Porsche 928 1987 - World Of Classic Cars -

Porsche 928 1987

The 928 was launched to a fanfare and surprised many by being named European Car of the Year, an award that traditionally went to worthy but dull family hatchbacks.  Critics immediately recognised the advances the 928 had made over the 911, and the car was universally praised as one of the greatest Grand Touring cars of all time.  It handled, it was quick, it looked fantastic and it was comfortable.
With the 928 Porsche created a serious long distance grand touring car that could also tackle twisting B-roads with ease, thanks to super-direct steering, 50/50 weight distribution and a clever Weissach rear axle that kept the car firmly planted on the road.  Many testers found that their nerve ran out long before the 928's grip.

Porsche 928 1987

If the 928 attracted any criticisms it was that it wasn't quite quick enough.  The original 4.4 litre engine generated 240 bhp but, mated to a relatively heavy car, the performance didn't match the 911.  So Porsche introduced the 928S fitted with a 4.7 litre version of the engine and generating 310 bhp.  This began to deliver the car's potential, achieving 0-60 times of around 7 seconds.  But the real trump card of this engine, which extra power began to reveal, was its in-gear acceleration around the mid-range - 50-70 mph sprints or indeed any acceleration from 3,000 rpm is in the supercar league.

Porsche 928 1987

Porsche continuously developed the 928 throughout its life, firstly with the S2 which received the 4.7 litre engine and front and rear spoilers to reduce lift at high speed.  The major revision was the launch of the Porsche 928 S4 in 1987 which received smoothed off front and rear bumpers, a bigger rear spoiler, more interior equipment and a 5 litre version of the V8 engine developing 330 bhp.  The 'S4' style was largely retained for the rest of the car's life but Porsche created several model variants including the Porsche 928 GT and Porsche 928 GTS.