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Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition honors the 1950s

This is the first of a number of Heritage Design Editions, and we like what we see.

Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
Sean Szymkowski
2 min read
Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition
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Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition

A blast from the past.

Porsche

Porsche turned back the clock for its latest special edition, and for the 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, we're going to the 1950s.

The German carmaker on Monday revealed the 911 Targa model, which has so many retro cues, it's hard to to pick a place to start. Frankly, it's just refreshing to see some diversity in the material palette.

There aren't any mechanical changes to the car, but that's not the point. As Porsche said last summer, the company plans to honor various eras of Porsches with four of these special cars under the Heritage Design moniker. This one is the first.

Here, Porsche decided on Cherry Metallic for the exterior complete with gold logos to recreate Porsche designs from the 1950s and early 1960s. White spear-shaped graphics recall the early days of Porsche's motorsport endeavors. The 911 Targa 4S also receives a special Porsche Heritage badge on the rear decklid grille, and classic Porsche fans may notice the design looks familiar. The automaker said it's inspired by the Porsche 356 badge the company would award cars decades ago after they reached 100,000 kilometers. That's about 62,000 miles for us Americans.

Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition turns back time

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The rest of the exterior features the historical Porsche crest, exclusive wheels and black-painted brake calipers with a "classic look" as standard. Porsche said it will also swap the Cherry Metallic paint for one of four other colors, though we don't know what those are yet.

Inside, the company keeps things retro with freaking corduroy trim. The material covers the seat and door inserts, and again harkens back to the Porsche 356.

As for the leather upholstery, the company will let buyers choose between red leather and beige accents, or black leather with the same beige accents. And of course, each car will feature a plaque marking its serial number inside.

Porsche plans to build 992 of these particular Heritage Design Editions, reflecting this 911 generation's internal code of 992. Bring a padded wallet because the price doesn't reflect the 1950s -- each 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition will cost $181,950 after a $1,350 destination charge. If you miss this one, though, don't sweat it. Porsche still has 911 models that honor designs from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s on the way.

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