2019Porsche 911 Targa 4GTS: Big Hips, Extra MuscleA FEATURE-PACKED, MORE POWERFUL 911 VARIANT.
Porsche Targa 4 GTS Adding Emotion And Style To A Logical Sports Car
Porsche’s latest interpretation of its half-century-old Targa design combines a sweeping rear canopy with a bodywork ballet that opens the roof to a point behind the driver’s shoulder. Targa is much more than a prosaic sunroof.
Targa 4 GTS is a prime example of Porsche’s product planning and marketing strategy. Porsche can deftly apply pieces drawn from its 911 toolbox to create subtly differentiated layers of value and performance, capturing potential buyers and walking them upwards in increments of a few thousand dollars.
In the case of Targa, its teardrop glass roof adds emotional design. Like all 911s, Targa 4 GTS has a comfortable interior for long-distance travel or everyday driving—style never triumphs functionality. The cars are passionate, but driven by logic.
Thanks to Porsche’s Doppelkupplung gearbox combined with GTS's standard Sport Chrono package and more power and torque derived from bigger turbos, the top-spec Targa 4 GTS I drove the week before Pebble Beach is 0.3-second quicker to 60 mph than a “standard” Targa 4S. 0-60 in 3.5 seconds. That pushes Targa 4 GTS close to the “supercar” threshold, which starts at about 3.2 seconds 0-60. Only exotic sports cars costing a hundred grand more or the very best high-performance sedans will challenge Targa 4 GTS in a drag race. 4 wheel steering adds to the handling excitement, Sport Plus never grows boring, a temptation whenever a shot of adrenaline is needed to enhance mood.
 
My grandchildren love to watch the “transformer like” ballet of the Targa top going up or down