Blackout: Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS hits Detroit Auto Show

By Nick Palermo January 12, 2015

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the model, Porsche applied its GTS treatment to its retractable-top 911 Targa for a world debut at the Detroit Auto Show. Beyond the blacked-out trim that distinguishes GTS models from their more common brethren, the 911 Targa 4 GTS packs a more powerful, 430-horsepower punch and standard equipment offered as options on lesser 911s. Pricing is set to start at $132,800 when the new Targa version hits showrooms in late April.

The Targa 4 GTS boasts a 30-hp advantage over the Targa 4S and 80 more horses than the Targa 4. Both acceleration and top speed benefit, with Porsche claiming 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds with the PDK automatic gearbox and a top speed of 186 mph.

Standard equipment for the 911 Targa 4 GTS includes the Sport Chrono package, which adds dynamic engine mounts and a “sport plus” driving mode. Porsche’s adaptive suspension called PASM is also standard, as are racing-style, 20-inch center-lock wheels and a sport exhaust system.

Porsche-911-Targa-4-GTS-006 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Along with these performance upgrades, black trimmings are the hallmark of Porsche’s GTS variants. The distinctive Targa bar remains silver on the GTS, but badges and other exterior trim elements are finished in gloss black to differentiate the special model. More obviously, “GTS” graphics are applied to the doors. The center-lock wheels, shared with the 911 Turbo S, are finished in gloss black as well, and adaptive bi-xenon headlamps are standard.

Inside, the 911 Targa 4 GTS uses Porsche’s Sport Plus front seats embroidered with a black “GTS” logo. The interior uses Alcantara extensively, which Porsche is keen to note weighs half as much as leather.

Despite its horsepower advantage, the Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS is not too much quicker than the 911 Targa 4S with the Sport Chrono package and PDK transmission. The latter hits 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, just a tenth of a second slower than the GTS, and claims a top speed of 182 mph. But a distinctive look for the GTS provides appeal beyond a slight performance advantage and the exclusivity drivers in this category desire.

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Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nick Palermo is a freelance automotive writer in Atlanta. Since becoming an freelance automotive journalist in, Nick has…

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