Targa or not?

So, my search for a 996 C2, 6 spd, has pretty much focused on Coupes. No Cabs, and never gave the Targa a thought. Not planning on much (very little actually) track work, just a fun driver for day tips and weekend tours. Recently several Targa's are being offered form all the usual places and they caught my eye. More Coupe like than not and fairly rare. Any thoughts from owners (or former owners) would be appreciated. Service/maintenance issues, drive characteristics, achilles heel's (if any), handling, would be most welcome. Also =, any leads on private sale cars would be great. TIA,

Test drove a targa when I was looking, couldn't get over the hatch back. The new ones however are awesome.

Love mine. Sliding the roof open when it is nice but having a real top when it isn't is a nice combo.

I would definitely consider one.

I would have liked to get a targa. The 996 (to me) is the least appealing of them all for what Atrox said - has a hatch lift. But I would still get one over a coupe. My sunroof is great but kinda noisy at speed so I kind of close it a bit to find the sweet spot for quietness. I can't speak to the reliability or noise levels of the targa, I did read someone had a creaking issue but no idea if thats normal. Florida is a great place for a targa, but I would still get the best car you can find, targa or not. You wont care about the roof if you find out your have other mechanical issues. Whatever one you like, get a PPI before you pull the trigger and you'll love it either way.

When I saw your post heading, I immediately thought of the Toga, Toga, Toga cry from Animal House.

Love my Targa. The "hatch" is a great thing to have when loading things into the back seat. What is wrong with a hatch, unless you are aware of it, you wouldn't know it is there. The sliding top is really a large sunroof. As a side note, Targa's were produced in much smaller numbers, so they are a little rarer and who knows, might be worth more long term. If you plan is a track monster, a Targa is probably not the way to go.

Love my Targa. Never would have forked over the added $7k for the Targa option when new but overall I like it. Car looks like a coupe from all angles but has the added versatility of a hatchback, a massive sunroof and even when closed gives the interior a brighter more open feel. No squeaks either. Only 4% of all 996's ever produced were Targa's.

Really liked the "open" and airy feel of the cabin of the targa. The lift hatch in the rear never bothered me either. Slightly top heavy compared to standard coupes through corners. (Unless you drive them side by side I'm not sure you'd immediately notice.) and obviously just a hair slower from stand still. (0.1 second difference to 60?) Drive it and see how you like the feel. I ended up buying my c2 instead of the targa but I did enjoy it.

Thanks guys, good stuff. Checking on 2 cars along with a number of Coupes. Will keep you posted. If anyone has any other experiences good or bad, please post them here. I won't be offended, and my feelings won't be hurt. You can even call me by first name!! (For KCAttorney's benefit).

While the Targa isn't my cup of tea, I can understand why some folks like 'em. My "perfect" car would be my car - 99 Coupe - with the sunroof delete option...

I definitely see the attraction of a Targa. Benefits of the Cab without all of the convertible top issues (and weight).

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Targa top adds a fair amount of weight over a C2, I'd be surprised if weight is that much different between a Targa and a Cab.

Good point on the weight. I believe the cab is about 300lbs more than a coupe and the targa is about 180lbs more than a coupe. Somewhere I saw a cab that was being used at the track - topless.

Thanks all for the comments. Black Targa I was looking at in TX was sold yesterday, while I was waiting for the dealer to get back to me with promised service detail and history. Nice. Next!

I think the hatch is one of the best features of my targa. I never have to power my seats forward to load stuff in the back seat. With the seats folded down it is actually really roomy back there for road trips and sports gear. I love the glass roof and I can put my bags and things in the roof and never worry about scratching it. It is great.

I think the targas are great. Don't own one, but the hatch convenience is excellent. I'm not a cab guy, so I think the targa is a great way to get that open-air feel without the cab look. Never could figure out why so many drool over the "sun roof delete" cars.

We've owned several Porsches (including the old 1984-style Targas). The newer-age Targas is the way to go. But, there are TWO down sides! As has been pointed out above, the versatility of the hatchback is immeasurable. Those who think the hatchback is a Soccer-Mom's car are people who change steel lug nuts to magnesium ones to gain 0.1 lbs weight advantage. THE BAD: 1) There is DEFINITELY a greenhouse effect, in that the car heats up quickly and the sun can start to beat you down, despite the retractable sun screen that is provided. I had to have reflective titanium tint installed on the top, and slightly lower level tint to the hatchback. Even this is not as effective as the sun/heat protection provided by a coupe. I suppose it would be a good idea to replace the retractable screen with solid material -- never considered this before -- I may actually look into it! 2) When you retract the roof, darn, you CANNOT SEE out the back window. The double glass refractive effect of both the rear window and the glass top distorts your vision considerably. Maybe mount a rear view camera if you drive in traffic a lot?

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Can someone post a pic of the car with the hatch open? Don't think I've ever seen that

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Here are some pics with hatch closed, open, and of glass roof with the sun screen.

What are the back seats like? More coupe'ish or Cab'ish? My wife and I ruled out a cab because the head rests are forward of the "butt" and we though the kids (10 & 6) would be uncomfortable even on short rides.

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Coupe. My kids (10 & 8) ride back there all the time.

Pic of rear seats. When they fold down, you have the entire hatchback section for long items (e.g., suitcases, golf club bag, etc. BTW, look at the rear window. THAT is an example of the poor visibility you will get when the sunroofy/targa is retracted.

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+1 for me on the negatives. View out the back with roof open is horrible.

I really like the targa (996/997), but wish it had the rear 3/4 windows of the coupe.

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Dudes like biatch hurry up and close the hatch I can't wait for you to load the luggage all day.

Thanks DTMiller for showing my Boxter Red Targa with the open hatch. When I was looking for my third 911 after 34 years of raising kids 9 years ago, the Targa was my only choice. I had owned a '69 911E Targa and loved the difference from the coupe and the name. Yes, some will comment on the roof tending to rattle some but it is a movable roof after all and when open, what an experience. I added a bit of electrical black tape to the 4 corners of the sliding glass at the wear points and that helped. I have had no issues with my Targa in the 9 years of ownership. I keep the roof tracks spotless and lightly lube the tracks with Wurth HSS-K. Only about 3% of total 996 production are Targas and they were only produced from 2002 to 2004. They draw the interest at the car shows because they are unique. The pointed back window side glass and unique roof line is unique to the Targa. Keep looking. It took me a year to find mine. John '03 Targa

That's funny. I did a google image search and just posted the first couple that popped up.

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John, Love that color combination.

+1 on the greenhouse effect, the inside of my Targa gets pretty hot in the Pasadena summers, and also more places for rattles and creaks to come from. I like the rarity of them, though, and the rear hatch is very useful. Since I hit the track sometimes and don't put the top down too often, I wish I would have gone with a sunroof-delete coupe. -Chris

Apparently Targas are also kid-friendly! =) Porsche 911 Carrera Targa 996 - YouTube

I've been doing the search for a Targa as well, and it definitely is a much more exclusive market with a price premium and not as many options (especially given you're missing out on the 996 MY 99'-01'). I'm not a huge convertible guy, so the Targa is a nice mix, especially given the practicality of the hatch for my golf clubs. John's car is gorgeous; definitely a stunner and would love that color combo. I'm one of the oddballs that likes the Nephrite green leather, but the Nephrite itself is rare so combo likelihood is very low.

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What part of Florida? I'm in Pensacola and a buddy of mine just traded in his 2003 Targa at a local indie dealer (no affiliation). Had it for almost 10 years and is very meticulous about upkeep. Let me know if you're interested.

Down South, that sounds like a nice one, but I am back to finding the right Coupe, C2, 6 spd. SR is fine for letting in a bit of light, sun, and moonshine , and I have a nice NA Miata to meet my "open air" needs. Thanks for thinking of me on this.

Glad to help!

Just came across this thread. I realize it's a few months old, but if anyone is still looking for a 996 Targa, I've listed mine on ebay. http://www.ebay.com/itm/162072493521 Mine is a 2002 and I have not had any problems with creaking or leaks or any other roof-related negatives. I do really appreciate the open feeling and sunshine, as well as having the hatch for convenience. We have pretty hot summers and cold winters in NY and I haven't had a problem with it leading to excessive heat or cold. For me, the Targa roof is a good compromise -- lots of fresh air but not so windy that it dominates the driving experience. Following up on what someone else said, it also took me a while to find one I liked but have been very happy with mine; I would hold onto it longer, but just doesn't make sense for me in my current living/parking situation, so seems like a good time to sell it on.

Here are a couple rear 3/4 view of my 02 targa.

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+100% Very well stated. I looked for a solid material retractable screen without success. I suspect this would be very helpful. If someone knows of one I would be very interested to see it. Drives out to Vegas would turn into torture sessions. As too the hatchback, I loved it. Much easier to transport gear (such as golf clubs) . I also like the overall look of the Targa more than the standard coupe but obviously that's subjective.

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Man what a great looking Targa, its the perfect color combo in my OP!!

I was in the market for a a coupe, and hadn't even considered the targa. Saw this beauty at a dealership a day after it was traded in, and knew it was the one for me. The targa is definitely very unique, gets tons of comments. While visibility isn't the greatest with the roof open, it's pretty awesome, definitely the best of both the cab and the coupe. The rear hatch also adds a lot more utility, makes it easy to carry groceries or load up for the car for road trips.

If I had to do it again, I'd probably be more interested in a Targa. I realized that the fully enclosed roof of the coupe makes the cabin feel a lot smaller than it is. The Targa's glass roof would give it a much more open feeling.

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I agree ...I would do a Targa I had to did it again. I wear my hard top most of the year anyway and may only have it off for about a month or two all year.

TOGA!!! TOGA!!!! TOGA!!!!! Did you say toga or targa? I can't remember. hahahaha!

Oddly enough, I love the sunroof on my Carrera coupe. I've had sunroofs on my previous umpteen cars, even have one on my truck and SUV. And I consider them absolutely pointless. I've tried to use them and they just don't work for me. I don't know if it's because of the cabin size, the window shape, or because my previous 911 was a cab, but opening the sunroof and rolling down the windows is the first thing I do on a nice day. I enjoy the sound of the engine, the feel of the breeze, and the sun shining on me. I also feel like I'm connected to the outdoors, unlike all of my other sunroof equipped vehicles. And it's a lot more convenient than a cab. All in all, it's been an pleasant surprise.