Rides from the Readers: 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa
Hagerty readers and Hagerty Drivers Club members share their cherished collector and enthusiast vehicles with us via our contact email, tips@hagerty.com. We’re showcasing some of our favorite stories among these submissions. To have your car featured, send complete photography and your story of ownership to us at the above email.
Today’s featured car is a 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera Targa. The ’84–89 Carrera followed the 3.0-liter 911 SC, which boasted improved engine longevity and increased rust resistance. Most of the luxury features we associate with modern 911s became standard at the turn of the ’80s—including A/C, leather, power mirrors, and forged alloy wheels—and the ’84–89 911 Carrera added to that a larger, 3.2-liter engine. The Carrera’s flat-six was mostly new, and boasted Bosch fuel injection, a power bump, and an improved timing chain tensioner (an unreliable component on the SC). The 1985 cars, as shown, extended the the whale-tail Turbo Look package on cabriolets and targa models.
This particular 911 Targa belongs to Kartik Mani, who grew up in India and spent his early driving years puttering around in basic three- and four-pot, Japanese-engined vehicles. Upon moving to the U.S. and enjoying a wider sampling of the automotive world, Mani enjoyed the convenience of modern transportation—until he felt something was missing. He relishes the unassisted steering, the involvement of the manual gearbox, and the wail of his 911 at speed.
