Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS UK review Car News

Of the myriad variants of the 992-generation Porsche 911, the 191mph Targa 4 GTS is the one you’re least likely to see.

For one, it’s expensive: £126,000 compared to £111,380 for the RWD Carrera GTS coupe and £115,920 for the regular Targa 4S. At just five grand less than the 911 GT3, the Targa plus GTS combo doesn’t come cheap.

On the other hand, and GTS-grade or not, most people longing for an open-air 911 experience will gravitate towards the Carrera Cabriolet, the current iteration of which suffers no noticeable drawbacks resulting from the loss of the solid coupe roof and only require stopping to lower or raise the roof (part of the Targa’s nifty deck extends beyond the car’s footprint mid-action, so you have to stop ).

Above all, though, you might wonder about the wisdom of giving the heaviest, most touring model in the 911 lineup a GTS makeover that adds – among other tricks – a shorter 911 Turbo-derived suspension meant for more rugged driving. very hard. So strong that auxiliary springs, designed to ensure the main springs stay in place after instances of maximum extension, are included for the rear axle.

Elsewhere, the power increase of the 3.0-litre flat-six, from 444bhp to 473bhp, is of course welcome as part of the GTS redesign, as are the staggered, clever (21″ rear, 20″ front, Turbo S design) center lock wheels, plus Turbo grade cast iron brakes.

Without a doubt, the Targa 4 GTS is an immensely desirable car, and any criticism of the concept of pairing the Targa with GTS running gear will be nothing short of splitting hairs.

It also succeeds as an object. The curved glass above the rear axle and basket-handle hoop (dark for GTS, rather than plain silver) make an attractive pair, and so does the predatory stance. This example, in GT Silver and with the 18-way adaptive sports seats, costs almost £140,000, but in all fairness it feels at least as special as any Aston Martin Vantage Roadster or Audi R8 Spyder. To those eyes, wheels painted silver, rather than black, would really set it off.

The extra-voiced GTS exhaust is also welcome, and the difference is noticeable whether daylight is shining directly into the cabin or not. The temptation to unleash the engine and hit the 7500 rpm redline is all the greater in the GTS not just because of that more aggressive edge of the exhaust note, but because the revs seem to be rising more quickly and freely during the final 1000 rpm or so compared to the less powerful but mostly identical units of the regular Targa 4 and Targa 4S.