Mark has chosen a Porsche 911 Targa 4 GTS, a car from the 991.1 generation, which he preferred over a Turbo Cabriolet. According to him, the deciding factor was the appearance of the Targa. It is a deliberate choice for style over pure performance, although the GTS itself is by no means a weak sports car.
Porsche regards the Targa 4 GTS as the last Targa within the GTS line with a naturally aspirated engine. That makes the car especially interesting for enthusiasts, precisely because the technology of newer generations increasingly relies on turbochargers. For buyers who value the driving feel of a naturally aspirated six-cylinder, this is a weighty argument. The choice between a Targa and a Turbo Cabriolet therefore has less to do with figures on paper and more with character and the experience behind the wheel.
Mark's purchase story fits into a broader picture of how car enthusiasts choose their dream car. The same series also looks at other special cars from the past and present. For example, the Bovensiepen 05 GT is mentioned, a discreetly executed version of the BMW M5 Touring built in the spirit of Alpina. It is a car that does not force itself on people, but for connoisseurs that is precisely what keeps it appealing.
That comparison with Alpina is no coincidence. The Alpina B7 Turbo was launched in 1978 with a recommended retail price of 59,920 Deutsche Mark, roughly double that of a 528i. The car had a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder producing roughly 250 to 300 hp and a stated top speed of over 250 km/h. In that price bracket it competed with top models such as the Porsche 928 and the Ferrari 308 GTB, which shows how far a sedan-based Alpina reached into the exclusive market at the time.
The series also draws on personal memories. In 1985, before he even had his driving licence, Jef Keijzer bought a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE for 1,900 guilders. The car used a lot of oil, about one litre per 500 kilometres, and Jef ended up in an accident with it on a trip to Antwerp. It was the start of a series of changing cars: an Opel Ascona 1.9, an Alfasud, a Peugeot 205 XAD and eventually a Porsche 911.
That last purchase, around his fiftieth birthday, disappointed Jef, he says. The story shows that a dream car does not always live up to expectations, but that the search for it is often just as valuable as owning it. With Mark's Targa and Jef's memories, two sides of the same passion come together: the choice based on feeling and getting to know a car over the years.