Speedy Wonder

This unique Porsche 911 sports a retractable Targa top and runs on uprated turbo power

The story of the GTS in Porsche heritage began as early as 1963, with the 904 GTS Racer. Today, it represents a superlative variant in every Porsche lineup - be it the Boxster, Cayman, Panamera, Cayenne or Macan. In the 911 range too, it is the closest you'll get to experiencing a racecar on the road, with the exception of the extreme GT2 and GT3 models. This week, we zoom in on a 911 that is not only a GTS but has a Targa top too!
DESIGN & AESTHETICS
Even after 55 years, Porsche has managed to keep that classic 911 silhouette and its many details that make it beloved and recognisable. The bulbous lamps and sloping-rear roofline are what you pay the big bucks for. To most, the 911 represents the pinnacle of sports car design, although there is a minority that thinks it looks like a toad. No jokes! Though the style stays true to the original, there are a host of new technologies that keep it tech advanced - like standard bi-xenon lamps that are capable of throwing light beyond normal halogens. and they turn when the steering does, to improve proximal visibility. This one has wider haunches too, that increase track width for more road stability. Along with the revision, come centrally-located twin oval exhausts instead of the trapezoidal ones: and they are large in diameter - depicting power and performance.
The GTS sub-brand brings a lot of black to the table: black front splitter, headlamp and tail lamp inlays, exhausts etc. Even the special 10-spoke, 20-inch wheels and the band of metal found on the Targa roof gets 'painted' black. Being a Targa - now a fancy word for hardtop convertibles - you can open the roof up to the skies with just the press of a button. How is it different from the convertible? Well, this one has a one-piece wraparound glass end instead of a fabric top, which takes 20 seconds to disappear as opposed to the 9 in the regular convertible. In either case, opening up the roof gets you noticed.
The inside is equally special. Regulation sees it as a 2+2, but those rear seats are as cramped as you'd imagine. But rest assured there is plenty of space upfront whether you take the highly-bolstered sport seats or racing buckets - which have seat shells made of glass - and carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic. They also get some garnish in the form of the GTS and Porsche logos' embroidery to remind one of "brand love".
With that low-laying floor, you get that authentic racecar feel sliding into those seats. with the pedals right where you want them: three if you opt for the manual and two for the quick-shifting 7-speed PDK. And the steering wheel, pilfered from the 918 Spyder, is a lovely piece of kit with its 3-spoke variety and anodised trim. but most of all, they feel perfect in your hands with wrappings of alcantara.
With Porsche, you can always expect top-notch quality. Every knob and switch works without a squeak or a rattle and the same goes for the panels - be it on the dash, centre console or doors. Between pilot and passenger is a sloping console first seen on the Carrera GT and then the Panamera and every model since.
POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
Imagine scaling Jebel Jais, up the winding roads in terrific pace, armed with a chassis - and a drive feel - that allows you to negotiate those hairpins and long sweeping turns with confidence. whilst letting out a high-revving exhaust note. That is what it feels like to drive a 911, and this Targa 4 GTS is no different. All possible thanks to wider-than-wide tyres, rear wheel steering and PASM (a Porsche electronic nanny that controls everything that dictates motion). Some may complain of the minutest lack of feedback from the electromechanical power-assisted steering as opposed to the mechanical unit of previous generations - but the difference is negligible, almost unnoticeable. And when you drive back home, you can switch off Sport mode and coast. Depending on the transmission, the car is claimed to return between 9.7L/100km and 8.7L/100km, which is commendable. But perhaps a fuel tank larger than 67 litres was more apt.
With the revamp, every variant has gotten the forced induction treatment. This season, if you flip the trunk, you'd find a 444bhp twin-turbo 3.0-litre. still a boxer engine with a flat-6 configuration. Torque figures are a whole lot meatier now, thanks to its turbo. It now delivers a generous 550Nm to move your mass. That is more than a 5.0-litre Mustang and Camaro SS. With such firepower, you will top out at a stratospheric 306 km/h if local road regulations allowed! And it gets from 0 to 100 km/h in a brisk 3.7 seconds, with Launch Control activated of course. Wait a tad longer, say around 8 seconds, you hit 160 km/h. A new welcome addition is the mode switch on the steering wheel. Press the SPORT Response button for 20-second bursts of power - and make overtaking and showing off easy.
Braking is another department the 911 excels in. Upfront, there are 6-pistons callipers clamping on 350mm rotors, and 4-piston rear rotors grabbing 330mm units - letting you carry that speed until the last moment. The red callipers really don't add any stopping power but bring a sporty look. Alternatively, you can get the lighter carbon ceramic brakes.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
As a 2-seater or a second car, it works perfectly well. But it isn't much of a luggage hauler. You can throw your handbag into the rear cabin. And there is another 125 litres available in the trunk - not a lot. Although air-conditioning is not a big concern now that temperatures have dipped, you'd still be pleased to know a comfortable cabin is maintained regardless of ambient conditions.
The base 150-watt sound system shouldn't be available since most dealers order high-spec models. But that works out fine since the first upgrade gets you a good Bose unit with 12 loudspeakers and 555 watts. Then, there's the Burmester audio with a mighty 821-watt output. You can play music from multiple sources like CD/DVD drive, SD, an internal 10-GB hard drive USB and Bluetooth. Mimic your phone interface and use Google Maps through Apple CarPlay; unfortunately, Android users have been categorically ignored. At least there is wireless Internet for everybody.
VERDICT
The Porsche 911 is arguably the ultimate expression of sports cars. Its beautifully-wheeled body embodies flawless German build quality. It delivers on the promise of pace and driving pleasure with the earful of that loud, obnoxious and unapologetic exhaust note in the background. The Targa 4 GTS is just another open-top iteration of the same formula. They could have added more years to that two-year warranty package, but at least it doesn't have a mileage cap.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com

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