1999 Porsche 911 Review

Some of Detroit's wildly futuristic 1950s auto show cars--still the most radical such cars ever made--had glass roofs. They led people to dream about top-down convertible-style vision with the protection of a roof.

. But Germany's Porsche has made the first glass-roof production car--the new 911 Carrera Targa. It has a hardtop model's roll-over and weather protection. And the motor-driven roof slides out of sight on command--a feature never seen on those glass-top Detroit show cars--then called ``dream cars.''

Why is Porsche first with a see-through roof--and not General Motors, Ford or Chrysler? Because Porsche, which didn't even have a 1950s show car, has a top engineering department used by major automakers and makes money with specialized, small-volume cars like the $70,750 Targa, which I recently tested.

Actually, technology didn't exist in the 1950s to allow a safe glass roof--or one that prevented the sun from frying a car's occupants. And U.S. automakers then, as now, needed to sell large numbers of moderately priced glass-top cars in a market that likely would have accepted only small numbers.

The technology has arrived, and Porsche's engineering prowess finally allows a glass-roof car. The automaker said it will be happy if only about 1,000 Targas are sold annually in North America.

Just push a button near the gear selector and the front section of the Targa's thick glass roof is raised as a wind deflector. Depress the button again and the large glass roof panel then quickly slides down and back to its stowed spot under the rear window--offering an open-air feeling far greater than that offered by a car with a sunroof. It's almost like being in a top-down convertible.

The Targa has a low noise level, although there's more wind noise than with a 911 steel-roof coupe. There are no water leaks and no undesirable air drafts in the passenger area with the roof open below 65 m.p.h. There also are no rattles or shakes, and the roof can be opened or closed when the car is moving.

The glass panel can be opened and stopped at any position. The roof is tinted for privacy and treated to block all ultraviolet rays. For more privacy, just push another button and a roller plastic sunshade unfurls from the windshield rail in roll-top desk fashion. It also can be stopped along its path.

The Targa has a standard six-speed manual transmission, but my test car had Porsche's innovative Tiptronic S four-speed automatic. The Tiptronic, which hikes the Targa's price to $74,015, makes for painless city driving. It provides a driver with a choice of manual control or automatic operation.

Sliding the Tiptronic S console-mounted selector lever into the manual-shift mode allows a sporting-minded driver to shift gears with either the lever or race-car-style rocker switches on the steering wheel. (Yes! Grand Prix race drivers now shift gears with steering wheel switches.)

This is a real ``no-brainer'' transmission. For instance, the gear shifts automatically when the engine nears its r.p.m. limit to avoid motor damage.

In the fully automatic mode, the Tiptronic S responds to a driver's style by selecting one of five programmed shift patterns, which range from high economy and relaxed motoring to ``maximum mobility,'' with rapid downshifts when the accelerator is pressed. The decisive factor is driver action with his or her right foot.

. But a Porsche without a regular manual transmission still is more fun..

. What of the 911 Carrera Targa as a total car? The sliding glass roof and associated parts adds 66 pounds, but horsepower of Porsche's air-cooled 3.6-liter six-cylinder has risen to 282 from last year's 270 rating. The Targa with the Tiptronic S can sprint from 0-60 m.p.h. in just 5.9 seconds, and Porsche says the top speed is 168 m.p.h. Fuel economy is an estimated 17 m.p.g. in the city and 24 on highways.

An ultrashort 89.5-inch wheelbase, huge performance tires and rather stiff suspension occasionally cause the ride to be bumpy. But the tires and carefully tuned suspension have turned the rear-engine 911 into a superb-handling car. Braking is sensational, reflecting Porsche's long racing history.

You still get some road kickback at the steering wheel, and a few controls are buried behind the wheel. But the Targa, which has specially designed 17-inch wheels, generally is very comfortable on short or long trips.

The Targa should be especially appreciated by snow-belt-area residents, who don't feel that a Porsche convertible is practical. And those who remember those fantastic glass-top 1950s auto show ``dream cars'' can gaze at the Targa and realize that dreams sometimes do come true.