Michael Harley normally works on the West Coast of the United States for Autoblog, but he recently went to the East Coast to test the 2014 Porsche 911 Targa. The extreme East Coast—as in southern Italy.
He was in the right vehicle in the right place: taking an open-air sports car through “the fragrant smell of a countryside dotted with blooming almond trees.”
However, Harley wasn’t in the most-powerful Targa. Instead of opting for the $117,195 4S and its 400-hp/325-lb-ft 3.8-liter flat-six, he chose to pilot the $102,595 Targa 4. While it only developed 350 hp and 287 lb-ft from 3.4 liters, it put those numbers to the ground through a seven-speed manual gearbox and all-wheel-drive.
Believe it or not, the editor’s focus wasn’t on the Porsche’s speed or track times. He was more interested in its fully automatic roof. Its two components – the rear glass panel/deck lid and the two-section folding fabric Targa panel – can be moved into positions conducive to hair-tousling motoring in 19 seconds. However, that’s only possible when the car is stationary, mainly for safety-related reasons.
Harley’s drive wasn’t without its share of wind noise, but he found the Targa kept its composure on the Mediterranean roads, even when subjected to potholes and ruts.
“Its uniqueness, fascinating roof-mechanism kinematics and all-weather capability are sure to appeal to its affluent clientele seeking an open-roof solution. Don’t be surprised if it’s a success,” he said. I won’t be. Targa P-cars account for nearly 13 percent of all 911s sold in the past half century.
Check out Porsche’s Guards Red throwback to 1965 in the photo gallery below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
