I've been impressed with the advice that some buyer had received from this forum and wondered if I can tap into it for my own acquisition.

I'm a first time buyer after longing for a 911 since I was a kid. After much deliberation I decided I would like to get a Targa if I can. The 4WD will be worthwhile to me, and I love the all glass enclosure. I'm unlikely to take it to the track much if at all - I probably fit into that non-quite-as-serious-of-a-driver category that the Targa is aimed at.

I have my eyes on one '07 Targa 4, 10k miles, gray/black, well optioned. $60k, down from $65.

Questions I have:

1. Thoughts on how low I might be able to get them to go on the price. It's being sold by a non-Porsche dealer in Socal. I can be patient, and thought I could focus on the 4WD as my primay reason for buying the Targa to try to play them against other C4s as a negotiating tactic.

2. I have been told by a friend who has owned 15 911s that I am crazy to get a Targa, and that I will suffer on the resale value. I figured what it costs you on the way out, you save on the way in?

3. I'm not a big fan of the 19" sport rims it has. Would rather have basic 5-spoke Carrera Classics. What would be the most economical way to make that swap?

Thanks to anyone for your time and input.

 

Don't worry about the wheels. There are lots of used rims available and they can be easily changed out to whatever you like.

I have a T4S and like it very much. Targas do depreciate very quickly, at least in the first few years, which is why I purchased mine used. For pricing, all you can really do is monitor current pricing on autotrader, cars.com, etc. and see what kind of deals there are out there. Good luck in your purchase.

 

The Targa is a very unusual car to price out . It seems like those who own them feel that they depreciate greatly yet they are so rare that asking prices are usually very high. The hopes of the seller is to find the person like you who wants this car above the more common coupe or cab . They sit on lots a long time.

Dealerships do not like to switch wheels . I think you are better off buying a quality Hre or Champion wheel . If you want traditional wheel there's also Techart which are a little heavier but classic.

The base Targa 4 you will have so much trouble selling that car. Smaller engine. open roof, narrow body style .. you like it .. but you are a very rare exception to majority . Yet the car exists designed in the hopes of finding you.

I do agree with yoir friend . A wide body C4S Targa for example when new cost nearly as much as a Turbo did and if I compare an open roof to the Gt1 engine (Turbo) the engine wins hands down.

I would pass but if it's a must have for you .. you may have to pay extra since it is so rare.

 

You need to figure out, are you this sort of person. Fifteen 911s, eh? That sounds like someone who buys them more for the fashion. I've owned 3 cars in my life, so for me the Targa was not handicapped by the limited appeal and the thus reduced resale value. I keep my cars till they fall apart, or more commonly, some schmuck drives into me.

Are you going to switch cars every few years? If so, then resale value and not options and fitting what you want, are important (unless you have money to burn).

My background was like you, I think, to some extent. I've wanted a Porsche since I was a kid, saw a 911 Turbo cab with its sleek, wide rear end in Mannheim, Germany in the early 80's and felt that was the look I really liked. Recently I had the chance to buy a 911 and determined, with decades of new experiences, and my location, that a rag-top was not for me. The Targa, in the color I want, customized how I wanted it was the way to go. I'll drive that car till the wheels fall off, just as I have always done.

If you get a car for some very basic reasons, as a certain type of transportation, or swap into something new frequently, then a Targa is not for you.

 

All 997 Targas are 4's, so all are wide bodied. But I have noticed that the used non-S Targas are more heavily discounted.

 

If you're looking for aTarga the "S" is definately the one to get in my opinion. For resale value I would suggest a Tiptronic trans as well given the "target audience " for this car. But, as for overall depreciation all the 997's are taking a huge hit in this economy so I'm not sure you'll get hurt much more than all the other versions of 997's with the possible exception of the Turbo cars. In any event, you'll love the car and the Targa is a very practical, if not tradtional, alternative to a cloth top car. Best of both worlds if you like an open roof car when the weather screams put the top down but you want a more weatherproof enviroment in the winter. However, don't count on a concensus from this group as everyone here has their favorite PCar variation and are equally passionate about their personal choice. That's all part of the Porsche experience. Get the car you feel the most passionate about and forget about resale value and depreciation.

 

As a 1st time buyer I'd be very interested in getting a CPO car, so that it's been through the ringer by a certified Porsche tech, with anything and everything questionable replaced (ie: fluids, filters, brake pads, tires, etc.). Also, the 6 year 100k mile warrant would be very nice piece of mind.

As to Targa vs. say a C2S... Just look at the numbers produced and / or sold each month (posted pretty much everywhere, including here). You can see that the Targa is very much the low seller. For example, in May 100 C2 and 94 C2S sold vs. 7 Targa and 17 Targa S (194 cars vs. 24 / 89% vs. 11%). Me, I wouldn't want to be owning one of the 7 Targas down the line.

Just going out on a limb... This will not be your last Porsche. A couple of years down the road when you want to do more DE or want something "newer" and with more power and features (ie: a used 2009 C2S w/ DFI, Sport PASM, etc.), you will then have to deal with the Targa.

Yes, they are more unique, but the market is dynamic and Porsche builds as many of each as the market demands.

 

I did not know. I do see that Porsche makes a 997.1 C4 and a C4 Cab .I just assumed a targa as well . My bad. I suppose after several Porsches and years in and out of shops and dealerships my ignorance on the Targa is showing . it's simply never been a car I would consider so I overlooked it . Yet I can not avoid having seen the high price . That even awakens more doubts about his specific car.

60K is quite cheap for a low mile 07 C4S Targa . He better have it throughly inspected from its DMe to the paint . As well as all routine maintenance and tires .

Usually when it looks too good to be true --there's a snag somewhere and it's up to him to make sure before he drives that car off the lot.

 

Just to be clear, the 997 Targas are either T4 or T4S, just like the C4 and C4S. But there is no T2 or T2S (Narrow body) option. I agree that $60k is very low for an 07 T4S.

 

personally I love the targa because it seems to because of the ability to open up the rear and put golf clubs in the back. but as already mentioned, Targas are very rare and I think that you may have a problem reselling. basically, this is how i look at it, basically you have a very high end car with a limited number of buyers. now you have 1/8 of those people left which is why many people think that the depreciation is higher on this type of car. the targa just seems expensive because you have to pay the premium for the 4 on top of the targa premium which amounts to about 20k. and for most people, they would rather have a cab....
jmho

 

I agree with most of what you say. While I sometimes wish I still had a cab, I do appreciate the more quiet interior of my Targa for longer trips. And the bright interior is less claustrophobic than a coupe. And the opening hatch is a nice convenience. The Targa is a nice alternative if a cab doesn't work for someone. Re the scarcity of Targas, that can work both ways for pricing. For those who DO want one, there are fewer available, thus perhaps helping to maintain the value, especially on nicely optioned ones.

 

if i had guess on the used Targa market, I think most people would be like me, which is, they like the Targa but wouldn't pay the 5 to 7 thousand dollar premium over it's C4 (S) counterpart. or whatever the premium is after the appropriate depreciation. I'd pay 2 to 3k more but that's about it which is probably why the depreciation may be more.

 

I passed on an 07 targa4 in midnight blue / sand beige / tiptronic from a BMW dealer in Chicago. They wanted $58K and I felt I could work them down lower. I can send you details via PM if you want. They depreciate like a rock which makes the used ones a much better deal. My only concern was rattling from the rear - I've seen a number of comments about this on forums.

 

Just Do It!

I purchased a well optioned NEW 2007 Targa 4, with 3 mile on the odo in April and have absolutely no regrets.

I'd suggest going the CPO route to get the extra piece of mind that comes from a Porsche warranty if you go the used route.

Search for other 911 Targa 4's on eBay and also on the Porsche USA website.

Back east, dealers were asking for $68K for 07 used Targa 4's with 10K miles. The dealer I purchased from had several 07 and 08 cars with MAJOR discounts!

PM me if you want more info.

 

I think the Targa is a unique, beautiful and attractive car. Because of the added (top-heavy) weight, this is one case where the 'S' seems like a must-have. And buying it used, given their (albeit inconsistent) significant depreciation is a great idea.
But, and I admit that I'm stepping over the 'opinion line' here, you live in the ultimate convertible area in the world. The best weather for driving top down on earth. If you are buying the Targa with the notion of open air driving, you might want to consider going all the way.