Porsche opens up the 911 992 range with two new 2021 Targas. New Targa arrives in 380bhp and 444bhp guises to join cabriolet and coupé 911s
NEW PORSCHE 911 TARGA: FULL DETAILS
Porsche is continuing its five-decade love affair with the 992 Targa roof design, revealing the eighth generation of the semi-convertible 911 variant.
The 911 Targa is available to order now, with prices starting from £98,170
The new 911 Targa picks up where the last generation model left off – with a fully automatic system that stows the hard-top roof panel behind the rear seats. When operated, the entire rear deck and screen lift up to allow the roof section to fold into the space. This leaves the car’s characteristic central roll-over bar in place of the B-pillar behind the door.
The mechanism is able to open and close the Targa roof in 19 seconds – seven slower than the fabric-roofed 911 Cabriolet, which was launched last year.
Porsche describes the Targa as offering “open-top driving in a cabriolet paired with the sleek convenience of a coupé”. It retains the familiar silhouette and carries over the styling updates for the 992 generation of the 911, including an integrated LED rear light bar and variably extending rear spoiler. It also keeps the occasional rear seats of the standard coupé and cabriolet.
With its complex folding metal roof and standard-fit four-wheel drive, the Targa is the heaviest 992-gen 911 yet. With a kerb weight of 1640kg in 4S manual form, it’s 60kg heavier than the equivalent 991-generation 911 Targa, but only 5kg heavier than the equivalent 992-gen cabriolet.
Using the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre flat six as its siblings, the base 911 Targa 4 puts out 380bhp and 332lb ft. Fitted with the optional Sport Chrono package, its 0-62mph time is 4.2sec – one-tenth quicker than the outgoing Targa – and its top speed is 180mph.
Also available at launch is the Targa 4S, which makes 444bhp and 391lb ft for a 0-62mph time of 3.6sec, four-tenths faster than its immediate predecessor. The top speed is 189mph. Porsche claims WLTP combined fuel consumption of 25.9-26.9mpg for the Targa 4, and 25.4-27.2mpg for the 4S.
Both models have an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox as standard. As a no-cost option, the 4S can be ordered with the seven-speed manual gearbox in combination with the Sport Chrono package.
The braking system varies between models, with 330mm discs paired with four-piston calipers on the Targa 4 and a set-up (denoted by red-painted calipers) using 350mm discs and six-piston calipers on the front of the 4S. Optional ceramic-composite brakes also feature. PASM (Porsche Active Suspension Management) is standard on the Targa, too, bringing adaptive damping, and so is Torque Vectoring Plus.
Options include an enhanced ‘Smartlift’ function to raise the car’s nose over obstacles. The new 911 Targa is available to order now, with prices starting from £98,170 for the Targa 4 and £109,725 for the 4S. Prices are identical to those of the equivalent Cabriolet models. However, Porsche will also offer a yet-to-be-detailed special-edition Targa, promising “a combination of traditional style elements, timeless design and cutting-edge technology”. That model will be revealed next month.
Roof opens and stows behind the rear seats in 19sec. Targa allows an open cockpit yet retains a trad-look 911 tail.
