Porsche anticipated the panoramic roof trend back in 1996

"sm70- why not Duesenberg?" (sm70-whynotduesenberg) 05/28/2016 at 11:03 • Filed to: None

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If you look at most luxury cars today, and even quite a few non-luxury cars, they can be equipped with a panoramic sunroof, which essentially replaces most or all of the roof with glass panels. In most of these cars, the frontmost panel slides back so that it sits even with the rear panel, opening a larger portion of the car than does a traditional sunroof. I can’t say for sure how long this has been “a thing” on production cars, but watching this Motorweek video on the 993 Targa, it certainly seems to look exactly like what we get on high-end cars 20 years later.

I had the pleasure of seeing one of these cars in !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! parked in a little shopping center last year, and I said then that I prefer this sliding glass roof setup to both a coupe and a ragtop convertible. I stand by that sentiment today. I know that many of you will look at this and see nothing more than more weight and added complexity. In all honesty, I’m guessing the extra 66 pounds doesn’t really change the feel of the beast. Frankly I’m guessing most of us wouldn’t be a blue to tell at all. As for the added complexity, well, there are two types of thinking in this field; those who view every added feature as just another expensive electronic to break, and those who view them as nice, pleasant, or nifty gadgets to have while they work. I fall entirely into the latter camp, and I think the glass Targa, both aesthetically and conceptually, is my preferred choice in 911 roof style.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 05/28/2016 at 11:09

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Could have developed from this, had it not gone down with the Andrea Doria. 1956 Chrysler Norseman. Never made it to a motor show, never caught the public eye, never influenced contemporary production.

sm70- why not Duesenberg? > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 05/28/2016 at 11:12

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That was one helluva design.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 05/28/2016 at 11:16

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And think about it: the Porsche was 20 years ago. The Norseman was 40 years before that.

Milky > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 05/28/2016 at 12:00

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I still think its such a pretty design. Yea its not as open-air-y as an actual Targa, but it looks good.

fintail > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 05/28/2016 at 12:52

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Always loved the 993 Targa. I know for a long time they also brought less than a normal coupe, not sure if that’s still the case. If I had to choose, I would pick a Targa. Same for if I had 120K to blow on a new one.

There was a pano roof option on the R129 SL from 1996 onward for model years 1997+, not commonly seen, but they are out there:

Nauraushaun > sm70- why not Duesenberg? 05/28/2016 at 13:28

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Japan/America popularized the idea years earlier with full glass Targa tops. They weren't powering them, but they were a huge glass roof. Particularly the 280ZX. I love the idea, I haven't had a car without glass t-tops since my first car. I'd consider a Porsche Targa if I were that kind of guy, and I love it on cars like the Delica, Sera etc

Vicente Esteve > Milky 05/28/2016 at 14:25

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UGH that is perfect.