We had a 997 C4S Targa today for an extended test drive and I thought I'd share our experiences..

Firstly, we were comparing this with one other we're considering, the Aston Martin V8 Vantage. There's no question the Aston's prettier, absolutely none. It has drop dead looks to die for and a badge that speaks volumes, but driving it was disappointing, primarily in the power department and the build quality.

Porsche's answer, although losing the 'looks competition is so much better on many levels. It was utterly superb!

We both thought the car was excellent, both the 997 C4S experience and the roof. The big question from most people is "why not a cabriolet" as it's about the same price, but we've had a convertible for 3 years (Honda S2000 - GREAT car) and when touring we found we had the roof up a lot of the time. Either because it was too cold, or because it was too hot. The Targa allows you to be bathed in sunlight whilst being hot... or cold! We LOVED it! Thought it really worked. You can slide the roof off when going along and under 70 mph it doesn't buffet you at all (that means no bad hair days for the ladies!). It is extremely civilised and gives you all the benefits of a coupe and some of a cab.

As for the question "does it rattle".. yes - if the roof isn't closed properly! Ensure the roof is closed and 'no'. The salesman told us that Porsche put a lot of effort into simplifying the roof to ensure it doesn't rattle, and on a brand new one it doesn't. I guess the proof is in the 2 year old pudding...

As for drivability of the car itself... stunning! It's a lot bigger than the Cayman S, has a lot more power and feels different, but it's still a stonker. Comparing the handling of it to the Cayman is difficult because of the 4WD system. Both are a lot of fun... but this is quicker. Using my girlfriend's scare / scream factor I would say that the passenger feels a lot safer. Same roads & same speeds I get an earful in the Cayman and not in this. Perhaps a good reason to proceed?!

To anyone who doesn't get the Targa, I don't think they've been in it. I'm aware of certain magazine articles that don't like the car due to performance reasons but from a potential customer's point of view, it's performance is way more than we want and the incredible feel of all that light around you delivers a real occasion of driving something special.

Compared to an AMV8V? The 997's engine certainly feels much more powerful and it's delivery is so sweet. The AM had to be pushed and pushed and still didn't seem to take off. This doesn't hesitate and smoothly delivers the whole way through the rev range. The AM squeaked and rattled, the plastics felt cheap and there was a general feeling of compromise.

To boldly state my opinion and risk getting flamed, I would say the V8 Vantage plays on its heritage where Porsche, as always, just gets on with it and delivers pure brilliance.

So, are we going to place an order? Well, there is the choice of colour first.... she likes the red, I like the gold...

Some more text and lots more pictures here