Deep Impact

Celebrating 50 years of impact-bumper 911s, we take a 3.2 Targa for a morning drive to the mountains in South Africa’s Western Cape province. Can it offer the perfect air-cooled experience?

- Wilhelm Lutjeharms

Enthusiasts of different ages will have contrasting views on the design of the impact bumper 911 series. I was born in 1981, and only later discovered that these bumpers came about as a direct result of new crash safety legislation in the USA. Then I realised why some enthusiasts (especially those building 911 outlaws) quickly remove these bumpers as they put together their personalised build – it gives any 911 a much smoother look. However, if you’re used to these bumpers then you quickly see past them.

This year we celebrate no less than 50 years of this era of 911, which enjoyed the longest production, from late 1973 through to 1989. It’s the 911s from the final years of the impact bumper cars (think 1986 to 1989) that connoisseurs usually seek out. These cars were fitted with the G50 gearbox, perceived to be the drivetrain to have. They’re relatively few and far between, and they also trade at a healthy margin above the earlier, 915-transmission equipped cars.

By the end of G-series production, the Carrera was offered in three different body styles: Coupe, Cabriolet and Targa. For many years the Targa was viewed as an awkward halfway house between Coupe and Cabriolet: some enthusiasts prefer to have a tin top over their heads, while others like the al fresco enjoyment a Cabriolet brings to the driving experience. But isn’t this precisely where the Targa fits in, offering the best of both worlds and not being a compromise as a result?