Porsche 911 Targa 4S 2017 Review

The Porsche 911 has always been a head turner and judging by the open-mouthed gawks of fellow motorists and passers-by during our week in the new Porsche 911 Targa 4S, the newest Porsche has what it takes to carry on that tradition.

Finished in Sapphire Blue with a black Targa roof and the broad metal finished roof hoop, the 911 Targa looks the business.

The entire wrap around glass roof lifts up and back to consume the fabric Targa panel before lowering back down to give you your topless experience. It’s a technical marvel which you just hope isn’t going to go wrong on your watch or with a throng watching you.

Yes, the 911 Targa is for showmen (and women), but it delivers on its styling promise with an exceptional driving experience which is hard to beat, even with, dare we say it….a turbo in the boot.

The 991 generation of Coupe, Cabriolet and now Targa is now powered by a 3.0-litre flat six turbocharged petrol engine. In the Targa 4S it is tuned to generate 309kW and 500Nm, an increase of 15kW and 60Nm over the naturally aspirated version we tested last year.

Of course the main reason for the introduction of the turbo is improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions. Porsche says the new engine with PDK will achieve just 8.0L/100km fuel usage on the combined cycle, saving 1.2L/100km over last year’s model. It also emits 6g/100km less carbon than the naturally aspirated engine.

With the $5950 optional seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission fitted in our test vehicle, Porsche claims the Targa 4S will romp from zero to 100km/h in 4.2sec. If that doesn’t give you quite enough giddy-up, then launch control, a feature of the also-equipped Sport Chrono package ($4790) will shave an additional 0.2sec off that sprint time.

Also included in the Sport Chrono package is a nifty overtaking boost which is accessed via the drive mode switch on the steering wheel. When stuck behind a slow moving vehicle, pressing this button switches the 911 into attack mode, shifting the PDK into second from whatever gear you’re in down and giving you a 20-second window to press the throttle.

And you’d better be ready for the power delivery as the Porsche will slingshot you around your fellow motorist in a heartbeat. Just keep an eye on that speedo as you could be going a lot faster than you intended a lot quicker than you expected.

While novice sportscar drivers will find the 911’s outright speed exhilarating, they will no doubt appreciate the Porsche’s exceptional handling qualities and the assured road holding which is delivered by the all-wheel drive system and thick tyres – the Porsche rides on 305s at the rear.

Even seasoned campaigners will not fail to be impressed that Porsche has successfully tamed its tail-happy monster with the 911’s advanced electronic stability programs to keep the Porsche on the straight and narrow.

It’s hard to think of any vehicle which offers driving characteristics which are similar to the Porsche 911. The low-slung seating position, sharp steering and rapid throttle response encourage spirited driving, which is completely matched by the car’s balance through corners and grip in a straight line.

Even fitted with the optional sports exhaust system, its neither loud nor boisterous while cruising around town in normal mode – in fact if anything, the exhaust note is a little more muted than we’d like.

Switch it up to sports or sports plus mode and the 911 comes into its own – the precision of the (essential) PDK performing like no other dual-clutch system.

In fast cornering the PDK predicts your gear change requirement before you think to change it yourself via the paddle shifters. Come in hot to a corner, stamp on the brake and it instantly shifts to second, readying you for a tidy getaway.

It all combines to deliver a car which gives utter confidence, rain or shine and is a joy to drive at every possible occasion.

My only disappointment, and it’s a big one given this car is the Targa, is the wind noise with the roof lowered. Up to speeds of 60km/h, the noise intrusion is not too significant but cruising at 80-100km/h is a noisy affair, the wind appearing to swirl around the opening and hit the roof hoop. It makes conversations with front seat passengers quite strained and very hard with rear seat passengers.

I drive a convertible myself and found the noise is certainly much greater than in a regular cabriolet. It begs the question why take the Targa top over the similarly priced Cabriolet or the significantly cheaper Carrera 4S Coupe which starts at $22,000 less than the Targa?

A drive in the roofless Targa could end up being somewhat of a novelty, particularly if you regularly carry passengers, which is a shame as this really is a great car.

Just like the Ferrari 488 Spider we drove earlier in the year, the Porsche is so easy to drive and to live with, that you could forgive yourself for believing it could be your everyday car. In fact, the potential fuel savings you can make, if you can limit yourself to well behaved runs in normal mode, make a valid case for the 911 as a daily driver.

Rear vision is better than other sports coupes and convertibles thanks to the wrap around rear windscreen that eliminates the C-pillar. Storage is also better than expected with a deep boot under the bonnet that will accommodate 120 litres of luggage, equating to several bags of shopping and there are useful sized cubbies in the doors and a glovebox to stash wallets, keys and phones.

The rear seats can also be used for bags and coats, or even a small human passenger or two if completely necessary. Our 12 year old didn’t struggle for head or legroom but an adult passenger would certainly not enjoy the space for an extended length of time.

Finishes in the Porsche are suitably luxurious with leather trim and aluminium finished throughout the cabin. Adaptive heated sports seats with 18-way adjustment were fitted on this car as a $3290 option with the sports cred upped further with the inclusion of a GT-Sports steering wheel at $660.

A colour touchscreen incorporating the Porsche Communication Management is standard fitment and includes online navigation including real time traffic while smartphone integration offers the familiarity of Apple CarPlay.

With all those comforts rolled into a package of such epic magnitude it’s no surprise to learn that this is an expensive car. Its base price of $290,200 rises to $316,880 with options. And there are options you won’t want to miss out on like the PDK and Sport Chrono package, but with the coupe costing $22,000 less, we’re left questioning whether the open air driving experience is worth such a premium.

2017 Porsche 911 Targa 4S pricing and specifications:
Price as tested: $316,880 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 309kW/500Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch
Fuel: 8.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 208g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A

Also consider:
>> Mercedes-Benz S 500 Cabriolet (from $357,215 plus ORCs)
>> Ferrari California T (from $409,888 plus ORCs)
>> Audi R8 Spyder (from $395,410 plus ORCs)