Today, Porsche did the totally expected and revealed updated versions of the Targa and Carrera 4/4S models. All come with the same 3-liter turbocharged engines we saw in Frankfurt a month ago. So, does this make for boring news? No. Up next, we're going to prove that giving turbo engines to the 911 Targa is like teaching Sofia Vergara how to pole dance.
You see, the Targa was both the sexiest and the chubbiest model in the 911 range. Because it looked like Sofia Vergara on wheels, nobody could hate it. However, the complex folding roof that gave it those curves meant a lot of extra strengthening braces needed to be added.
When you compare the 1,560 kilograms (3,439 lbs) weight of the outgoing Targa 4 (with PDK) to its 1,450 kilograms (3,197 lbs) Carrera 4 counterpart, you will discover that you're carrying one obese person or two Russian supermodels with you all the time.
That's hardly the end of the world, but weight is the enemy of performance and the Targa 4 never felt that it achieved its full potential. It was a bit like that sharp dressed lobbyist who strong-armed a congressman to make a bridge across nothing and yet can't afford a Tahiti vacation because he has to pay child welfare. In other words, the previous 911 Targa was like a corporate badass without the benefits.
As we all know, downsized turbo engines don't actually reduce weight. The new C63 AMG is not a featherweight when compared to the old model, despite losing the equivalent of a Focus RS engine in displacement. It's the same story with the 2017 Porsche 911 Targa. The basic model with a PDK now weighs 1,590 kilograms, meaning it's put on 30 kilograms (66 lbs)… of muscle mass.
The 20 extra horsepower is trivial when compared to the 60 Nm (44 lb-ft) of torque that's been added. Also, the extra twisting force arrives from as low as 1,700 rpm, while the old 3.4-liter engine demanded you to wait until 5,600 rpm.
More torque available low down is precisely what you need to live with a slightly overweight Targa model. The engine doesn't ned to be thrashed as much while making simple maneuvers around town. Of course, fuel economy has also benefitted from the smaller, turbocharged engine. However, when you own a Targa or are dating Sofia Vergara, saving money is only your second or third concern.
In my mind, the same effect would be witnessed if voluptuous TV star suddenly started striptease lessons. Suddenly, she could move with a little more grace and do things you thought the human body couldn't. Oh, what fun!
And while the thought of Sofia spinning upside-down might tickle your fancy, Porsche also taught the 911 Targa new tricks. For example, the PSM Sport setting now acts like a drift mode, allowing for copious amounts of sideways action without turning the traction control fully off. Somebody grab a BMW M4 and let's have a D1 competition up in this MF.
When you compare the 1,560 kilograms (3,439 lbs) weight of the outgoing Targa 4 (with PDK) to its 1,450 kilograms (3,197 lbs) Carrera 4 counterpart, you will discover that you're carrying one obese person or two Russian supermodels with you all the time.
That's hardly the end of the world, but weight is the enemy of performance and the Targa 4 never felt that it achieved its full potential. It was a bit like that sharp dressed lobbyist who strong-armed a congressman to make a bridge across nothing and yet can't afford a Tahiti vacation because he has to pay child welfare. In other words, the previous 911 Targa was like a corporate badass without the benefits.
As we all know, downsized turbo engines don't actually reduce weight. The new C63 AMG is not a featherweight when compared to the old model, despite losing the equivalent of a Focus RS engine in displacement. It's the same story with the 2017 Porsche 911 Targa. The basic model with a PDK now weighs 1,590 kilograms, meaning it's put on 30 kilograms (66 lbs)… of muscle mass.
The 20 extra horsepower is trivial when compared to the 60 Nm (44 lb-ft) of torque that's been added. Also, the extra twisting force arrives from as low as 1,700 rpm, while the old 3.4-liter engine demanded you to wait until 5,600 rpm.
More torque available low down is precisely what you need to live with a slightly overweight Targa model. The engine doesn't ned to be thrashed as much while making simple maneuvers around town. Of course, fuel economy has also benefitted from the smaller, turbocharged engine. However, when you own a Targa or are dating Sofia Vergara, saving money is only your second or third concern.
In my mind, the same effect would be witnessed if voluptuous TV star suddenly started striptease lessons. Suddenly, she could move with a little more grace and do things you thought the human body couldn't. Oh, what fun!
And while the thought of Sofia spinning upside-down might tickle your fancy, Porsche also taught the 911 Targa new tricks. For example, the PSM Sport setting now acts like a drift mode, allowing for copious amounts of sideways action without turning the traction control fully off. Somebody grab a BMW M4 and let's have a D1 competition up in this MF.
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