There are at least 11 versions of the 2025 Porsche 911 available depending on how you define a version. There is the Coupé two-door with a hard roof, the more relaxed convertible with a soft top and the best of both worlds: the Targa.
- Basic trim motor
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3.6L H-6 hybrid
- Basic trim transmission
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PDK 8-speed manual transmission
- Basic trim drivetrain
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Four-wheel drive
- Basic trim horsepower
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478 hp @6500 rpm
- Basic trim torque
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420 lb-ft. @ 2000 rpm
- Battery type basic trim
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Lithium-ion (Li-ion)
- To make
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Porsche
- Model
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911 Targa4
- Segment
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Sports car
The Porsche 911 is a driver’s car, with a powerful rear engine and two- or four-wheel drive. While there are plenty of traditional sports cars with more horsepower, and even beefy Volvo EVs with a quicker 0-60 sprint, the total Porsche 911 package is the real deal for performance junkies. The coupe is known for its brilliant handling, while the convertible trades structural rigidity for open-air driving, with the sun on your face and the wind in your hair. The Targa gives you both, proving you can go both ways.
To provide the most accurate and up-to-date information, this article uses data sourced from various manufacturers and authoritative sources.
The history of the Targa Top Sportswoman
The name Targa was registered as a trademark by Porsche in 1965, named after the Targa Florio, a Sicilian road race where Porsche had achieved considerable success at the time. Targa also means license plate in Italian, but that was only discovered after the name was chosen.
The Targa and similar T-top roofs became an urgent necessity in the 1960s and 1970s, when it was feared that the U.S. Department of Transportation would ban convertibles due to safety risks to passengers if the car were to roll over.
What is a targa?
The Targa is a convertible/convertible with a removable roof section between the windshield and the rear window. Most Porsche Targas had a sturdy fixed roll bar behind the front seats, to which the removable roof was attached when in place. The back of the roll bar formed the front of the rear window. When the roof was removed, the characteristic gap between the front and rear windows remained. Not all Targas had the roll bar; two generations in the 1990s had a glass roof that could slide under the rear window.
The Porsche Targa from the beginning to the present
The original Targa had a fold-down plastic rear window, essentially turning the car into a convertible with a chunky roll bar. A few years later, Porsche added the option of a fixed glass rear window that could be heated, and this became the standard Targa setup until the 1990s.
The glass roof
The next big change came in ’93, when the Targa lost the roll bar and the roof became tinted, heat-insulated glass, running from the windshield frame to the rear. Structural strength was now provided by two reinforced roof beams on either side of the roof, above the windows. The glass roof was electrically retracted under the now sloping rear window.
The return of the Roll Bar
The classic Targa top with the sturdy roll bar returned in 2014 with the 991 model. The glass roof was replaced by a sturdy top, which automatically folded behind the seats when some sun was needed. The roll bar is also not sturdy; the corners stick up so that the roof supports can be folded back.
The entire rear window raises and backs to make room for the roof before being put back into place. This arrangement was also used in the 992 model introduced in the 1920s, although the roof of this new model folds into a z-shape for more compact storage. Opening or closing the Targa roof can only be done when the car is stationary and takes about 20 seconds.
Coupe vs. Convertible vs. Targa
The first production Porsche, the 356, was a soft-top convertible and the hardtop coupe option was introduced in 1956. The iconic Porsche 911 was launched as a coupe in 1963, with the Targa serving as a convertible from 1965 until 1987, when the 911 Cabriolet was added to the range. Today there are at least 11 trim levels of the 911 to choose from, but the base coupe, convertible and targa are the only body types in these trims. So what does each product offer, and what are the differences?
Porsche 911 Coupe
The Coupe has the classic body shape preferred by serious performance enthusiasts and real racing drivers. It is lighter than the Cabriolet or the Targa, and the integral roof adds to the strength and rigidity of the chassis.
When you combine the advantages of a lighter car with a better chassis, you get better acceleration and more dynamic driving. Rear visibility is excellent thanks to the clear rear window, but you cannot enjoy the open roof experience of the Cabriolet or the Targa.
Porsche 911 Cabriolet
The 911 Cabriolet has a fully retractable roof, allowing for unobstructed open-air driving. It is a performance car, but with a strong preference for fun: a boulevard cruiser.
The Cabriolet weighs more than the Coupé because of the folding roof, but less than the Targa with its rear window and extensive folding mechanism. It has the least torsional strength of the three forms due to the lack of a roof structure. In terms of driving dynamics, it’s not as good as the Coupe, and about the same as the Targa. What it lacks in chassis stiffness, it makes up for by being lighter than the Targa and having a slightly lower center of gravity.
Porsche 911 Targa
The Targa is the heaviest of the three body styles, and this is reflected in the slightly slower acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h. The Targa top basket does add strength to the chassis, but this is offset by the lighter Cabriolet. The Targa, with its roll bar, is slightly more crash-resistant than the Cabriolet, and it can also carry slightly more luggage. Not that you would choose a Porsche because of the cargo space.
Which 911 Targa to choose?
Electric cars have changed the quantum of straight-line acceleration and top speed. Manufacturers can and do fit insanely powerful motors into their electric vehicles. The Chinese Yangwang U9 Xtreme has a 750 hp motor on each wheel, giving it a total of just over 3,000 hp.
Even the very practical Volvo EX30 SUV, which costs less than $50,000, has more than 400 horsepower and will outrun the standard Porsche 911 in a straight line. An EV can beat a gasoline car any day at a fraction of the cost. The question is, would you prefer straight-line acceleration to pure, unadulterated motoring? Or more simply: if you had to choose one, would you choose a Volvo or a Porsche?
The Porsche 911 Targa options
The 911 range is available in several flavors, with horsepower ranging from 388 to 473, up to a hybrid with 532 hp. You also get the hybrid turbo with 701 hp, which can sprint to 100 km/h in 2.4 seconds. The Targa is available in two options, both with all-wheel drive, with the choice of the 473 hp engine or the 532 hybrid. The AWD favors the rear wheels, with the front adding grip and handling where needed.
The AWD is not as much a purist choice as the rear-wheel drive ideal, but then the Targa offers the same compromise as the Coupé. When you no longer have to strive for straight-line acceleration, you achieve a Zen-like freedom to choose the pleasure of driving. And the Porsche 911 Targa offers you that and much more. You can ride dry in the rain, or enjoy the sun on your face, the wind in your hair and the muffled roar of the exhausts. And you will truly have the best of both worlds.
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