Review and test Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition

We’re talking about the 911 Targa 4S, and if it looks a little familiar to you at first, don’t be too surprised. This is a Porsche 911, simple enough, the Targa has been a regular part of the range since 1965 and it has the same intricate roof mechanism as the previous generation, the 991. This partly open version of Porsche’s pride is always four-wheel drive and costs almost the same as the comparable convertible version. That amounts to 192,024 euros (148,987 euros in Belgium) for the Targa 4S with PDK, the stronger version that we drive here.

Only this specific car – a special version, as you could probably already guess from its stickers and colors – cost another 40 grand. Because it is something very new; and also something kind of old. It is called the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition and only 992 units were produced. It is now sold out, although you can still order an interior package on the regular Targa called Heritage Design Pure (two-tone leather, sports seats and more fun) as a consolation, at 14,080 euros.

What is the thinking behind the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition?

The Heritage Design Edition is a rolling tribute to the Porsches of the fifties and sixties, so you can extract endless information about competition history from the accompanying literature if you wish. A little Porsche 356 here, a 1963 decal there, a pair of Fuchs-inspired wheels – your retro-spirited soul is fully caressed. All very nice, but those body decorations are just stickers, and those gold letters and logos are questionable.

Inside, the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition is already a lot better. The perforated microfibre canopy may not be quite our taste, but the corduroy seats – softer and more comfortable than leather, and great for keeping you in place when cornering – are a delight. The green numbers on the counters? We can still see through that.

Other colors

Porsche offered this special edition in four other colors in addition to this cherry red metallic, and this was only the first of four retro-911s to look forward to. One, we are promised, is inspired by the 1980s. Be able to. Not. Wait. It must be bright red, with a huge rubber whale tail-spoiler on the back and a creaky homemade tire with Bon Jovi numbers in its dashboard.

There are still four seats and the occasional wind chatter when you’ve stowed the roof in the back, but otherwise it’s a delightful way to get around the road. With its 1,675 kilos, the Targa is 40 kilos heavier than the convertible, and with the coupé it even saves 110 kilos. Interestingly, Porsche has not attempted to remedy or disguise this with reinforcements, but rather seems to embrace the weight and allow the Targa to exude a hint of middle age.

The chassis of the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition

The chassis comfort is fine and the whole driving experience can be called particularly refined, but at speed you notice some hel- and diving behavior in the corners. Still, the 911 Targa is brilliant in its steering and handling and is beautifully put together. This Heritage Design Edition may be inspired by motorsport, but it leans more towards a GT.