Porsche 928

File:Porsche-929-400x300.jpg

The Porsche 928 was designated as the top of the line Porsche automobile during its production run from 1977 through 1995.

Designed to compete with the Ferrari 512BB & Ferrari Testarossa, Lamborghini Countach, Lamborghini Jalpa, Maserati Bora, & the Lotus Esprit, the eight cylinder powerplant, space capsule design, and the unique 50/50 front to rear weight distribution launched this automobile to Supercar status.

In 1986, the Porsche 928 was graced with the distinction of being the World's Fastest Production Car, earning the Land Speed Record at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Affectionately known as a 'Shark', or 'Land Shark', due both to it's shark-like appearance with its headlights down, and its ability to eat up large segments of road, in no time flat. The 928 was voted Car of the Year in 1978.

The 928 is designated a "Grand Touring Car", as opposed to a "Sports Car". This means that it was built to travel at top speed, while being extremely maneuverable, for extended periods of time, while providing an ergonomically designed cockpit and a luxury interior. Sports cars, on the other hand, are designed to be fast & maneuverable, but are not necessarily designed to drive at top speed for 12+ hour periods. The 928 was built as a car perfectly designed for commuting between countries on the Autobahn roadway in Europe.

Porsche marketing strata, during the 928 Production period:

Porsche 928 -High Performance, 8 Cylinder Front-Mounted engine, Water cooled
Porsche 930 -High Performance, 6 Cylinder Rear-Mounted engine, Air cooled, Twin Turbo
Porsche 911 -High Performance, 6 Cylinder Rear-Mounted engine, Air cooled
Porsche 944 -Midrange, 4 Cylinder Front-Mounted engine, Water cooled
Porsche 924 -Entry level 4 Cylinder Front-Mounted engine, Water cooled

Porsche 968 -Midrange, 4 Cylinder Front-Mounted engine, Water cooled

The 928 was intended to be the replacement for the already aging Porsche 911. The 928 features a large front-mounted V8 engine (first 4.5 liter, 4.7, 5.0 then increasing to 5.4 liter) and a gearbox mounted in the rear for perfect weight distribution.

The Porsche 968 was a blend of 928 styling with 944 technology, and was available as a convertible. It was introduced at the end of the production run for the 928/944/924 line of Porsche automobiles, and was the transition car to Porsche Boxster manufacturing, which began at the 928 plant in Stuttgart, Germany when the 928 was discontinued.

The design of the 928 included a number of innovations. Including the Weissach Axle that provides passive rear wheel steering in certain off throttle cornering situations. An un-sleeved, silicon alloy engine block was another, which reduced weight and provided a highly durable cylinder bore.

Most American 928s were delivered with a Mercedes-Benz automatic transmission for a luxury ride, only a small percentage were manual transmission cars.

Manual transmission 928s are highly desirable. In a 1984 5-Speed, without redlining, 1st gear goes to 50 MPH, 2nd to 125 MPH, 3rd to 160. 4th gear is a passing gear, and 5th is a cruising gear.

Tip: Skip 4th altogether to cruise at top speed, 4th is somewhat like downshifting to 2nd at high speed, it provides a great acceleration power, but the car feels like a jet fighter plane with its afterburners on, in an arcade game, and will rev very high going from a high speed in 3rd. The 3rd to 5th method will feel exceptionally smooth, and the drive at top speed will feel like 55 MPH, except landmarks go by 3 times faster. This stated, driving a Porsche 928 is about as close as you can get to the feeling of flying a jet fighter plane.

The 928 has a very 928-specific gearshift pattern, as shown below:

 R  2  4
 |  |  |
 ---N---
 |  |  |
 1  3  5

From 1980 onwards, the manual 928 holds the distinction of being able to stop as quickly as it can accelerate from any given speed.

The 928 is capable of carrying a substantial load in its luggage space, especially with the rear seats folded down. This made it far more practical for daily use, or long trips, than the 911.

The rear seats provide more space than the 911, and feature rear sunvisors for passenger comfort.

At around 3000 Lbs, The 928 is an exceptionally safe car, constructed largely of aircraft-grade aluminum & steel. It was over-engineered to ensure both driver & passenger safety, much like the Volvo automobiles of it's time. In fact, the only rubber/plastic parts on the exterior of the car are the front & rear bumper covers, which, though commonplace now, were pioneered first on the 928.

The design of the 928 started in 1971, and sales started in 1977. The design goals were to make a luxury sports coupé for the US market, and replace the aging 911. However the 911 proved to be more accepted by Porsche buyers who could not accept the $120,000.00 price tag, the Front-Engined V8 Technology, and the water-cooled nature of the design. The 928 was discontinued in 1995 due to slow sales.

The Porsche 928 is an Exotic car that was abandoned by its manufacturer. A used 928 may be purchased very inexpensively in 2004, and there is a great user community online.

While many 928s suffered during the 1990s due to improper care, today's 928 owners tend to keep their automobiles in great shape, showing pride in the engineering and aesthetic beauty of the 928. It is quite possible that this car may shoot up in value as a historic milestone in Porsche engineering, as it nears the 30 year mark since its inception.

Porsche never released Turbo or convertible models of the 928. Many companies offer kits & services for Supercharging, widebody modifications, and convertible modifications.

It can be seen in many movies, including Scarface, Risky Business, Weird Science, Beetlejuice, Thinner, Nutty Professor & Cannonball Run. There is an AC/DC video 'Let There Be Rock' with the band racing a bi-plane in a then new 1980 928.

With the release of the new Porsche Cayenne truck, Porsche has met with success with the Front-Engined V8. Many 928 owners hope that this is a sign that Porsche will bring back the 928 line for its 30 year anniversary.

The overall consensus is that the new 928 should not be modified much, and should resemble the 1995 928, where the 928 line ended, instead of being completely redesigned. It essentially should have a larger powerplant, larger brakes and even more leather inside. The reason for this is that the 928 was ahead of it's time during its production run, and may still be ahead of its time, with regard to contemporary offerings in the areas of engineering, luxury, safety, performance, handling, and aesthetic appeal.

Links:

1987 928 Owner's Manual [1]
928 Maintenance Links

      *928 International [2]
      *928 Specialists [3]
      *Devek [4]
      *Pelican Parts [5]
      *Vertex [6]

928 High speed Crash photos[7]

The Three Major Changes in Styling:

The timeline of 928 styling can be broken down into three time periods based on the following visually distinguishable characteristics:

At a casual glance, all 928s from 1977-1980 look similar, and have neither a front, nor a rear spoiler. From 1980-1986 the front and rear spoiler are present on the 'S' models. From 1987-1995 the front spolier is integrated into the nose, the rear spoiler is a wing, and the rear is redesigned with a different tail-light configuration.

Another distinguishing visual characteristic would be the sytle of the rim for the 928s wheels. Early 928s had 'Phone Dial' Rims, Mid-production 928s had 'Slotted' rims, late model 928s had 'GT' style rims.

928 Evolution

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.

Images & information detailing the evolution through the Model Years:

1977