I just picked up a 2009 Targa 4S - black on black, CPO, 11k miles, six speed, sport chrono, supple leather, nav, etc. Just for reference, this is 911 number 5 for me over the last 20 years and follows a completely original 1970 2.2 S, two 993 Targas (one black, one white), and the Arctic Silver 996 C4S coupe that I just sold.

First impression: HOLY SMOKES!!! What a great car. I'm sure there are those of you who would argue that the Targa isn't the enthusiast choice - heavier, less rigid, etc, etc. But, I gotta tell you, I absolutely loved my 993 Targas and really missed the feeling of the Targa cabin. At 6'3" the Targa cabin feels much more spacious both with the top open and closed. Since the Porsche is my only car, it has to fill several roles - daily driver, quiet enough to take an occasional call, haul groceries, weekend pleasure trips and backroad stress relief. Every car except for the 2.2 S has had to fill the same roles, and the new Targa is, in almost every category, much better than the 993's and 996 that came before it.

On the Targa top itself relative to the 993's, the 997 works as promised. Both 993's were terrible at sealing out weather and wind noise - one much worse than the other, but neither quite lived up to the promise. This didn't bother me much, because unless I was either trying to talk on the phone (I know, I know, but the realities of my job and using the car to commute...) or it was pouring rain, I drove with the top open. BUT the 997 targa top actually seals and is completely quiet when shut, even when shut at speed. Amazing what a dozen years of development and a new design can do.

On the down side, the new top doesn't have the front glass flap that serves as a vent if you want it, but that seemed to be the achilles heel with respect to sealing, so no big deal there. Also on the down side, however, is rearward visibility. With the Targa top open, the 997 rear visibility is terribly, where it was only kind of bad in the 993. On the 993, the problem was that the tint was too dark with the top open. On the 997, the sunshade unfurls from the rear and that whole mechanism sits right in my line of sight when the top is open. That was kind of a dissapointment, but not a big enough problem to keep the top closed...I suspect I'll learn to cope. Still, this seems like an obvious enough design problem that Porsche should have caught it.

Although I also loved my 996 C4S, I was never satisfied with the exhaust note, compared to the aircooled cars. Both 993s had the motor sound option and, in particular, sounded just great. I put the Fabspeed cold air intake on the 996 and it helped a bit, but it just wasn't nearly as good an exhaust note as produced by the 993s. I had high hopes for the 997, but it seems even more muted than the 996, EVEN with the Targa top open. I'm going to have to do something about that - I'm sure there is a vast amount of data devoted to the topic on this board, but I'd be grateful for any advice. I'm seriously considering the factory sport exhaust as an add-on option - but that seems a little pricey at probably $4k installed.

Although I have lusted after the 997 Targa since its introduction, it took me a very long time to pull the trigger because of the huge gap in cost; frankly, I just wasn't sure that satisfying this lust was worth north of $50k. I really enjoyed driving my 996 C4S - I didn't love the interior, but to my eye, the widebody, gen 2 996's look great. And the driving experience was great as well - good power, well-mannered, agile and completely competent at all of the roles that I asked it to fill. Still, it wasn't and would never be a Targa.

So, not quite a week into it, was it worth the $$...YES!

I think the 997 gen 2 is a significant improvement to the 996. The additional horesepower and torque is useable, noticeable and completely satisfying. The new car feels much quicker than the 996, and I didn't realize just how significant until I drove the 996 home after having some minor service performed for the new owner. I'd driven the new car for just a couple of days before I hopped back into the 996, but when I was getting on 101, it was as though the car was towing an anchor. Literally, that's what it felt like. Shocked the hell out of me. Also of note, handling feels much more alive relative to the 996, and the interior is vastly improved.

Sorry that I don't have pictures to share yet - car wash therapy starts tomorrow morning - but I am absolutely delighted by the latest 911 in my life. This one feels like a total keeper.

Thanks for listening.

 

Congratulations...wait a minute. They let you post the introduction of your baby without pictures. Where's the moderator !!! If it's a keeper I certainly would advice a clear-bra ASAP to protect against road rash/rock chips. Everytime my kids see a targa they just take it out on me. They badly wanted me to get one when I was looking at 997's.

 

Sounds great...hope to see pix soon.

 

Congrats, but need pics!

"North of $50K"? Sounds like the deal of the century, to me.

 

Sorry - I promise - it gets washed in the morning and then first pics - and then a drive in the mountains. Can't wait!

Oh, and sorry for the ambiguity - the difference in the selling price for my 996 C4S and purchase price for the 997.2 Targa 4S was north of $50k. I wish the absolute price could have been accurately described as, simply, north of $50k, rather than north of $80k, but so be it...

 

Congrats. I've lived with mine for three years now and have to say "I love it"!!! My first Porsche and a keeper. Rear visibility with the top open, and it always us, is a bummer. I just close it if I need to back up, no big deal.
Enjoy the sky and the ride.

 

Great write up and sadly the Targas are so rare! Not sure why as I love the lines on them... The gen2 was such a bit step even vs. the gen 1 997 that it was pretty much a brand new car so from the 6 you've had a great jump

And post some pix for sure!

 

Congrats!! I really like the Targa version!

 

Great car and you surely won' see many of them.

 

Can't wait to see the pics - I can't decide between a Cab or Targa.

 

Sorry for the delay with the pictures.

I had a chance to wash the Targa for the first time yesterday and swap out the pumkin side lights for clear ones (thank you Suncoast!), and then had a proper first drive. I guess I can sum it all up by telling you that I am delighted with this car and that it is a total BAMF!

Some additional observations - the Sport button actually does something, and it's wicked easy to drive very quickly in this car.

I guess I shouldn't have been surprised by the Sport button, but throttle response changes noticeably, as does the firmness of the suspension. It changes so much, in fact, that on really rough back roads, I had to switch PASM back to normal mode. And on the throttle response is such that I had to make two adjustments - one, I hit the rev limiter several times with sport mode on...so I found out I need to be a little more careful there. And second, I had to adjust to throttle blips on downshifts after turning sport mode off.

Anyway, this car is a total joy to drive and I'm very much looking forward to putting on a boatload of additional pleasure miles.

 

Sweet!!!

 

Looks beautiful - Congrats!

 

Thanks. And yeah, it's always exciting when I see a Targa on the street.

I looked for several months for the right car - either new or CPO - and was starting to think that I was going to have to order one. It's kind of surprising to me that Porsche bothers to make Targas at all. Don't get me wrong, I think it's great that they do, but it seems like an awful lot of engineering / trouble for not a lot of unit sales. In any case, you're right, it is nice to not see too many of them on the road.

 

Beautiful car. You will enjoy all that warmth (in the form of brightness) it's roof brings to your interior.