THIS was a regional ride-and-drive event unlike any other I’ve previously attended, as Porsche Asia Pacific wanted to experiment with a new format. To introduce the all-new 991 series Porsche 911 Targa 4 to select members of the Philippine motoring media, sole Philippine Porsche distributor PGA Cars Inc. flew two pairs of motoring scribes to Singapore in two batches for a very exclusive ride-and-drive event a few weeks ago. I was partnered with Angelo Puyat, who writes for a lifestyle magazine.
Unlike more common regional ride-and-drive events, there was no battalion of company executives, engineers, product planners, public-relations professionals and event organizers to welcome us.
Instead, there was just Porsche Carrera Cup race-car driver Ro Charlz Skyangel (yes, that’s his real name) moonlighting as Porsche Singapore’s press release guy to brief me and Angelo on the day’s activities. Ro explained that Porsche wanted us to not only put the car through its paces but also to see some of the tourist spots of Singapore. These destinations had already been inputted beforehand in the car’s navigation system and we simply had to follow the map and voice prompts. Before handing us the key to what was the only Porsche 911 Targa 4 unit in Singapore, Ro gave us a few things to remember: have fun, be safe, try to keep within the 90 kilometer-per-hour speed limit on highways, and be back at our hotel by dinner time.
There weren’t going to be any lead cars, escort, or journalists driving in convoy with us. Angelo asked Ro in jest whether we may take the car to the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia 350 km away. Ro just laughed nervously.
Of course, the piece de resistance of the Targa is its retractable soft top. By holding down a button, electric motors detach the soft top, lift the wraparound rear glass backward, fold in the soft top behind the rear seats, then return the rear glass to place. After this 19-second process, the car is ready to give you the best of both open-top and coupe driving.
The first thing that caught my attention was how civilized the Targa was. Even with the top down, Angelo and I were able to have a normal conversation at vehicle speeds of up to about 50 kph. That is, until Angelo found the Sport exhaust button on the center console, which merges the exhaust lines of the two cylinder banks resulting in a throatier exhaust growl.
We drove from Seletar Airport to Kranji War Memorial to Sungei Buloh Nature Reserve, checked out the sights and took a few photos but didn’t find what we were looking for: a wide-open road on which we can stretch the Targa’s legs. We finally found the perfect place to fill our need for speed on Lim Chu Kang Road. Situated right beside the Tengah Air Base, this 2.5-km, six-lane road is one of the longest, widest and straightest stretches of road in all of Singapore. After all, it is meant to serve as an alternate runway for the Singaporean Air Force during an emergency.
To prepare for takeoff, I activated Sport Plus mode by pressing a button on the center console.
This sets off a series of actions: the electronic engine management system revises engine mapping for sharper response, the Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission, reprograms to upshift at higher engine speeds, and Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) lowers ride height by 10 millimeter, among other things.
Planting the gas pedal on the lush carpet catapulted us ahead and, in no time, we were flirting with speeds that could have had our driver’s licenses confiscated, gotten our behinds caned, or gotten us deported—or all of the above.
A 3.4-liter rear-mounted flat six-gas engine provides the motivation for the 911 Targa 4. It generates a peak output of 350 horsepower and peak torque of 390 Nm distributed to all four wheels via the all-wheel drive system.
A seven-speed manual transmission is standard but our test car had the optional seven-speed PDK transmission featuring both manual and automatic modes.
The dual-clutch gearbox allows for rifle-quick gear changes with practically no interruption in the flow of power. A PDK-equipped Targa can do the zero to 100 kph sprint in five seconds and go on to a top speed of 280 kph.
The PDK plays a dual role of enhancing performance while keeping fuel consumption low. Gears first to sixth have sport ratios, while sixth and seventh gears are both overdrives. Coasting is another fuel-saving feature.
When the driver releases the gas pedal to decelerate, PDK automatically disengages the gear and the car coasts in neutral so it can travel farther without engine braking. As soon as the driver steps on the gas pedal or brake pedal, PDK quickly selects the appropriate gear. Porsche claims that a Targa equipped with PDK will get about 8.4 kilometer per liter in city driving, 14.4 km per liter in highway driving, and 11.4 km per liter in mixed city and highway driving under the New European Driving Cycle protocols.
Sure, the steak lunch I had at Verandah Restaurant at Gardens By The Bay was superb and the climate-controlled indoor gardens of Gardens By The Bay were impressive, but I couldn’t enjoy them fully as I was itching to get back into the driver’s seat of the Targa.
With our need for speed satisfied, we then continued with our tour at a more leisurely pace. It’s funny how I began to truly appreciate the Targa not during flat-out driving in Sport Plus mode but while driving the car in moderate rush-hour traffic in Normal mode as we made our way back to the hotel. Indeed, in a car as fabulous as the Porsche 911 Targa 4, it’s the journey, not the destination, that truly matters.