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997.1 · 2007–2008

2007 Porsche Targa 4

3.6 L flat 6 · AWD · Targa · water-cooled

Power
325hp
Torque
273lb-ft
0–60
5.0s
Weight
3,450lb
lb / hp
10.6
Displacement
3.6L

Specification

US-market 2007
Power 325 hp
247 700
Weight 3,450 lb
2,910 3,640
Weight to power 10.6 lb/hp
4.6 lower is quicker 13.0

Where this car sits against every 911 in the catalog.

Engine
Engine code M97.01
Layout flat 6, water-cooled
Displacement 3.6 L
Aspiration Naturally aspirated
Power 325 hp @ 6,800 rpm
Torque 273 lb-ft @ 4,250 rpm
Redline 7,300 rpm
Specific output 90 hp / L
Chassis & body
Drivetrain All-wheel drive
Body styles Targa
Transmissions 6-speed Manual · 5-speed Tiptronic
Curb weight 3,450 lb
Wheelbase 92.5 in
Length 175.6 in
Width 72.9 in
Height 51.6 in
Performance & market
0–60 mph 5.0 s
Top speed 174 mph
Weight to power 10.6 lb / hp
MSRP when new $88,700 base

About the 2007 Targa 4

2007Targa 4 and 4S added. Turbo arrives with the Mezger engine and variable-geometry turbochargers. GT3 and GT3 RS return.

Targa 4Full-length sliding glass roof with an opening rear hatch. Heavy, complex, and the only 997 you can load through the back.

Known issues

6 Specific to the Targa 4

Cylinder bore scoring

Critical $14,000–$28,000
Affects

2005–2008 M97 engines, disproportionately the 3.8 L in the Carrera S and 4S. Not the 2009-on DFI cars, and not the Mezger-engined Turbo, GT2 or GT3.

What happens

The cylinder liner surface degrades and the piston skirt scores the bore, usually starting at cylinder 6. Oil consumption rises, compression falls, and the outcome is a rebuild or a replacement engine.

Symptoms
  • Oil consumption climbing past roughly a quart per 1,000 miles
  • A cold ticking that quietens as the engine warms
  • Smoke on start or on overrun
  • Uneven compression and leak-down across cylinders
What to do

No preventive repair. Borescope every cylinder before purchase — this is the defining inspection of a 997.1 and the reason 997.2 cars command a premium.

IMS bearing failure

Critical $2,000–$4,000
Affects

2005–2008 M97 engines only. The 2009-on 9A1 has no intermediate shaft, and the Mezger cars never had this bearing design.

What happens

The intermediate shaft bearing fails, sheds debris into the oil and lets the shaft move. Camshaft timing goes with it and the valvetrain meets the pistons.

Symptoms
  • Metal in the oil filter
  • Rumble from the rear of the engine at idle
  • Oil weep at the IMS flange
  • Frequently no warning at all
What to do

MY2006–2008 engines use a larger bearing that cannot be replaced without splitting the case, so the 996-style retrofit is not available on most 997.1 cars. Verify which bearing a given engine has before assuming a retrofit is an option.

Air–oil separator failure

Major $700–$1,400
Affects

All 997, most commonly the M97 cars.

What happens

The separator diaphragm tears and the engine ingests its own oil through the intake.

Symptoms
  • Heavy white smoke at start or under load
  • Rough idle
  • Oil consumption with no external leak
What to do

Replace the AOS. Cheap relative to what its smoke makes owners fear.

Parts for this job

Ignition coil failure

Minor $400–$900
Affects

All 997.

What happens

Individual coil packs fail with age and heat, producing a misfire on one cylinder.

Symptoms
  • Flashing check engine light
  • Rough running under load
  • Misfire codes on a single cylinder
What to do

Replace all six together with plugs. An owner-doable job and cheap insurance against being stranded.

Parts for this job

Radiator and condenser debris

Minor $1,200–$2,800
Affects

All 997.

What happens

Leaves and grit pack the low-mounted radiators and hold moisture against the cores, corroding them and the A/C condensers behind.

Symptoms
  • Gradual coolant loss
  • Weak air conditioning
  • Visible debris through the bumper ducts
What to do

Fit grille inserts and clear the ducts annually. Replace radiators and condensers as a set once they weep.

Parts for this job

Interior soft-touch coating failure

Minor $300–$1,500
Affects

All 997, worst in hot and humid climates.

What happens

The rubberised coating on console trim, switchgear and door pulls turns tacky and lifts.

Symptoms
  • Sticky centre console and switch surfaces
  • Coating flaking at edges
  • Fingerprints that will not clean off
What to do

Strip and refinish, or fit replacement trim. Cosmetic only, but it is the first thing a passenger touches.

Parts for this job
Does not affect this car

Glued coolant pipe separation — documented elsewhere in the 997.1 range but not applicable to the Targa 4. See the generation overview for the full picture.

Service intervals

7
Item Interval
Engine oil and filter 5,000 mi or annually
Spark plugs and coils 40,000 mi
Serpentine belt 4 years / 40,000 mi
Coolant 4 years
Brake fluid 2 years
Manual clutch 60,000–100,000 mi
Suspension bushings and mounts 80,000+ mi

What fits this car

31 Sizes, capacities and part specs

The answers you need when something has already failed — bulb sizes by position, wiper lengths, battery group, fluid specs and capacities. Sizes are for US-spec cars and are a starting point: options and mid-year changes move them, so check against your own car and its VIN before ordering.

Bulbs

10 Xenon cars differ at the low beam, and the bulb changed at the 2009 facelift.
Low beam — halogen H7 55W Shop →
Low beam — bi-xenon (997.1) D2S 35W Shop →
High beam — halogen H7 55W Shop →
Front turn signal PY21W Amber. Shop →
Front position / parking W5W Shop →
Fog light H11 55W Shop →
Brake / tail P21/5W Shop →
Rear turn signal PY21W Shop →
Reverse P21W Shop →
Licence plate W5W Shop →

Wiper blades

2
Driver side 24 in Shop →
Passenger side 24 in Shop →

Battery

2
Group size Group 48 (H6) Shop →
Minimum cold cranking amps 680 CCA —

Fluids and capacities

7 Approximate service fills, not dry-rebuild volumes.
Engine oil — capacity (M97) 8.7 qt with filter —
Engine oil — specification 0W-40, Porsche A40 approved Shop →
Coolant — capacity 22.5 qt —
Coolant — specification Porsche pink G40, phosphate-free Never top up with universal green. Shop →
Brake fluid DOT 4, low viscosity Shop →
Power steering Pentosin CHF 11S Shop →
Fuel tank 16.9 gal —

Wheels and tyres

7
Bolt pattern 5 x 130 mm
Centre bore 71.6 mm
Lug bolt thread M14 x 1.5
Tyre size — 18 in front 235/40 ZR18
Tyre size — 18 in rear 265/40 ZR18
Tyre size — 19 in front 235/35 ZR19
Tyre size — 19 in rear (wide body) 305/30 ZR19

Torque values

3 Safety-relevant. Verify against factory documentation before relying on these.
Wheel lug bolts 96 lb-ft (130 Nm) Star pattern, on the ground, calibrated wrench.
Engine oil drain plug 37 lb-ft (50 Nm) New sealing washer every time.
Oil filter housing cap 18 lb-ft (25 Nm)

Fitment for the 2007 997.1 Targa 4. Torque values in particular are safety-relevant — verify against factory documentation rather than relying on this page alone.

Buying guide

6
  1. 01

    Decide on 997.1 versus 997.2 first

    This matters more than trim, colour or mileage. The 2009-on DFI cars have no intermediate shaft and no bore-scoring epidemic. Everything else about buying a 997 is downstream of that one choice.

  2. 02

    Borescope every cylinder on an M97 car

    Non-negotiable on 2005–2008 cars, and doubly so on a 3.8 Carrera S. A clean scope is the difference between a good car and a $20,000 surprise.

  3. 03

    Do not assume an IMS retrofit is possible

    Most 2006–2008 engines use the larger non-serviceable bearing. A seller offering to "have the IMS done" may be describing something that cannot be done to that engine without opening the case.

  4. 04

    Manual is worth real money here

    The 997 spans the last hydraulic steering and the arrival of PDK. Manual cars, especially 997.2 Carrera S and the GT3, carry a clear and durable premium.

  5. 05

    Check the Targa roof and cabriolet mechanism

    The Targa 4 glass roof is heavy, complex and expensive to put right. Cycle it fully, several times, and listen.

  6. 06

    Look past the paint to the folder

    A thick file of independent-specialist invoices beats low mileage. These cars punish sitting more than they punish driving.

Parts and gear

18 Chosen for this car, not for the commission

What a Targa 4 actually costs to keep, grouped by why you would buy it. Prices are typical US parts-only figures — labour is separate, and the DIY note says whether that matters. Where a link earns us a commission it costs you nothing and never changes what appears here.

Parts that fix a known problem on this car

4 Each one maps to an issue above
  • Engine $200–$450

    Air–oil separator

    The part behind the dramatic white smoke. Cheap enough that owners often fit one on spec rather than pay to diagnose around it, and it is the usual reason a healthy 997 gets mistaken for a dying one.

    FCP Euro → DIY or shop
  • Cooling $700–$1,600

    Radiator and condenser set

    Three radiators on the wide-body cars, with condensers behind them. Do the lot while the bumper is off — coming back for the second side means paying the same labour twice.

    FCP Euro → Shop job
  • Ignition $300–$550

    Coil pack and spark plug set

    Six of each. Coils fail on age, so doing them as a set with the plugs converts a future roadside misfire into a planned Saturday.

    Link coming DIY
  • Interior $250–$1,400

    Soft-touch trim replacement

    Console surrounds, switch panels and door pulls in a finish that does not go sticky. Purely cosmetic, and the first thing anyone touches when they get in.

    FCP Euro → DIY or shop

Worth doing before it fails

5 Cheaper than the repair it avoids
  • Cooling $100–$250

    Radiator grille screens

    The cause of the repair above. Mesh in the bumper ducts keeps leaf litter off the cores, fits without removing anything, and costs a tenth of the radiators it protects.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Cooling $130–$280

    Coolant expansion tank

    The plastic tank goes brittle and splits with age. Replace it with the cap and level sensor before it lets go somewhere inconvenient.

    FCP Euro → DIY or shop
  • Engine $120–$230

    Low-temperature thermostat

    Runs the engine cooler in traffic and on track. Common fitment on M97 cars among owners who would rather have margin than an argument about bore scoring.

    Shop this → DIY or shop
  • Engine $25–$65

    Magnetic drain plug

    Catches ferrous debris where you will see it every oil change. Paired with a cut-open filter it is the cheapest engine monitoring an M97 owner has.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Chassis $200–$500

    Engine and transmission mount set

    Sagged mounts read as vibration and vagueness rather than as a broken part. Replacing them sharpens the car more than the cost suggests.

    FCP Euro → DIY or shop

Consumables you will rebuy

4 Ordinary running costs
  • Fluids $80–$150

    Porsche-approved engine oil

    Approved specification only. Around nine quarts a change, and on a shortened interval it is the purchase a 997 owner repeats most.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Fluids $18–$50

    Oil filter and hardware

    Bought with every change, and on an M97 car it is the thing you cut open afterwards.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Fluids $18–$70

    Brake fluid

    Two years, or annually with track use. A high-temperature fluid is the cheapest brake upgrade available.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Service $30–$80

    Cabin and engine air filters

    Quick jobs that shops bill properly for. Order them alongside the oil.

    Shop this → DIY

Tools worth owning

5 Bought once, used for years
  • Diagnostics $250–$1,000

    Porsche-specific diagnostic interface

    A generic reader cannot tell a PDK adaptation fault from a failing mechatronic. A Porsche-specific tool reads every module and shows fault history — on a 997.2 that distinction is worth thousands.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Inspection $50–$220

    Borescope camera

    Scope the cylinders through the plug holes before paying for a full inspection. On a 3.8 Carrera S this is the most important thing you can do before handing over money.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Inspection $30–$80

    Oil filter cutter

    Opens the filter so you can spread the pleats and look for metal. Cheap, permanent, and it works for the life of the car.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Lifting $160–$450

    Low-profile jack and jack pads

    A standard jack will not clear the sill and the jack points crush without a proper puck. Buy the pads at the same time.

    Shop this → DIY
  • Storage $50–$130

    Battery tender

    A flat battery on a 997 throws unrelated module faults on top of stranding the car.

    Shop this → DIY