People always bring up the extra weight of the Targa as an issue on this car, but forget that the Targa is actually lighter than the Cab - and stiffer too - so it really is a great compromise between a cab and a coupe. For those who say that the Targa is just a big sunroof, which the coupe offers along with a sportier set up, I respond by pointing out that the Targa roof, when open, does not "shudder" at speed (I'm referring to the hugely irritating vibrating whooshing sound that 911 sunroofs are well known for), and the glass roof is just spectacular.

If a cab can be tracked, so can a Targa.

My 996 Targa is great - I love it. It's my daily driver, so any minimal (imperceptible?) reduction in performance is outweighed by the huge utility of the rear hatch.

I shouldn't really say "imperceptible" performance reduction because I can honestly say that the coupe definitely feels stiffer, but I would not say faster or better planted on the road.

The main downside to the Targa is one of personal taste, and that is that the roof does distort the beautiful lines of the 911, albeit less so than the cab. Also, the roof mechanism requires lubrication once or twice a season to prevent annoying rattles - easily done at the dealer.

I think the Targa got a raw deal. Many consider it to be an unfair compromise. The common thoughts about this car are: it doesn't perform like the coupe, and it's not a true open air experience like the cab. The Targa pics in Porsche catalogues and on the website were kind of dull compared to the more aggressive pics of the coupe and cab (they often focused on the hatch - it's a sportscar!!), and the Targa roof was not offered on the higher end models like the C4 and the Turbo. All of this lead to diminished demand for what is really a great car. So you're lucky: prices are low. Targas are undervalued jewels. Go get one!

Incidentally, the spy pics of the 997 Targa I've seen share body features with the 997C4s, so maybe, just maybe, we'll see a 997T4S soon!