The new Porsche 911 Targa

Twenty years after the last 911 Targa – based on the ‘Type 964’ – was discontinued, at the 2014 Detroit Motor Show Porsche has unveiled a new Targa version of the current ‘Type 991’ generation.

Just like the original 911 Targa presented in 1965, the new 911 Targa features the distinctive stainless steel wide bar in place of the B-pillars, a movable front roof section above the front seats and a wraparound rear window with no C-pillars.

The most distinctive feature is the complex, fully automatic roof system, which stows the soft top behind the rear seats in 19 seconds.

The 911 Targa 4 is powered by a horizontally opposed 3.4-liter 6-cylinder engine with 350 hp, while the Equipped with the 911 Targa 4S is equipped with a 400 hp 3.8 liter unit.

Both 911 Targa models exclusively come in AWD version, featuring the wider rear track and body, and the same Porsche Traction Management (PTM), found in all 911 all- wheel-drive models.

The 911 Targa 4 will have an MSRP of $101,600 while the 911 Targa 4S model will have an MSRP of $116,200. Deliveries in the U.S. are scheduled to begin this summer.

The history of the Porsche 911 Targa

Porsche unveiled the 911 Targa, the world’s first ever ‘safety Cabriolet’, in September 1965 at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany.

With its fixed roll-over bar, removable folding roof and hinged rear window, this new variant was developed primarily in response to increased safety legislation in America.

The name ‘Targa’ comes from the famous Targa Florio race and since the mid-sixties has been synonymous with the open driving concept, which was new at the time.

Production of the vehicle began towards the end of 1966 with the market launch of the 911 Targa taking place in 1967. The Targa cost 1,400 Deutschmarks more than the Coupé.

This roof concept was enhanced from one 911 generation to the next over a period of 27 years.

During this time, this ‘semi-open’ variant acquired the status of a stand-alone vehicle concept in the Porsche range, becoming the model of choice for one in ten 911 buyers.

For the 1996 model year, Porsche presented a fully revised version of the 911 Targa (‘Type 993’).

The entire roof was made of glass, with a sliding glass cover above the driver and front seat passenger that could be lowered and retracted beneath the hinged rear glass window.

(Source: Porsche)