996 Targas

A 996 Targa is a). a 911 with a massive sunroof offering the open top driving experience with the security and practicality of a coupe giving you the best of both worlds; or b). a hotch potch idea that is neither one thing nor the other, is rattly and dilutes the 911 experience? Discuss!

My first Porshce was a Targa that I owned for 2.5 years. What's really fantastic about the roof is not the open top experience/safety but more the year round feeling of airiness/brightness inside the cabin the huge glass roof allows. Additionally the sound of the engine roof off added to the enjoyment. On rattles, it does a bit but I wouldn't say excessively so; plus it only rattles roof up. As to whether the extra weight/body flex dilutes the 911 experiece - maybe. I've taken delivery of a GT3 and initial impression is of huge differences. But then that is probably not a fair comparision.

My thought's for what they are worth!!! The 996 Targa is based on the stiffer coupe body for the first time, but it is still 70kg heavier than a standard Carrera 2! The extra light let into the cabin by the full glass roof makes the interior much brighter and more pleasant, and the new model also adds a 911 first with it's very practical rear opening hatch. But with the Targa you don't get the full wind in your hair, exhaust in your ears of a cabriolet (which is only slightly more expensive) or the benefits of the lighter more agile & far cheaper coupe. What you get is basically a very expensive large sunroof, which can be noisy & it will also obscures the rear view when open. Having said this if you are buying second-hand where the price differential is lower it makes a lot more sense. In fact because of it's slightly blurred (between two camps) image I have seen some great value second-hand prices on Targa's in recent times, making them a great used buy.

My thoughts exactly[ ] I have heard some horror stories about the 993 Targa leaking as well as being rattly and wondered whether the 996 was the same

The opening rear window was an initial design requirement 41 years ago, but the coachbuilder at the time did not believe it could be done without leaking or rattling. The roof on the 996 has the seals inverted compared to the 993. When on the move the low pressure above the roof pulls the roof up, against the seals. On the 993 the roof rested on the seals, so speed lifted it off the seal. Whether this makes any difference when it is parked, I'm not sure. The whole roof assembly with A and C pillars is assembled and and then welded to the bottom half of the car. Coming back to the original question, I think it fills a niche. Whilst it isn't a niche that enthuses me, I can see that the more airy cabin might be desireable. It is obviously more secure than a cabriolet. Although is Porsche do a metal folding roof for the 997 cabby, I would think the targa will die. (I thought I read that the Porsche bought some company that does metal roofs, so this may be quite likely.)

The company that does the Boxster/996 and SLK folding roofs is the same one if that's what you mean Stuart? But Porsche decided that a sports car "must have a soft top", so didn't go the folding roof way. Of course if you see a cross-section of the "soft" top on the Boxster/996 you will see it is anything but soft!

Can you imagine the handling of a RWD 997 with an engine AND a folding metal roof slung out behind the rear wheels? I can see the holes in the hedges already!

I'd almost be willing to bet the folding metal roof would be lighter - the "soft top" is FULL of metalwork! It's only the "folding" panel that is just cloth (and glass or plastic depending on model-year) [ ]

Alex the 993 Targa had a lot more "flex" & rattles because it was based on the cabriolet body shell, rather than the stiffer/more rigid coupe. The 996 targa is certainly better (as it's coupe based!) in the rattle stakes, but you would need to ask a long term owner to get the full picture!

Are you sure? A cabrio roof will have two parts - the metal hinges & bits (technical term, that one [ ]) to make it fold, and the fabric cover. A folding metal roof will have the same metal hinges etc and a metal skin, surely? BMW said they wouldn't give the Z4 a metal roof because it was too heavy and would affect the handling differently according to whether it was up or down. Mind you, there are spy shots of a new 3 series CC ...

No I'm not sure - but there is a heck of a lot of reinforcing in there. If you've seen the cut-aways that Porsche do you'll have seen what I mean. There is not just the metal hinges and bits - there is a LOT of re-inforcing material. I have seen a picture of a boxster with another car parked on the roof. It's not just canvas!

Fair enough. Re the Boxster .... finding a parking space is indeed very difficult these days.....