2023 is a huge year for the Zuffenhausen-based global brand that is Porsche. The company celebrates its 75th Anniversary, and September marks the 911’s 60th birthday, making it the oldest surviving sex symbol that is even more vibrant than ever, outliving many stars of Hollywood, thanks to its virility, courtesy of the men in white lab coats at the Porsche factory.
2023 also marks the 27th Anniversary of Porsche Philippines which, when it opened, raised many eyebrows, wondering if our country was ready for Germany’s finest sports cars back in the mid 1990’s. Today, Porsche Philippines is arguably the most successful and most-coveted premium sports car distributor in the country.
As a fitting gift, Porsche Philippines chose to unveil the Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS 50 Years Porsche Design Edition, together with Imahica Art Gallery. Imahica is one of the newest art galleries in the country devoted to contemporary art, featuring artists from diverse creative fields. The Porsche’s silhouette fits perfectly as a sculpture on wheels in this exposition.
The 911 Targa 4 GTS 50 Years Porsche Design Edition is a very limited run of 750 examples worldwide and Porsche Philippines was lucky to snag an allocation of one unit. If you are familiar with Porsche Design Products (a separate company from the car business but also owned by Porsche family members) such as furniture, luggage, shoes and clothing, the subdued and sophisticated style is apparent on this 911, too.
The exterior is finished in signature black with satin platinum accents. The iconic targa bar, the model’s most distinguishable visual cue is also finished in satin aluminum with special livery adornments. The brakes are also finished in satin black and a special badge on the rear deck lid. The car sits on double staggered 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels shod with super sticky rubber.
The interior has also been fettled with silver and grey accents, special 50 Years badges, and embossed Porsche Design 50 Years on the leather covered sport seats’ headrests.
Motivation comes from a 3.0-liter horizontally opposed flat-six cylinder twin turbocharged engine delivering 480 horsepower and 570 Newton-Meters of Torque, driving all four wheels via Porsche’s 8-speed Dual-Clutch transmission. The brakes and PASM suspension are from the flagship 911 Turbo S, tweaked for the Targa’s more relaxed grand touring nature.
Of course, being a very limited model, this unit has been sold already but should you wish to see it, it’s still on display at the Porsche Philippines showroom at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
