Blackout: Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS hits Detroit Auto Show

By Nick Palermo January 12, 2015

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the model, Porsche applied its GTS treatment to its retractable-top 911 Targa for a world debut at the Detroit Auto Show. Beyond the blacked-out trim that distinguishes GTS models from their more common brethren, the 911 Targa 4 GTS packs a more powerful, 430-horsepower punch and standard equipment offered as options on lesser 911s. Pricing is set to start at $132,800 when the new Targa version hits showrooms in late April.

The Targa 4 GTS boasts a 30-hp advantage over the Targa 4S and 80 more horses than the Targa 4. Both acceleration and top speed benefit, with Porsche claiming 0 to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds with the PDK automatic gearbox and a top speed of 186 mph.

Standard equipment for the 911 Targa 4 GTS includes the Sport Chrono package, which adds dynamic engine mounts and a “sport plus” driving mode. Porsche’s adaptive suspension called PASM is also standard, as are racing-style, 20-inch center-lock wheels and a sport exhaust system.

Porsche-911-Targa-4-GTS-006 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Along with these performance upgrades, black trimmings are the hallmark of Porsche’s GTS variants. The distinctive Targa bar remains silver on the GTS, but badges and other exterior trim elements are finished in gloss black to differentiate the special model. More obviously, “GTS” graphics are applied to the doors. The center-lock wheels, shared with the 911 Turbo S, are finished in gloss black as well, and adaptive bi-xenon headlamps are standard.

Inside, the 911 Targa 4 GTS uses Porsche’s Sport Plus front seats embroidered with a black “GTS” logo. The interior uses Alcantara extensively, which Porsche is keen to note weighs half as much as leather.

Despite its horsepower advantage, the Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS is not too much quicker than the 911 Targa 4S with the Sport Chrono package and PDK transmission. The latter hits 60 mph in 4.2 seconds, just a tenth of a second slower than the GTS, and claims a top speed of 182 mph. But a distinctive look for the GTS provides appeal beyond a slight performance advantage and the exclusivity drivers in this category desire.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Nick Palermo is a freelance automotive writer in Atlanta. Since becoming an freelance automotive journalist in, Nick has…

Cars

Scout Traveler and Scout Terra forge a new path for EVs

Scout Traveler and Scout Terra.

Electric vehicles are inseparable from newness, whether it’s new tech, new designs, or new companies like Rivian, Lucid, and Tesla. But the Volkswagen Group’s new EV-only brand also relies heavily on the past.

Unveiled Thursday, the Scout Traveler electric SUV and Scout Terra electric pickup truck are modern interpretations of the classic International Harvester Scout. Manufactured from 1961 to 1980, the original Scout helped popularize the idea of the rugged, off-road-capable utility vehicle, setting the stage for modern SUVs.

Cars

Robotaxi aside, a $25,000 EV would be pointless, Tesla CEO says

Blue Tesla Model 3 Highland on the road

Enthusiasts expecting to one day put their hands on the steering wheel of a $25,000 Tesla EV may feel like they’ve been taken for a ride.
CEO Elon Musk has just put a serious damper on those expectations, saying that outside of the driverless Robotaxi recently unveiled by Tesla, a regular $25,000 model would be “pointless” and “silly.”
During a conference call with investors, Musk was asked to clarify whether such a model was in the works.
"Basically, having a regular $25K model is pointless,” Musk said. “It would be silly. It would be completely at odds with what we believe." Tesla, Musk continued, has “been very clear that the future is autonomous.”
On October 10, Tesla unveiled its much-awaited robotaxi, called the Cybercab, an autonomous-driving EV with no steering wheel or pedals. The company also unveiled the Robovan, a much larger autonomous vehicle expected to carry people or goods.
The automaker said the Cybercab is expected to be produced in 2026 and cost $30,000. Musk, meanwhile, said that it would be a $25,000 car without specifying if that price tag included federal tax credits.
Tesla’s ambiguity about an affordable entry-level model has been going on for years. In 2020, Musk signaled that a $25,000 Tesla would arrive within three years. It was later reported that Tesla had ditched the idea, instead favoring the development of a robotaxi.
Language within Tesla’s latest financial report still hints that new affordable Tesla models are on the way. But Musk’s latest comments are putting a floor on just how affordable these would be. So far, Tesla’s Model 3 Rear-Wheel-Drive remains the company’s cheapest model, with a base price of $38,990.
Some rival EV makers, meanwhile, are entering the affordable space more aggressively in the U.S.
General Motors has already put out its Chevy Equinox EV at a price of $27,500, including federal tax credits. Volkswagen America says it plans to release an under-$35,000 EV in the U.S. by 2027.

Cars

Stellantis’ 2027 Dodge Charger Daytona might feature solid-state battery tech

Front three quarter view of the 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona sedan.

The battle to use cheaper, more efficient, and safer EV batteries is heating up among automakers. At the heart of this battle, the development of solid-state battery technology, an alternative to highly flammable and costly lithium batteries, is garnering more and more attention.For proof, Stellantis, the world’s fourth-largest automaker, is betting on the technology for its next generation of electric vehicles. The Netherlands-based company announced that it will launch a demonstration fleet of Dodge Charger Daytona EVs that will feature solid-state battery tech made by U.S. startup Factorial.The demo fleet, expected to launch by 2026, will provide a real-world assessment of Factorial’s technology. Factorial has been partnering with Stellantis since 2021 and is also partnering with the likes of Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz and Hyundai.Besides Dodge, the technology would eventually be deployed on the Stellantis STLA Large multi-energy platform, which includes brands such as Jeep, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati.Stellantis said that the integration of solid-state battery technology will yield “improved performance, longer driving ranges, and faster charging times in the coming years.”Factorial, meanwhile, says its technology provides higher energy density, reduced weight, improved performance, and the potential for further reduction in total vehicle cost over time. Stellantis, Daimler, and Hyundai aren’t the only ones to bet on solid-state battery tech. Toyota, the largest automaker in the world, has heavily invested in the technology. It also created a coalition with Nissan and Panasonic to boost its production in Japan. So far, making solid-state batteries has remained an expensive endeavor. But steps such as the Stellantis demo fleet and production at scale by the likes of Factorial are expected to improve manufacturing processes and costs over time.Other automakers, meanwhile, are working on ways to improve lithium batteries. Volkswagen, for one, is developing its own unified battery cell in several European plants as well as one plant in Ontario, Canada.