Stealing the spotlight at the 2015 North American International Auto Show in Detroit recently is the Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS.
Designed to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 911 Targa, the model is powered by a 3.8-litre 6-cylinder engine that develops 430hp and 440 Nm of torque. This enables it to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 4.3 seconds before hitting a top speed in excess of 300 km/h with a PDK transmission.
Although the engine produces an additional 30hp, its combined fuel consumption – which ranges from 9.2 to 10.0 l/100 km, depending on the type of transmission – is exactly the same as for the 911 Targa 4S.
The latest Targa can be made out at first glance as a GTS model with all-wheel drive, because – compared to the two-wheel drive 911 Carrera models – the rear wheel arches are flared an additional 22mm, and the rear tyres are 10mm wider. The front view is defined by the sport design of the car’s front end with an opening for the auxiliary middle radiator and the smoked bi-xenon headlights that feature the Porsche Dynamic Light System (PDLS). In a side view, characteristic GTS attributes are the silky gloss black 20-inch 911 Turbo S wheels with central locks, the sport design door mirrors and “GTS” signatures on the doors.
The “targa” logo on the silver rollover protection bar is also painted in silky gloss black. Black accents at the rear are the glossy trim on the air inlet screen, the model logo and the chrome tailpipes.
GTS DNA also defines the interior of the 911 Targa 4 GTS. Integrated at the centre of the instrument panel is the stopwatch of the Sport Chrono package. In the front, the four-way adjustable Sport Plus seats – with their black GTS logo on the head restraints – provide additional lateral support and long-distance cruising comfort for driver and passenger. The dominant interior material is black Alcantara, which is just half the weight of leather.
