The other day, my husband had the opportunity to drive a 1976 911S Targa on the Royu Driveway and wrote a report about it. I’d be delighted if you take a look.
When you think of the Porsche 911 Targa, it carries a special image. It’s like a coupe but not quite, like a cabriolet but not exactly.
Recently, the heritage design edition of the new 911 (992 model) Targa 4S, limited to 992 units, was announced, which is still fresh in our memories. Apparently, only a few of these made it to Japan, making them extremely rare. Moreover, even the regular Targa models are said to be fewer in number than the GT3, making it the rarest grade within the 911 lineup.
Originally, the Targa grade was devised to meet the American safety standards for open-top cars at the time, but its side profile is incredibly stylish. The Targa bar accentuates the sleek roofline of the 911 beautifully.
Personally, it’s one of the 911 grades I’d love to own someday—not for speed, but for elegant cruising.
This time, we got to test drive a vivid Speedway Green 1976 911S Targa. It has a 2.7-liter engine producing 164 PS.
In fact, this car was displayed alongside my 964 at the Porsche event “Porsche Sportscar Together Day 2019” held at Fuji Speedway.
One of the big features of this car is its semi-automatic transmission called the ‘Sportomatic’. Simply put, the Sportomatic is a manual transmission without a clutch pedal.
Until I rode in this car, I had only heard about it but never experienced it firsthand.
The owner said,
“Porsche was truly amazing to introduce a 2-pedal transmission over 40 years ago! I thought I might never encounter a Sportomatic again, so I decided to buy it.”
He also fell in love at first sight with the combination of the green body color and the frog-like front face.
First, I rode shotgun while the owner drove so I could experience the car.
The start was completely normal, with no shocks or judders. It felt like a well-driven manual car with smooth clutch work, so you might not even notice the difference unless told.
The engine sound is unmistakably that of an air-cooled Porsche, with mechanical noises that are quite pleasant. The volume isn’t too loud, so it’s very relaxing even from the passenger seat.
The suspension had been replaced with new parts a few years ago, which may explain the very comfortable ride. While you can feel the road contact, the ride is smooth and leans slightly more toward luxury than sporty. It reminded me somewhat of the 911SC I test drove recently.
The gear changes felt completely natural. Shifting from 1st to 2nd to 3rd felt just like a normal manual car, with no noticeable head movement on my part as a passenger—very natural. I was amazed that such a smooth-feeling transmission was made in that era.
Before riding, I expected more shift shocks or lag, but it pleasantly exceeded my expectations.
| Next page → Finally driving the Targa myself! What did I think…!? |
Page: 1 2