2017 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S Targa Automatic

We hope you’re not tired of reading Porsche 911 reviews, because as long as the Stuttgart company keeps making new and interesting variants of its icon, we’ll keep testing them. Still, we understand that all these 911 evaluations can seem a bit like a broken record—iconic styling, telepathic steering, brilliant handling, distinctive flat-six sound, et cetera. But the 2017 Porsche Carrera 4S Targa we just tested seemed different. Maybe it’s the relative rarity of the Targa body style here in L.A., where Carrera coupes and convertibles are as commonplace as Ford Mustangs. In any case, this one stood out—even next to the ridiculously good-looking Carrera Targa 4S Exclusive Design Edition, it was special.

It helped that this 911 was particularly well dressed, with its shimmering GT Silver paint, matte-silver targa bar, wraparound rear glass, and silver 20-inch Carrera S wheels. A brazen red fabric roof—and the coordinating Bordeaux red and black interior—livened up the design, accented by red brake calipers and a full-width strip of LED taillamps. While silver and red is a classic Porsche color pairing, we had never seen it done quite like this. We’ll admit we were smitten every single time we walked up to the car as well as every time we walked away and turned back to admire it one more time. And, based on the reactions of pedestrians and fellow motorists, it seems we weren’t alone.

9A2 Does Good by You

Our main mission during testing of this 911 was to see exactly how the performance of the Targa 4S has fared now that Porsche has fitted it with the same prolific, twin-turbocharged 9A2 3.0-liter flat-six found in other Carrera S and 4S models. Output is a stout 420 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 369 lb-ft of torque available from 1700 rpm all the way up to 5000 rpm.

At 3687 pounds, this Targa was the heaviest Carrera we’ve ever tested (at least, the porkiest that wasn’t a full capital-T Turbo or Turbo S). It carried 57 more pounds than a 2014 Targa 4S PDK and 207 more than the 2017 Carrera 4S coupe we tested last fall. Think that would slow it down? Think again. The 9A2 shrugged off the additional mass.

Aided by the Targa’s standard all-wheel-drive system, our test car shot from zero to 60 mph in a spectacular 3.3 seconds, just a tenth behind the 4S coupe. And at 8.1 seconds, its zero-to-100-mph time is only 0.3 second behind the lighter hardtop. Moreover, passing times for the coupe and Targa are identical at 2.5 seconds from 30 to 50 mph and 2.6 seconds from 50 to 70.

Clearly, Porsche’s 3.0-liter turbo engines make for some seriously quick-launching 911s, particularly when paired with the seven-speed PDK automatic transmission and the Sport Chrono package, which brings launch control and Porsche’s Dynamic Boost function. Every Carrera model with the 9A2 and PDK that we’ve tested so far—S or non-S—has hit 60 in less than 3.5 seconds. Manual versions (which lack launch control) aren’t far behind, hovering around four seconds flat. Any wonder why we enjoy testing these things so frequently?

Handling proved to be similarly impressive, even by 911 standards. With the Targa’s lowered suspension, standard active dampers, and brake-based torque vectoring, its staggered 245/35ZR-20 front and 305/30ZR-20 rear Pirelli P Zeros almost seem fused to the ground, as the car generated an incredible 1.04 g on the skidpad. That’s identical to the 2017 Carrera 4S coupe, just 0.02 g more than the 2017 911 Turbo we recently tested, and 0.05 g greater than the 2014 Targa. At a scant 143 feet, the 70-to-zero-mph braking distance improved by five feet over the previous Targa and four feet compared with the current 4S coupe, tying the Turbo.

Going Targa: Pros and Cons

In other respects—such as cabin comfort and ergonomics—the Carrera 4S Targa is generally as wonderful as any other Carrera. That said, the Targa body style brings with it certain benefits and shortcomings. That nifty retractable top operates via an insanely complex mechanical ballet wherein the wraparound backlight lifts up and the rear panel hinges backward, which raises questions about its long-term reliability. When it’s operating properly, which it did every single time in our care, it sure puts on a show—all that’s missing is popcorn. Unlike the cabriolet, however, that performance can commence only when the vehicle is at a complete stop; the conventional convertible can raise or lower its roof at speeds up to 31 mph.

Highway driving is accompanied by major wind buffeting, although that can be mitigated somewhat by lowering one or both windows a couple of inches. With the top raised, however, a shallow, carpet-lined tray can be accessed under the rear window area, bringing the total number of cargo areas in the Targa to three: a 4-cubic-foot “frunk,” a roughly 5-cubic-foot area atop the folded rear seatbacks, and that shelf, for which Porsche lists no official volume.

The Carrera 4S Targa stickers for $123,650, the same as the cabriolet and $12,300 higher than the Carrera 4S coupe. Besides the $3200 PDK transmission, our test car was optioned with a Sport package ($6290) that includes the Sport Chrono package, four-wheel steering, dual-mode sport exhaust, SportDesign mirrors, and a small-diameter GT Sport steering wheel. The red-and-black leather-lined interior adds $4280 to the total, while the Premium Plus package ($3980) brings cooled seats, keyless starting, auto-dimming mirrors, and more. Other options on our test car included a front-axle lift system ($2590), power front sport seats with 14-way adjustability ($2330), a Bose audio system ($1590), and a lane-change-assist system ($850). That delicious red fabric roof? No charge.

When Porsche switched to the current Targa roof design in 2014, we weren’t sure if its weight and complexity would significantly degrade the model’s performance. It didn’t. We also had questions about whether the turbo 9A2 engines would dilute the 911’s pure character, and again, they didn’t. In the Targa 4S, the combination of the two has proven to be as sublime as in most other Carreras—and it’s not even the quickest Targa any more. Cough up another $16,400, and you can get the 450-hp Targa GTS, which Porsche claims will shave another 0.3 second from the zero-to-60-mph time. We’ll have to verify that claim for ourselves, of course, which means that, yes, there’s going to be another 911 test in the future. Shucks.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: rear-engine, all-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door targa

PRICE AS TESTED: $149,970 (base price: $123,650)

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve flat-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 182 cu in, 2981 cc
Power: 420 hp @ 6500 rpm
Torque: 369 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 96.5 in
Length: 177.1 in
Width: 72.9 in Height: 50.9 in
Passenger volume: 70 cu ft
Cargo volume: 4 cu ft
Curb weight: 3687 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 3.3 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 8.1 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 14.1 sec
Zero to 160 mph: 24.7 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 4.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.5 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 2.6 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.7 sec @ 119 mph
Top speed (drag limited, mfr’s claim): 187 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 143 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 1.04 g

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA combined/city/highway driving: 24/21/27 mpg