2019 Porsche 911 Targa 4s on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Watch the incredibly complicated operation of Porsche's new targa roof

Despite Porsche having claimed the name, targa tops are nothing new. In addition to the semi-roofless version of the 911, plenty of cars in the past have used removable roof panels - the new Corvette Stingray has one (as have prior generations), and this type of open-air experience has been available on past vehicles like the Pontiac Solstice Coupe and Honda Civic del Sol.
But when Porsche took the top off its brand new 911 Targa here at the Detroit Auto Show, it was indeed cause for pause. Simply put, this is one of the most complicated and intricate electronic roof panel removal techniques we've ever seen, save perhaps, for the setup found on the Japanese-market Civic del Sol from the 1990s.
We won't spoil the video for you, but basically, rather than just the roof panel coming off, the entire rear glass area lifts away the body in order for the small section over the passenger compartment to slide back. This has to be incredibly expensive to repair once it inevitably breaks. And we highly doubt you'll be able to operate this mechanism at any speed.

Porsche Cayman GT4 spotted at the N?rburgring

It was just the other day that we first caught wind of Porsche's plans to build a GT4 version of the Cayman, and now we're already looking at spy shots of the vehicle in question undergoing testing at - where else? - the Nürburgring.
With more aggressive front-end aero, a GT3-style air vent ahead of the front hood, a large wing at the back, and spindly alloys packed with over-sized brakes at each corner, this Cayman is clearly more extreme than even the range-topping GTS. The rear diffuser and central exhaust tips look about the same as those you'd find at the back of the Cayman GTS, though.
What we can't see, of course, is what Porsche has slotted in under the rear glass, how it's upgraded the interior and how much weight it's stripped out of the thing to get it down to fighting weight, but you can bet it'll come with a substantial power bump and a stripped-out interior with racing buckets and little else to open the gap between it and the GTS... and close the gap to the 911 GT3 which it will join as the baby brother in Porsche's performance-focused lineup. Click above to view the double-batch of spy shots.

Porsche Boxster/Cayman GTS, Macan, 911 Targa details leaked

The folks over at Jalopnik have published some rather interesting images from what looks to be a presentation held inside Porsche's North American headquarters in Atlanta, GA. What these leaked photos reveal is pretty significant - details about several of the brand's upcoming launches, including GTS versions of the Boxster and Cayman, a new 911 Targa, and information about the Macan crossover that will debut at this year's Los Angeles Auto Show. Of course, none of this information has been officially verified, but it all looks and sounds pretty believable to us. So, let's dig in.
First up, Porsche will launch the Boxster and Cayman GTS models at next year's Beijing Motor Show in April. Upgrades for the GTS models will include a 15-horsepower bump, standard manual transmission (with optional dual-clutch PDK), standard Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and a slightly quicker 0-60 time. Jalopnik reports that these models will cost around $75,000.
We've spied the soon-to-be-revealed Porsche Macan (pictured right) on several occasions, and these slides suggest that the small crossover will have two different types of turbo power under its hood. The Macan S will use a 3.0-liter turbocharged V6, while the Macan Turbo will use a 3.6-liter unit. Seven-speed PDK transmissions are expected to be fitted to both, and this leaked information states that the new, small Porsche will cost $52,000 and $75,000 for the S and Turbo versions, respectively.