Evidently, evolutions in Porsche’s 911 line take 12 months to reach fruition and have their birthdays at NAIAS 2015.
One year ago today, on this very news site, I reported the German sports car giant was introducing the 911 Targa – a throwback to the original Porsche 911 Targa of 1965. Uno long annum later, Porsche used NAIAS 2015 to introduce the 911 Targa 4 GTS – the next step up in its ongoing resurrection of the Targa tradition.
At NAIAS 2014, Porsche introduced two new models with the 911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S. The original 911 Targa hit in 1965, and the remake included throwbacks like the Targa roof bar, a movable front roof section and a wraparound rear window. In keeping with modern Porsche design, both 911 Targa models from 2014 come in AWD, with wider rear track and body frame. The Targa(s) also pack Porsche Traction Management (PTM), found in all 911 all-wheel-drive models — powered by a 3.4-liter 6 cylinder engine producing 350 hp, a zero to 60 time of 4.2 seconds and a top track speed of 183 mph.
Related: NAIAS 2015: 3D Printed Car Comes Alive
Jump ahead to this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and the 911 Targa 4 GTS. Intended to mark the 50th anniversary of the original 911 Targa, the 4 GTS bumps up the performance with a 430 horsepower GTS engine producing a 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds.
The new model includes a Sport Chrono package for track time testing, 20-inch wheels and a sport exhaust system — all for a starting price of about $132,800.
