Porsche 928

^{1) Count contains unknown number of US "Competition Group" models made in 1981 and 1982 model years.
2) Count contains 205 US "Weissach edition" models made in 1982 model year. 205 is official number which might not be correct. There are indications 217 or more were actually made.
3) Count contains 140 ROW "50th Jubilee" models made in 1982 model year.
4) Count contains 2219 so called S3 US models made in 1985 model year and 877 1986 models made in early part of 1986 model year up to November 1985.
5) Count contains unknown number of 1986 ROW 32 valve S models.
6) Count contains 2071 so called S3.5 US models made in later part of 1986 model year starting from November 1985.
7) Count contains 6 Club Sport prototypes made in 1987 model year.
8) Count contains 10 European models and 2 US models made in 1988 model year and 7 ROW models made in early 1989 model year. Last Club Sport was made in early winter 1988/89.
9) GT production started in around February 1989. Some sources list 1626 cars made. Neither available number might not include estimated 70-80 US models and estimated 320-400 ROW models made in 1989 model year. If this is the case, they are included in 1987-91 S4 total and do not add up into total production quantity. Actual number of GT's can be up to 2100 cars made.}

Press coverage

:"2. Porsche 928: I know, having a 928 on this list might seem a bit crazy, but these cars have been getting a lot of press recently and have been creeping up in price. It used to be that you could get an early, single-cam car in great condition for $5000. Those same cars are now selling for as much as $10k, with the later quad-cam and GTS models holding in the $30s. This is one of the best GT cars of its time that offers a modern driving experience and performance equal to many exotics.":Classic Motorsports, March, 2006 issue, p. 38: Andy Reid's AuctionAction column - Top 10 Cars to Watch in 2006

:"... the 928 is an impressive luxury automobile... the 928 is not only the fastest Porsche, but also one of the fastest production-built GT's in the world... ":Road and Track, 1992

:"...in the GTS Porsche still has the best driver's car in the Grand Tourer market... ":Performance Car, 1992

The 911/928 debate

There is some amount of debate regarding the 928 and how it really fit into the model lineup against the 911. Most sources, including the Porsche factory and "Project 928" book by Julius Weitmann and Rico Steinemann, maintain that the vehicle was designed to be Porsche's flagship model and that it was designed to replace the 911 like the 911 had replaced the 356. However, some people still feel that the 911 was a better sports car than the 928, which combined what its designers felt were the best features of both a sports car and a grand touring car. As such, some people continue to argue that the 911 was never really challenged for top spot in the lineup, as they consider the 928 to have been marketed to a different customer base and was therefore neither competitive with the 911 nor totally capable of supplanting it.

This point of view becomes problematic when examining the facts. In the hands of very skilled driver, a similar-vintage 911 could match the 928 on track, although the 928's more predictable handling nature, more "friendly" dynamics, balanced 50/50 weight distribution and more powerful engine meant that in most cases it proved a competent on-track match for the 911, and was easily capable of out-accelerating all but the 964 generation 911 Turbo, which is notoriously difficult to drive at the limit. This performance, combined with the 928's longer list of standard features, more compliant highway ride and the comfort level necessary to be driven for hours on end without fatiguing the driver made it a solid entry as Porsche's best all-around vehicle and most certainly competent to replace the 911 as Porsche's flagship just as Porsche management intended it to do when 928 was designed.

Porsche 942

The Porsche 942 was a special edition of Porsche 928 made as a gift to Ferry Porsche on his 75th birthday in 1984. Its also known by name 928-4. It featured longer wheelbase than normal 928 production model including extended roof above rear seats to better accommodate tall passengers, at the time very advanced projector headlights, 5 liter 32 valve engine before it was introduced in US market 928 and so called S4 front and rear bumpers including lights two years before they came into 928 production model.

In 1986 Porsche together with tuning company AMG made few long wheelbase 928 specials with a similar rear door arrangement as the much later Mazda RX-8. Unlike 942, these had normal 928 headlights. One was presented to American Sunroof Corporation (ASC) founder and CEO Heinz Prechter. ASC was later partly responsible of making Porsche 944 S2 cabriolets.

The Max Moritz semi works 928 GTR

Porsche's Racing Department never officially entered or prepared a racing 928 for a pure works entry.
Only once Porsche decided to make it obvious to the 911 enthusiasts that they usually tended to underrate the racing genes of the 928:
So Porsche "arranged" this 928GTR to compete against the then dominant 911(993GTR) on the race track. In order not to offend sensibilities of their traditional 911/993GTR customers by officially challenging them with an outright Works-928GTR, PORSCHE asked MAX-MORITZ-RACING, their long time private racing partner from next-door-Reutlingen to enter this 928GTR Cup as a semi-works car.

http://www.porsche928.net/history/strosek_928cup.html

So it didn't come as a surprise, that the drivers were: Bernd Mayländer, Manuel Reuter (Porsche Works Pilots), also Harm Lagaay (then Head of Porsche's Design Studio).
Vittorio Strosek sponsored MM with his Lightweight-Body-Parts and racing exhaust.
The car was officially entered by PORSCHE-CLUB-SCHWABEN.
Homologation minimum weight had to be, and actually is convert|1370|kg|lb|abbr=on.
(more infos: „PORSCHE SCENE" -Germany- 12/2006 „Frisch aufgelegt: Stroseks Design Klassiker“ and
"911&PORSCHE WORLD" -GB- May/June 1994 „928 Cup Racer“ )

Lagaaij reports, that the car was very competitive and able to hold most 993GTR down, although the engine was no more than fine-tuned after chosen from a set of high power output specimen in Weissach.In the last race of the season at Hockenheim a crank-bearing ran dry. As the car was supposed to race in 1995 as well, she was made ready to continue her successful competition in the 1995 season. A fresh engine was installed, selected from the same lot of high output engines and tuned as before. But in 1995 Porsche's 928-production came to an end and the car consequently was not raced in the new season.

The late Max Moritz himself then had her join his collection of historic cars. She has never been put on the road again until after his death, when the family sold the car in October 2004 -with only 24500 km on the clock. (Porsche-Weissach is the only documented owner).

Rumored New 928

In some automotive magazines and web sites, such as "Road & Track", "Car and Driver", and "TopSpeed.com", there have been endless rumors about a quite possible rebirth to a classic model that has been set aside, but not forgotten, in the Porsche archives - the 928. It has been reported that Porsche is planning a new sports coupe derived from the 928, and the recently announced Panamera, whose details can be better examined at the cited web sites following this article [cite web|title=2012 Porsche 928 Car news|publisher="Car and Driver"|url=http://www.caranddriver.com/carnews/11785/2012-porsche-928.html|month=November | year=2006] [cite web|title=Seven Models? Porsche Ponders New 928 and Mini-Cayenne|publisher="Edmunds.com"|url=http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=109760|accessdate=2008-02-01] [cite web|title=2012 Porsche 928 (GT Coupe) Preview|publisher="TopSpeed.com"|url=http://www.topspeed.com/cars/porsche/2012-porsche-928-gt-coupe-ar33482.html|date=Posted on 05.7.2007 14:30 by Simona Alina] .

References

*Bowler, M & Wood, J (1997). "The Fastest Cars From Around the World." Parragon. ISBN.
*Wood, J (1997). "Porsche: The Legend." Parragon. ISBN.
*Hogsten, Dag E. "Jättetest Alla modeller Porsche". Teknikens Värld issue #13, June 17, 1981.

External links

* [http://www.928oc.org 928 Owners Club] Porsche 928 Owners Club, membership based, sponsor events, provide direct benefits
* [http://www.porscheclub928.nl Dutch 928 club] Dutch Porsche 928 Club, lots of info.
* [http://forums.rennlist.com/rennforums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=69 Rennlist 928] Rennlist 928 discussion forum
* [http://www.928.org.uk 928.org.uk] The home of the 928uk email list for Porsche 928 V8 fans
* [http://928gts.jenniskens.eu 928gts] Loads of 928 technical information and background for 928 fans
* [http://www.sportwagen.fr/photos.php?galerie=928 Porsche 928 photo gallery]
* [http://www.landsharkoz.com] 928 Australia, technical information, articles, gallery and evolution of the 928.