60 years of the Porsche 911 Targa

The story behind the 911 Targa, an enduring style icon

November 19, 2025 | 8 min read

Porsche 911 Targa (type 992.2) pictured against a wall with palm tree in background

Born out of innovation and necessity, the Targa has evolved into a hallmark of the 911 range. A car that is neither coupe nor cabriolet, the Targa does things in its own way

The Porsche 911 Targa began life as a creative answer to an impending problem. In the 1960s, stringent new safety regulations in the United States threatened to outlaw convertibles. But the response from Porsche wasn’t compromise. It was invention.

The answer was a fixed ‘Targa’ roll bar that would satisfy US rules. The roll bar gave the 911 the structural integrity of a coupe but the open-air freedom of a cabriolet. More than half a century later, the Targa remains a symbol of Porsche innovation. Neither coupe nor cabriolet, it’s the Porsche that refuses to be categorised and has gained a cult following in the process.

Here’s how 60 years of open-air engineering evolved into one of the most iconic silhouettes in motoring.

What’s the difference between Targa and Cabriolet?

While both the 911 Targa and 911 Cabriolet models promise open-air freedom, they do so in very different ways. The Cabriolet is the pure open-top expression of the 911: a fully retractable fabric roof that disappears completely, exposing the entire cabin to the sky.

The Targa, by contrast, is a Porsche invention. Introduced in 1965 as the world’s first ‘safety cabriolet’, it features a fixed roll bar behind the seats, a removable or retractable roof panel and a wraparound glass rear window. The result is a unique balance: open-air exhilaration with coupe-like strength, style and security.

Over the decades, that roll bar – the famous Targa Bar – became an icon in its own right. It’s both a design signature and a structural backbone, giving the Targa its unmistakable character.

Side view of a classic Porsche 911 Targa in a studio — The first 911 Targa was unveiled in 1965 as a Porsche innovation to meet tightened restrictions on convertibles in the United States Photo: Porsche

The Targa that started it all – the 911 2.0 Targa

Introduced at the 1965 Frankfurt Motor Show, the Porsche Targa concept broke the mould for open-top driving while satisfying US safety concerns for convertible cars.

Named after Porsche triumphs in the infamous Sicilian endurance road race, the Targa Florio, Porsche patented the Targa concept in August 1965, and by autumn 1966 it was introduced in the 911, 911 S and 912 line-ups to instant acclaim. The name Targa, which means numberplate in Italian, only came to light after the copywriters working on the brochure looked up the meaning of the word.

From late 1967, customers could specify a fixed, heated glass rear window instead of the earlier fold-down plastic version, a refinement that became standard within a year and defined the Targa’s silhouette for decades to come. Since then, the Targa has been available as a variant of every 911 model since.

Porsche 911 Targa (G-Series)

When Porsche introduced the second generation of the Porsche 911 – the G-Series – in 1973, the Targa remained a proud constant. For the first time, the 911 body underwent major structural changes: new box-shaped bumpers with black bellows met stringent US impact regulations, capable of absorbing collisions of up to 8 km/h without damaging the bodywork.

That the Targa’s roof concept itself needed no alteration was proof of how right Porsche had got it the first time. But the styling evolved. The trademark brushed stainless-steel roll bar could now be ordered in black, giving the car a sportier, more modern character.

Even when Porsche introduced the 911 SC Cabriolet in 1983 – the brand’s first fully open 911 in nearly two decades – the Targa held its ground. It remained a fixture of the range, bridging coupe and cabriolet, and continued in production well beyond the G-Series.

Porsche 911 Targa (type 964)

With the third iteration of the 911 in 1988, Porsche rewrote a new chapter in the already illustrious history of the 911. The type 964 version of the 911 featured 85 per cent new parts, even though the overall styling remained true to form. Launched from the start as a Carrera 4, the 911 gained all-wheel drive for the first time – similar to the system developed for the 959 – as well as ABS, power steering and the option of an automatic gearbox. The 964 also debuted with the now-iconic extendable rear spoiler, which lifted at speeds above 80 km/h (50mph) to provide downforce and enhance engine cooling.

A year later, Porsche launched the Carrera 2, a rear-wheel drive version of the 911. Customers could choose between Coupe, Cabriolet and Targa variants of both models.

The 964 Targa remained true to its roots: the brushed stainless-steel roll bar, the removable roof panel and that distinctive wraparound glass rear screen. It was the perfect blend of tradition and technology – familiar in form, but sharper, more refined and notably faster.

By the time production of the type 964 model ended in 1993, Porsche had built 87,663 Targa models across the first three 911 generations, proof that the coupe-convertible concept resonated with drivers.

Porsche 911 Targa (type 993)

In 1993 Porsche introduced the fourth generation of the 911, known by its internal name – the type 993. The body shape changed significantly, which was now more aerodynamic, with wider and flatter front wings and broader rear haunches. But the biggest change came when the Targa was launched in 1995. In place of the stainless-steel roll bar and removable panel came a tinted, heat-insulating glass roof that extended seamlessly from the windscreen to the rear and was encased in a longitudinal safety structure.

The electrically-operated central panel could now slide back under the rear window at the press of a button. When closed, the glass roof reduced wind noise dramatically, as well as bathing the cabin in light and giving a panoramic sense of space. When open, it delivered the signature Targa sensation without compromising the car’s structural rigidity or iconic coupe silhouette.

Porsche 911 Targa (type 996)

When Porsche introduced the fifth-generation 911 (type 996) in 1997, it marked another turning point for the model. The 911 was completely redesigned and, for the first time, powered by water-cooled, six-cylinder boxer engines. The Targa joined the line-up in December 2001 alongside the Coupe and Cabriolet. Like its predecessor, it featured an electrically-operated glass roof, now enlarged to more than 1.5 square metres – the largest expanse of glass ever fitted to a 911.

The new three-part roof design, made of green-tinted, laminated safety glass, combined the open-air feeling of a sunroof with the comfort of a closed coupe. Another first was the upward-folding rear window, which provided easy access to up to 230 litres of luggage space behind the seats.

Porsche 911 Targa (type 997)

The Targa evolved once more with the launch of the sixth generation of the 911, the type 997, in 2006. The glass panoramic roof and hinged rear window design remained, but refinement was everywhere in the details. Specially developed lightweight glass reduced the roof’s weight by 1.9 kg, while two high-gloss, polished aluminium strips traced the roofline, instantly distinguishing the Targa within the 911 range. For the first time, Porsche offered the model exclusively in all-wheel drive form as the 911 Targa 4 and 911 Targa 4S.

By the mid-2000s, the type 997 series offered an unprecedented diversity: Coupe, Cabriolet, Targa and Speedster variants, rear- and all-wheel drive configurations, narrow and wide bodies, naturally aspirated and turbocharged engines, and a wealth of GT- and GTS-badged performance derivatives.

Porsche 911 Targa (type 991)

The seventh generation of the 911, the type 991, arrived in 2011, but it wasn’t until 2014 that the Targa was launched. This time, Porsche delved into its heritage by blending classic styling with modern design and cutting-edge technology.

The 991 Targa reintroduced the signature fixed roll bar, only now it featured modern roof mechanics and structural rigidity. That unmistakable Targa silhouette – wide bar, wrap-around rear window and open-top section above the front seats – was paired with a fully automatic roof system. At the press of a button, the glass rear window lifted gracefully, the soft top folded into a compact Z-shape, and the entire mechanism stowed neatly behind the rear seats.

This process – a carefully choreographed 19-second sequence – transformed the car from coupe to open-air form while stationary.

Porsche 911 Targa (type 992)

In 2019, the eighth-generation 911 (type-992) heralded a significant leap forward in performance, design and digitalisation. The new 911 featured a wider track, fully variable light bar styling and an all-new chassis architecture that was built for modern demands, while still honouring tradition.

In May 2020, a Targa variant joined the type 992 line-up, equipped with the hallmark wide roll bar, movable roof section and wrap-around rear window. The fully automatic mechanism allowed the roof to open and close in just 19 seconds, marrying open-top freedom with coupe comfort.

A few years later, in 2024, Porsche launched the type 992.2 version of the 911 – which included all-wheel drive versions of the Targa – available in 4S and GTS form. The big news is the introduction of T-Hybrid Technology for the Taycan GTS model (and other type 992.2 models). This consists of a lightweight drive unit with an eTurbo electric exhaust turbocharger, a compact, lightweight high-voltage drive battery, efficient power electronics, a newly-developed 3.6-litre boxer engine and a strengthened, eight-speed dual clutch transmission (PDK) with an integrated electric motor.

Sixty years on, the Targa has both matured and endured. Blending innovation with style, the Targa continues to please drivers with its mix of open-air driving, state-of-the-art engineering and timeless identity.

Consumption and emission information

911 Targa 4 GTS (WLTP): Fuel consumption combined: 10.9 – 10.5 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 248 – 239 g/km; CO₂ class: . 911 Targa 4S (WLTP): Fuel consumption combined: 10.9 – 10.8 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 249 – 244 g/km; CO₂ class: .

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