Porsche 911 Targa (06 on) - Review

Review by Ben Wall on
Last Updated: 05 March 2009
The 911 Targa is a sort of halfway-house between the standard Coupe model and the Convertible. It retains the classic body Porsche shape, but at the touch of a button, the glass roof retracts for occupants to enjoy the sun. The roof operates at any speed, much like an electric sunroof. It's further distinguished from other models in the line-up by having an opening hatchback, increasing practicality. The Targa is only available with four-wheel-drive and has wider rear bodywork giving an extra purposeful stance as well as added stability. It's a combination that seems particularly suited to the UK - it's more secure in slippery conditions, and the roof allows occupants to make the most of any good weather. The model was facelifted in mid 2008 with new engines and exterior changes including the introduction of LED daytime running lights.
5 out of 5

Other Porsche reviews

3 out of 5

Running costs

The Targa is not a cheap car, but it does enjoy very strong residual values, so you'll get back much of what you initially spent if you decided to sell or trade in for a newer model. Insurance, servicing, fuel and tyres aren't cheap but Porsche has worked to reduce these, by extending service intervals over the previous model and designing it to be cheaper to repair if there's minor damage.

Summary Running Costs

Servicing period

Every 20,000 miles.

Warranty

Two years/unlimited miles.

Road tax (12 months)

£460.00 - £475.00

Vehicle excise duty (VED) varies according to the CO2 emissions and the fuel type of the vehicle. For cars registered after March 1st 2001 VED or road tax is based on the car's CO2 emissions. For cars registered before March 1st 2001 it is based on engine size.

Full running costs data

2.5 out of 5

Green credentials

  • A
  • B
  • C
  • D
  • E
  • F
  • G
  • H
  • I
  • J
  • K
  • L
    237
  • M
    286

CO2 emission figure (g/km)

Fuel economy rating

The arrows indicate the best and worst CO2 bands for this model.

Emissions summary

By family car standards the Targa performs poorly on the environmental front with average emissions of 281g/km of CO2. However the company has worked to reduce this and facelifted models from 2008 have lower average emissions of 244g/km of CO2. Considering the performance on offer fuel economy is more than acceptable - the 3.6-litre Targa returns 29mpg. Not bad for a car with 345bhp and four-wheel drive.

Find the exact engine and CO2