The Targa 4 and Targa 4S versions, like the Porsche 911 Targa of the 993 and 996 generations, are equipped with a glass roof and hatch. At any speed, the roof can be opened where it drops down an inch and slides a metre back underneath the hatch. As the roof weighs an additional 60 kg (132 lb) the suspension has been modified from Carrera models. When the glass roof is retracted, a small glass deflector above the windshield is raised to aid in aerodynamic stability.
Unlike previous versions of the Porsche 911 Targa, the Porsche 997 Targa 4 and Targa 4S have an all-wheel-drive drivetrain, hence the "4" in the name. The naming is to fit in with the naming trend of other Porsche models, namely the Carrera 4 and Carrera 4S, whose "4" in the names are also due to their all-wheel drive systems. Targa 4 models are slightly slower than the hard top Carrera models because the heavier roof and all-wheel-drive drivetrain increases the weight and the inertia associated with acceleration.
