3km/h) respectively.

Like all eighth-generation (992-series) 911 models, the Targa wears all-aluminium body panels. It rides on 235/40 ZR tyres on 19-inch alloy wheels up front and 295/35 ZR tyres on 20-inch rear wheels, rising to 245/35 20s up front and huge 305/30 ZR tyres on 21 at the rear for the 4S.

For the Targa 4, braking is via 330mm discs all round with black four-piston monobloc fixed callipers, while the 4S scores 350mm rotors and red callipers – six-piston at the front axle and four at the rear.

PCCB ceramic brakes are optional, but the latest five-button Porsche Communication Management (PCM) infotainment system with 10.9-inch touch-screen and online navigation is standard.

However, once again the latest Porsche 911 Targa’s most distinguishing feature is its all-glass roof, comprising a large power-operated section above the front seats and a wraparound rear window, separated by a characteristic wide roll hoop.

Porsche says the redesigned roof system – which adds 20kg over the cabriolet’s soft-top, which in turn adds 50kg over the coupe – can now open and close in 19 seconds and gives the car similar torsional body rigidity as the cabriolet.

In an interview, Porsche’s 911 and 718 model line chief Frank-Steffen Walliser told carsales the new roof design was similar to the 991-series Targa’s but is higher at the rear to accommodate the 992’s larger wheels, incorporates smarter electronics (which prevent the roof opening if obstacles are in the way) and features an improved wind deflector.

Walliser said the new Targa continues to combine the best of two worlds – the open-air driving of a cabriolet and the comfort of a coupe – while remaining an exclusive and uniquely styled model in its own right.

But he admits the Targa’s origins were born from 1960s safety legislation in the US, where it was first marketed as the ‘safety cabriolet with anti-roll bar’.

“I think for the classic sports car the coupe is unquestioned and if you look at the history of 911 the cabriolet was late addition,” he said.

“Targa is a product of the ’60s. We all know it was driven by legislation and the implementation of rollover hoops. But now the Targa has become so unique – no other car comes close to its unique glass roof and iconic design.”

Asked why the 911T remains AWD-only, Walliser said Targa customers are prepared to pay a higher price for exclusivity, design and equipment, pointing to the model’s high take-up of options.

“Targa customers don’t really look for the dollars … they look for the bigger engines and want to be fully loaded. We have seen from our data that four-wheel drive is important for Targa customers, who tend to fully spec their cars,” he said.

Walliser said Porsche’s decision to invest more development in the Targa for the previous 991 generation was vindicated by the model’s increased popularity and profitability, entrenching its place in the 911 line-up.

“The 997 [911 Targa] was a different car with more or less a big sunroof…,” he said.