Porsche 993 Targa

The vehicle in detail

History:
The Porsche type 993, is the fourth generation of the 911 model, manufactured and sold between 1994 and 1998 (model years 1995–1998 in the United States), replacing the 911, type 964. Its discontinuation marked the end of air-cooled 911 models.

The 993 was much improved over and quite different from its predecessor. According to Porsche, every part of the car was designed from the ground up, including the engine and only 20% of its parts were carried over from the prior 911. Porsche refers to the 993 as “a significant advance, not just from a technical, but also a visual perspective.”

The external design of the Porsche 993 was penned by English designer Tony Hatter. It retained the core cabin and body shell architecture of the 964 and prior 911 model iterations, but exterior panels were revised with much more flared wheel arches, a smoother front and rear bumper design, an enlarged retractable rear wing, and teardrop shaped mirrors.

The Targa version of the 993 was introduced in the 1996 model year and was the debut of the so-called “greenhouse” system – a retractable glass roof, a design continued on the 996 and 997 Targa. The glass roof retracts underneath the rear window, revealing a large opening. This system was a complete redesign, as previous Targa models had a removable roof section and a wide B-pillar functioning as a roll bar. The new glass-roof design allowed the 993 Targa to retain the same side-on profile as the other 911 Carrera variants and finish without the inconvenience of storing the removed top of the old system.