2008 Porsche 911 Targa

A Good Kind of Glass Ceiling

The Porsche 911 Targa blurs the line between coupe and convertible and benefits from some surprisingly practical features.

Exterior

The current Porsche 911 Targa debuted for 2007, three years after a major redesign of the base 911.

The Targa has that familiar Porsche look that is instantly recognizable: the low, bug-eyed front; rakish, overhanging tail; and gently curving silhouette. Like other 911 Carrera S models and the 911 Turbo, both the Targa 4 and Targa 4S are two inches wider at the rear. This extra width improves stability and makes for haunches more voluptuous than those of the base 911 Carrera Coupe.

All Targas have polished aluminum trim that follows the arc of the roofline and creates a sharp angle at the trailing edge of the rear side window. That extra chrome fits the more ostentatious persona Porsche seeks to give the 911 Targa.

Bright red brake calipers peek through the wheel spokes and announce the cars sporting intentions. The roof’s dark-tinted glass stands out on lighter-colored cars and is especially visible from the back, where it flows uninterrupted into the rear window.

The rear hatch opens smoothly to a cargo-friendly 60-degree angle. It can be lifted easily with one hand, and can be released either with the key fob or with a switch near the driver’s door. There’s also no need to slam it shut; just place it down and the locking mechanism pulls it into position.

Like on fixed-roof Porsche 911 models, there is a generous front trunk.

Interior

The Porsche 911 Targa provides a surprising amount of cargo flexibility.

Like on other 911 coupes, the rear seats fold forward to create a flat cargo floor. The lift-up glass hatch makes accessing this space much easier than on other 911 coupes — forget about wrestling bundles back behind the front seats.

With the same generous storage compartment under the hood as on other 911 models — enough for a couple of medium-sized duffel bags or a suitcase — the Porsche 911 Targa has plenty of capacity for a weekend trip for two, or a golf outing. We managed to fit a large laundry bag, a 24-pack of bottled water, and grocery bags up there.

Most folks might assume that the rear seats are too small to be used for anything other than cargo, but we’ve carried children and petite adults back there for short trips in the city. That’s one of the unique charms of the Porsche 911 compared to most other sports cars, which usually have only two seats. To make the rear inhabitable, front passengers must move their seats forward enough to expand legroom in back.

The front seats are more generously proportioned than those in most sports cars (and previous 911s). Front legroom is adequate, but in general the fit is snug for those taller or bigger than average.

The large windshield and generous side windows create a sense of openness lacking on other low-slung sports cars. The glass roof only adds to this sense of space.

Opening and closing the roof is simple. A single switch on the center console operates both a retractable mesh screen and the glass roof panel — a telltale sign of Porsche’s pursuit of minimalism, using one button instead of two. Click it once to open the screen, and another time to open the roof. The mesh screen isn’t opaque, so those who want to completely block the sun are out of luck.

The fully retracted top creates a 4.8-square-foot expanse that doesn’t seem much larger than the opening of the sunroof on the standard 911 Carrera Coupe.

However, the roof’s design shows plenty of engineering forethought — for instance, it actually presses harder against its seal as speed increases to help prevent wind noise.

That said, the sliding canopy does create compromises. We noticed creaks when going over potholes — some of might have come from the rear window hatch. Porsche 911s are usually completely devoid of creaks and rattles — even a convertible 911 we tested had far fewer creaks with the top up than the 911 Targa.

The Targa’s roof gets another demerit for obstructing the view out the back window when retracted. This is particularly a concern for shorter drivers who might have a hard time seeing over it when looking out the back window to reverse the car.

When open, the roof also reduces what little rear-seat headroom there is to begin with and could even smack a rear occupant in the head when retracting, as it did in our experience.

The Targa 4S brings some interior upgrades that cost extra on other Porsche 911 models. Among them are a sport steering wheel, aluminum-colored instrument dials, and aluminum-look trim throughout, such as on the air vents and shift lever.

The 911 Targa 4S we drove had the optional Adaptive Sport Seats. They’re a $3,055 option, but they improve both lateral support and overall comfort so much that they are worth it if you plan to spend a lot of time behind the wheel.

Barely a decade ago, Porsche’s audio quality left a lot to be desired. But much has improved in just a few years. The latest sound system really makes the best of the 911’s tight cabin with nine well-placed speakers, and the available Bose Surround Sound upgrade boosts quality even further.

Overall, the 911 feels more utilitarian inside than the average luxury car — but this is by design, to keep the focus on the joy of driving. Despite a smattering of luxury-car conveniences, high-performance overtones prevail.

Though it doesn’t have the opulent touches found in the Jaguar XKR, or the coddling cabin of a Mercedes SL550, the Porsche 911 Targa has raw sports-car appeal those cars lack and should draw those who put driving enjoyment first.