Porsche Targa is here for your driving pleasure

Kenya’s middle class have an affinity for the finer things in life and of late, premium brands like Jaguar and Porsche have been introducing spanking new models only seen in the streets of Dubai, Los Angeles or London, in the country.

Porsche recently introduced the modern of a classic sports car, the 911 Targa.

Built to offer exhilarating ride, the Targa competes directly with Jaguar’s manic F-Type drop top  — but does it have what it takes to attract would-be customers in the Kenyan market.

While Porsche-aficionados will recognise cues from the classic Targa introduced in the late 1960s, this one comes with an ingenious new twist.

Just like the original, the new Targa has a wide roll-bar in place of the B-pillars behind the doors, a removable roof section above the driver and passenger, and a wrap-around rear window without a C-pillar.

It carries on Porsche’s unique design language that has evolved over half a century, albeit a touch that signifies it is a modern 21st century sports car.

Oval bi-xenon headlamps complete with its LED daytime running lights makes it unmistakably a Porsche descendant.

In fact, up to the window line, the new Targa is virtually identical to the Carrera 4 Cabriolet —  but the wide rear body that is typical of all-wheel drive 911 models, the roof bar and the dome-shaped rear window combine to create a distinctively sporty profile that makes the Targa very much its own car.

Step right in the Targa and you are greeted with the excellent German craftsmanship. The stitched leather dash takes centre stage with the stainless steel centre and gearbox console resembling a fighter jet’s, what with flush buttons that control traction, active exhaust and stability control.

Standard kit includes leather trim, sports seats, automatic climate control, bi-xenon headlights, 180mm colour touch-screen with satellite navigation, digital radio, a universal audio interface with MP3 connectivity.

Porsche offers the Targa in two derivatives, each Euro 6-compliant, with a seven-speed stick shift and all-wheel drive as standard.

If you are obsessed with power, then the Targa GTS is the right medication for you.

Pumping an impressive 316kW from its 3.8-litre “boxer,” and Porsche says it sprints from 0 to 100 in 4.3 seconds and top out at 296km/h.

 

Behind the wheel, the Targa drives well at low speeds, more like a VW Golf; quiet and refined which is rather ideal for your regular daily drive to the office, until you get at least 5000rpm.

Give it the beans and the Targa comes out guns blazing, ready for action on the tarmac.

The scope and fizzing style of the power delivery is wonderful: ample, still building even beyond 6000, smooth all the way to the 7800rpm redline, and a joy to listen to.

With adaptive damping and the Sport Plus mode of the Sport Chrono Pack both available to it, the suspension of the Targa 4 GTS operates with plenty of bandwidth. It never quite matches the well-judged ride control or the fluent handling of a Carrera, though.

Leave it in soft and you get an absorbent low-speed ride, and the compliance to deal easily with medium-sized bumps at speed.

But you also get a mobile, slightly unsettled motorway ride, as the 911 heaves and oscillates gently over its rear wheels. The 911 Targa GTS is a fantastic roadster for the person who understands and appreciates Porsche’s history and pedigree.

It has iconic looks, is fun to drive and is easy to live with. It offers the ideal proposition for that person looking for a thrill during the weekend.

It might not be as loud and outrageous as its arc rival the Jaguar F Type, but it offers a certain degree of suave driving pleasure for the discreet driver.

Retailing at a measly $230,859, it offers more bang for your buck.