Targa Top Cars. 2025 Cars with Targa Tops Rated | CarBuzz

Just picture it: You’re in a sports car with a targa top cruising down a scenic route, the setting sun guiding your path, and the warm breeze blowing through your air; it’s glorious. There aren’t many people that will get to experience the pleasures a premium, luxury vehicle with a convertible or removable roof has to offer. But if you’re one of the lucky few in the market for a cool open-top cruiser, consider one with a targa top. Cars with this body style feature a detachable roof midsection with one or two split panels that can be removed to make the most out of those warm, sunny days or nights without sacrificing structural integrity or rollover protection.

Characteristics Of Cars With Targa Tops

Not quite the same as a standard convertible with a retractable roof, cars with targa tops have the following features:

• Design: What sets a targa top car apart from others is how it is designed. Instead of having a retractable roof, targa top cars have removable panels mounted to a metal roll bar or roll hoop behind the driver that runs the width of the car for added rigidity. As these cars don’t need all the gadgets to fold roofs up and down, they are lighter than regular convertibles.
• Luxury vs Performance: Many cars equipped with targa roofs are performance-oriented, as this design allows for feelings of both luxury and performance since there is a lot more rigidity and safety to be had from a targa than a regular convertible. You’ll feel quite safe at speed in one of these beauties.
• Safety: Unlike the standard top-down cruiser, targa tops have the additional safety aspect of a roll bar behind the driver.
• Price: These models are generally made by premium brands, so you can expect pricing to show as much.
• Practicality: Even though targas lack the roof-retraction system that eats up a lot of room in the trunk of a typical convertible, they still don’t offer the most cargo space. Back seats are also often cramped, which includes headroom since the rear glass remains in place.

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What To Consider Before Buying A Targa Top

Driving and/or owning a sports car with a targa top comes with its fair share of good and bad qualities:

Pros

• Generally engaging to drive
• Sporty, striking, and attractive
• They allow for open-air driving pleasure
• They’re often outfitted to a premium level
• Safety is improved over a standard convertible
• Less hefty in terms of curb weight than regular convertibles

Cons

• Passenger room is typically very confined
• Cargo space is also usually sparse
• Sports cars with targa tops are expensive

What’s the difference between a targa top and T-top car?

The two terms may be used interchangeably sometimes, but this is actually an error – the two are not the same. While both are considered semi-convertible cars, targa top cars have solid removable panels from just above the windscreen, and a fixed rollbar to which this is attached running the width of the car. T-tops generally have two separate roof panels above each seat with a t-shaped bar running the length of the cabin, too. There aren’t any T-top cars in production, currently.

Are targa top cars safe?

For the most part, yes. In fact, targas are actually safer than regular convertibles, since manufacturers have added reinforcement to the roof and body. Targa cars come equipped with a specialized roll bar that’s been designed to protect occupants in the event of a rollover.

Can you make any car a targa top?

While it is technically possible to convert a coupe into a targa, the necessary structural changes are significant. Factory-made targas receive a lot of additional reinforcement to make the same with the roof removed, so your car may not be considered roadworthy if you make the alterations yourself.

Sources: Porsche, Mazda, Chevrolet