Porsche originally launched the 911 Targa in September 1965 in anticipation of U.S. rollover legislation that never materialized, and even though a true convertible finally joined the lineup in 1983, the Targa has remained part of the 911 family ever since. Don’t bank on that changing any time soon. These spy shots prove a Targa model will be a key component in the 992.2 facelift range, meaning the iconic roll hoop will get to celebrate its 50th birthday, and potentially a load more after that. We’re expecting Porsche to unveil the new-look 911 coupe this year as a 2025 car, and it makes sense that the Targa might not make its debut until next year to time with the half-century anniversary. Getting the original and latest Targas side by side will make for a nice photo op, but it’ll also underline how much the model has changed in the past 50 years.

The first cars had a brushed-finished silver roll hoop, a removable roof panel, and a plastic rear window that had to be clipped into place. By 1968 the ‘soft window’ Targa had made way for an updated version with a fixed, wraparound glass pane. That made it more coupe than convertible but improved refinement and gave us the classic Targa silhouette we can still see in these spy shots of the 992.2 car.

 

But it hasn’t always looked like that. The 993, 996, and 997 Targas dropped the lift-out roof panel and roll hoop for a large retractable sunroof and paired it with a different C-pillar design that ruined the profile view. The 996 and 997 even had a handy flip-up glass hatch that let you store luggage in the back. But when Targa versions of the 991 arrived in 2014, the classic roll hoop was back. Drivers didn’t need to bother themselves with manually removing and storing the roof, though. This time the retro-look back window slid back electrically allowing the also-electric roof panel to be stored underneath.

It’s a neat trick, but a heavy one. Porsche’s U.S. website lists the curb weight of a current PDK-equipped C4S as 1,582 kg and a convertible version of the same as 1,652 kg. But the Targa 4S is heavier still, coming in at 1,672 kg, helping explain why it needs 3.6 seconds to reach 97 km/h, two tenths longer than the coupe requires. The presence of the center-lock wheels on this prototype, along with its aggressive active grille vanes in the front bumper suggests it might be a GTS variant, though it is possible to specify the racy wheels on lesser 911s. The current GTS uses the same basic 3.0-liter turbo engine as the 443 hp Carrera S but tuned to deliver 473 hp. The new one will certainly deliver more, and after one test car was spotted with yellow safety stickers on its windows, rumors began circulating that the GTS could be in line for the hybrid powertrain Porsche has confirmed it is working on for the 911.