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This 2004 Porsche 911 Targa is a superb example of the key changes that separate a Porsche 996.1 from the revised 996.2. When the 911 switched to water cooled engines in 1999, mistakes were made. Porsche worked to fix its 996 for the 2002 model year facelift, and the changes are explained by Tim Mosso in this video review. Not only is this 2004 996.2 Targa a rare car, but it is a perfect case study to understand how the Porsche 996 was fixed by Porsche's engineers.
The Porsche 996 replaced the beloved 993 in 1998 for world markets and 1999 in North America. Almost immediately, Porsche enthusiasts, journalists, and mechanics had complaints. The 996.1 looked like a Boxster to the point that the Cabriolet was almost indistinguishable from a 986. The runny-egg headlights and slab-sided profile were a brutal departure from the handsome and muscular lines of Tony Hatter's 993. The 3.4-liter M96/01 may have angered purist with water cooling, but it also lacked personality and didn't offer enough power for the massive compromise in the boxer's traditional air-cooled character. Interior design and materials were heavily Boxster derived, and it showed to brutally unwelcome effect.
Porsche knew that the facelift of the 996 was a credibility moment for the entire brand. Withdrawal from Le Mans prototype racing and the launch of an SUV added to the urgency to fix the brand-defining 911 sports car.
Big changes arrived with the 996.2 in 2002. The Lapis Blue 2004 911 Targa exhibits many of these changes. A major front-end restyle scrapped the old Boxster lights for a new set borrowed from the 996 Turbo. No more yellow turn signal or fared-in profile; the lights finally looked distinct from the baby Porsche 986. A new front valence was added to improve the visual separation from the cheaper car. Out back, a rear valence over the exhausts was paired with a new set of faired-in body color bumpers to replace the black plastic originals. The excessively flat and sheer rear fenders received a more flared and sloped profile to reduce the slab-like profile of the 996.1
Mechanically, the 996.2 added a bigger engine, the M96.03. Now displacing 3.6 liters, the engine rose to a 315 horsepower rating from the original 296, and torque registered a more muscular 273 lb-ft. A new VarioCam Plus system added variable valve lift to variable timing, and a revised dual-length intake compounded the changes. Redline remained 7,300 to preserve the one welcome advantage of the new wasserboxer, it's willingness to rev higher than the old 993. The 6-speed manual transmission, which had proved prone to wear on the early 996, was reinforced with third ball bearing on the input shaft and paired with a strengthened four-spider differential to replace the original two-spider gear unit. Frame reinforcements to the sills and floorpan stiffened the structure of the 996.2.
Inside the cabin, the 911 also gained upgrades as the 996.2 made common-sense changes to the perceived cheapness of the 996.1. The instrument binnacle gained design and functional refinements thanks to a unit derived from the instruments of the 911 Turbo. For the first time in a Porsche 996, the 996.2 gained a real glove box, and the low-rent shiny black console buttons of the 996.1 were replaced with matte black buttons. The center console received detail changes to improve its appearance, and a new pop-out cupholder replaced the original units.
The 911 Targa became available as part of the 996.2 facelift. No 996.1 Targas were built, so every 996 Targa is a 996.2 Targa. Porsche dramatically redesigned the traditional 911 Targa by replacing the removable center roof panel with a 37" wide 7mm thick blue-tinted glass panel that could retract 22" by power operation. In combination with a power-operated sun shade, the new fixed-profile 911 Targa offered the ease of a retractible hardtop, the handsome roofline of a coupe, and an open air experience approaching the true 911 Cabriolet. Due to the size of the retractable roof structure, the 996 Targa is built on the 911 Cabriolet body shell with its reinforced floor pan and open-top frame on which the modular targa system sits.
For good measure, Porsche gave the 996 Targa a liftback like strut-supported rear window that could be combined with the fold-flat rear seats to create a hatchback loading opportunity. The window included power release for ease of use. No other Porsche 996.1 or 996.2 included this "glassback" hatch feature.
The 2004 Lapis Blue 911 Targa in this video includes a Graphite Grey leather interior with an array of desirable options; Bose upgraded sound systems; 18" five-spoke alloy Carrera wheels with Porsche crest centers; dual power front seats with three-position driver's side memory; dual heated front seats. In addition, this car includes cruise control, fold-flat rear seats, and factory floor mats.
Car review by Tim Mosso
