When I heard that the 2022 Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS was headed to my driveway, I fretted about a single thing: Can I transport two kids — one of whom still rides in a rear-facing car seat — in the thing?
I mulled it over in my head, telling my wife, “I think this will work, babe.” During my last 911 loan, I only had one kid, and he was already facing forward, and my wife’s schedule made child-chauffeuring duties a lot more flexible. I tried to picture the Porsche’s back seat in my head — essentially a parcel shelf in my memory. When it arrived, though, I was pleased to see that I could fit Lola’s rear-facing seat behind the folded-forward passenger seat, and that there was ample room for Wollie’s legs behind my seating position in the driver seat. Relief. This would, in fact, be doable.
In truth, it was better than doable. I plopped Lola into her car seat — which I’d later find to be a much easier maneuver with the Targa top retracted — and headed off to pick up Wollie from school. She quite enjoyed being able to see me without a mirror and, later, when the Top was down, the open air put her right to sleep. Wollie was pretty thrilled about the whole thing, too. He’d need a little help buckling into his booster seat, but he was able to fold the driver seat forward to get in and out of the car with no problems.
I was able to snap a pic of the setup with the kids in the car. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t have the chance to take more photos, or perform a thorough review of the car. The next morning, I promptly got a flat tire on the way to the Detroit Auto Show. Even if I had a spare, centerlock wheels torqued on by the hand of God meant this Porsche required a flatbed to the dealership, cutting my loan short.
But in that time, I learned one crucial lesson: The Porsche 911 Targa makes a great school bus. And next time a 911 ends up in my driveway, I won’t have to worry about whether the kids will fit. Indeed, once Lola is facing forward in her car seat, the 911 will make a fine tourer for the whole family. I can’t wait.
Related video: