I’ve never been a huge fan of Porsche, mostly because I’ve never much cared for the shape of their cars. But I will say that the newer models don’t look too bad:
Here’s the original Targa:
And an overhead of the 2020:
That is actually quite toothsome. Let’s hope they don’t catch fire like the earlier 4S models did.
Here’s the whole story of its launch.
The Targa… the 911 specifically designed for the poser market in California. The early ones suffered from a plastic zip out rear window that rapidly yellowed in the sun and became opaque. They also had serious chassis flex problems that caused ill fitting doors. Later models along with the Cabriolets had stiffer floor pans but they were never able keep up with increased loadings from sticker tires and better suspensions.
Can’t wait to see how they managed to create a Power roof for the center section.
The only good looking Porsche was the 914.
“What is the difference between a porcupine and a Porsche?”
“With a Porsche the pricks are on the inside !”
Had a good friend in Dallas who always, and probably still does, drove Porsche’s he made sure that when they made the last air-cooled in the late 1990’s he got a neat tricked out turbo one. One evening after a visit he headed on home and got caught in a rain storm and his less than a year old Porsche drove though some water on the street high enough to come in over the door sill not a whole lot of water came in but enough to get into the computer system under the seat and it kind of fried everything up. It took months and months for Porsche to get his neat car repaired and running right while my friend was driving a rental. Last time I spoke to him three years ago in Dallas he is still driving Porsche’s.
The targa style has always been the least successful variant in my opinion.
You can’t even buy it here in Aus or Nz.
More disappointing to me, I went into our local Porsche dealership and the only manual car available in the 911 range is the gt3. No manual in normal or turbo versions.
And he said if you want a manual in a Boxster or cayman be quick.
I know this is another dinosaur moment, but I will miss a manual car.
I am still not sure why people think German cars are so wonderful. Things go wrong with them that you can’t imagine or believe. The reference above to a Porsche and the its electrical problems is completely understandable. My sister’s Mercedes M class was totaled by a cracked taillight. How? Water entered through the crack and caused no end of problems with the wiring. By the time of diagnosis, the car was written off, as the repairs were worth more than the car.
Chacun a son gout as someone once said.
I have had two VW’s, two Mercedes and three Audi’s including a neat turbo back in the old days when I didn’t know better. Under warranty with my best Audi the vacuum door lock system went whanky and when I would try to lock the driver’s door the passenger door would unlock, that went on for a few days and under warranty it was repaired in just one week. Out of warranty on those Kraut cars it was always, $500 even to fix a door lock. I think they were getting even for losing both World Wars.
Getting even for ze vorld vars?
Nein, nein, ve are practizing for ze next von.
Ve und unser freunds ze chinks are zupplying you viz most of your electronix, und sie sind ganz kaput.
Germany’s way of letting Americans know they have too much money.