What is a 928

The Porsche 928 is an automobile made by Porsche AG of Germany from 1977 to 1995, during which time it was their flagship model. It is classified as a grand tourer, but the combination of its V8 engine and 50/50 weight distribution made it a competent sports car. It was designed to replace the Porsche 911, although ultimately it failed.

The 928 has been nicknamed Shark and Land Shark, due both to its shark-like appearance with its headlights down, and its ability to 'eat up' large segments of road, in very little time.

The 928 design study began in 1971 and the finished car debuted at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show before going on sale. Porsche had wanted to add a luxury touring car to their line-up, and slumping sales of the 911 model led executives to believe that they would soon need a replacement for it.

They intended for the 928 to cover both bases. It was voted European Car of the Year in 1978.

Porsche's Managing Director at the time, Ernst Fuhrmann, believed that the company's future lay with practical grand tourers rather than with pure sports cars, partly because he had seen the 911 sales slip so greatly. When Peter Schutz took over from Fuhrmann in January, 1981, he decided that the two models should be sold side by side, feeling the company should wait for the consumers to pick a favourite. Although the 928 developed an avid fan following, it never sold in the numbers that Fuhrmann had originally predicted, and was discontinued in 1995.

The 928 featured a large, front-mounted and water-cooled, V8 engine driving the rear wheels. Originally displacing 4.5 litres and featuring a single overhead camshaft, it produced 219 hp (163 kW) for the North American market and 234 hp (174 kW) in other markets. Porsche upgraded the engine from mechanical to electronic fuel injection in 1980, although power remained the same. This design marked a major change in direction for Porsche, whose cars had until then had used only rear-or mid-mounted air-cooled flat engines with four or six cylinders.

Porsche utilized a transaxle gearbox in the 928 to help achieve 50/50 front/rear weight distribution, aiding the car's balance. It came with either a five-speed dog leg manual transmission, or a Mercedes-Benz derived four-speed automatic transmission. Most 928s were specified with the automatic transmission.
The body, styled by Anatole Lapine, was mainly steel, but the doors, front wings and bonnet were aluminium. It had a substantial luggage area accessed via a large hatchback. The bumpers were integrated into the nose and tail and covered in body coloured plastic; an unusual feature for the time that aided the car visually and reduced its drag.
The 928 qualified as a 2+2, having two small seats in the rear. Both seats could be folded down to enlarge the luggage area, and both had sun visors. The instrument binnacle moved up and down with the adjustable steering wheel.
The design of the 928 included innovations such as the Weissach Axle that provides passive rear wheel steering in certain off throttle cornering situations, and an un-sleeved, silicon alloy engine block, which reduced weight and provided a highly durable cylinder bore.
Porsche introduced their first revision of the 928, the 928S in 1980 in Europe, although it was 1983 before the car reached North America. The main change for the 928S was under the hood, where a revised 4.7 litre engine was used. European versions debuted with 300 hp (224 kW), and were upgraded to 310 hp (231 kW) in 1983. North American spec models needed additional emissions regulation equipment, and were limited to 234 hp (174 kW) as a result.
Externally, the S wore front and rear spoilers and sported wider wheels and tires than the previous version.

The first truly major update for the 928, the S4 sported an updated version of the 5.0 litre V8.  Redesigned front and rear fascias (it takes a very sharp eye to see the rear section was elongated slightly to improve airflow), as well as updated interior trim, the 928 S4 was the fastest 928 yet. The front spoiler was redesigned to allow air to pass smoothly under the car with the aid of a new aero belly pan; a set of grill flaps opened and closed depending upon speed and driveline temp. Radiator cooling was serviced by a dual electric fan set. The S4 features wider rear rims than before measuring 16 x 8. Larger brakes with 4-piston Brembo calipers, even larger rotors and pads, ABS as standard. A dual-disc clutch and revised styling helped round out the major changes, although suspension revisions were also made, in addition to a slight freshening of the interior.

As testament to the S4's supercar status, Al Holbert set two FIA world land speed records of 171+ mph in
a stock, catalytic converter equipped 928 at Bonneville Salt Flats - the same car which could be bought at any Porsche authorized dealer (if you could afford the cost of just over AU$200,000.00)

A video file of the Al Holbert story can be retrieved from the downloads page

Porsche kept the S4 in production through 1991, although they debuted a more expensive version, the GT, in 1989. Featuring an even tighter suspension, a computer controlled limited slip differential, and offered only with a 5-speed transmission, the GT was the most aggressive 928 yet. Power in the GT rose to 326 hp (243 kW).

The S4 and GT variants were both cut in 1991, making way for the greatest and ultimately final version of the 928, the GTS. The GTS debuted in 1992 with even smoother bodywork, larger brakes, a revised suspension and more power from an enlarged 5.4 litre motor, 345 in total. Loaded GTS models could eclipse AU$240,000 in 1995, making them among the most expensive cars on the road. Porsche discontinued the GTS model in 1995. Only 95 cars were produced in the 928's final year of production.

A great community dedicated to the 928 exists online today, and the car has won a huge fan base.

The 928's styling developments can largely be summed up with the following characteristics:
Styling was the same from 1977 through 1980 and the body lacked both front and rear spoilers.

From 1980 (1983 in North America) through 1986, front and rear spoilers were present (on "S" models), rear spoilers were integrated into the hatch.

From 1987 through 1995, the front spoiler is integrated into the nose and the rear spoiler became a separated wing rather than an integrated piece, the rear tail-light configuration was also different from previous versions.

Another easily noticeable visual difference between versions is the style of the rims. Early 928s had "phone dial" rims, while mid-production 928s had slotted rims, and late model 928s had "GT" style rims.

The evolution of the 928 during its 18 years of production is quite subtle, and often confuses individuals interested in purchasing a 928. The tables below show the major differences, which were largely made to the nose, tail, interior, engine, & rims. The images supplied depict he relevant models.

The Australian 928 evolution (including technical specifications) can be viewed by
clicking here

 

Basic model variations:
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928  4.5 ltr 16-valve V8  phone-dial-wheels  no spoilers
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928 S  4.7 ltr 16-valve V8  7-slot-dish-wheels  front and rear spoilers
1986 928 S3  5.0 ltr  32-valve V8
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928 S4 5.0 ltr V8 (32 valve) rear wing  rounded front and rear bumpers updated lights
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928 GT 5.0 ltr V8 (with increased horsepower) Design-90-GT wheels 5 speed manual
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928 GTS 5.4 ltr V8  flared rear guards  tear drop mirrors  GTS-cup-wheels