Porsche considers the 911 Targa a “modern classic,” and as such, it should come as no surprise that Porsche Exclusive has come up with a special edition for the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix that is taking place at the Nürburgring between August 12 and August 14. As is the usual case with Porsche special editions, there isn’t really a whole lot of standout changes, but there are some subtleties that make it special in its own way. The biggest highlight is the Etna Blue finish that was used as the standard color for the 1960 and 1961 T5 356 B.

What really makes the car stand out more than anything, really, is the fact that once it is assembled, it is shipped off to Zuffenhausen to have all the fine details hand finished before heading to its new owner. Furthermore, when purchased, the car comes with its own indoor car cover and a bound photo album the provides full documentation of the car’s entire development process. Of course, that is the least Porsche can do given the fact that it will probably come at a pretty hefty premium over the cost of the standard 911 Targa.

Well, before I ramble on too much here, let’s take a closer look at the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Design Edition.

Continue reading to learn more about the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Design Edition.

2017 Porsche 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Design Edition

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2017 Porsche 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Design Edition
  • Engine/Motor: flat-6
  • Horsepower: 420
  • Torque: 368
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

What makes the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Exclusive Design Edition special

To start off, this special edition is based on the 911 Targa 4S and is finished in the same color as the T5 356B from the early 1960s: Etna Blue. To follow through with the exclusive layout, Porsche Exclusive has also painted the front spoiler, headlight washer system, rear apron, rear Porsche logo, and the “Targa” logo in Etna Blue as well. As I said before; subtle differences are the key here. To help offset things, the targa bar, Porsche side logo, and the 20-inch RS Spyder wheels are painted in White Gold Metallic. Smoked LED headlights round out the exterior package and blend the front end together nicely with the black louvers in the air intakes and air dam.

Looking at the inside won’t yield a lot of visual pleasure not associated with the standard 911 Targa 4S, but there are some nice extras added in as part of this special edition. Opening the doors leads the way to the door entry guards made from black, anodized steel featuring the special edition name. The “Exclusive Design Edition” lettering is physically etched into the guard, while the “911 Targa 4S” is a backlit with blue lighting. The seats have been swapped out with Adaptive Sports Seats Plus that feature 18-way adjustment and are wrapped in Graphite-Blue leather to match the rest of the interior. The leather is held together why Province Blue contrast stitching while the headrests are embossed with the Porsche Logo. The dashboard is embossed with the wording: “Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur” to help remind anyone in the car that it is, indeed, a special edition. To round out the interior, the seat backrests, steering column and the areas around the HVAC vents are all wrapped in the same Graphite-Blue Leather.

And that is the entire breakdown of the Exclusive Design Edition. It is powered by the same 3.0-liter, six-cylinder found in the Targa 4S. It delivers 420 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque. Made possible, in part, by the 10.0-to-1 compression ratio, it is enough to send the car to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds on the way to a top speed of 187 mph. It’s not too bad at all, but it would have been nice to start seeing a little extra power out of all these special edition models. As for now, Porsche has yet to release pricing but has said that the car will only be available for a limited time and will debut at the AvD Oldtimer Grand Prix in August 2016.

Porsche 911 Targa

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 Targa here.