Grey Porsche 928 S: luxury grand tourer produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 to 1995

The Porsche 928 is a grand touring car produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 until 1995. Originally intended to replace the Porsche 911, the 928 combined the aspects of a sports car and a luxury car. The 928 became the top-of-the-line production car sold by Porsche.

Porsche executives believed such a flagship would have wider appeal than the compact 911. The 928 was the company’s first production V8-powered model and its only coupé powered by a front-mounted V8 engine.

The 928 featured a large, front-mounted and water-cooled V8 engine driving the rear wheels. Originally displacing 4.5 L and featuring a single overhead camshaft design, it was rated at 219 hp (163 kW; 222 PS) for the North American market and 240 PS (177 kW; 237 hp) in other markets.

Porsche upgraded the engine from mechanical to electronic fuel injection in 1980 for US models, although power remained the same. This design marked a major change in direction for Porsche (started with the introduction of the 924 in 1976), whose cars had until then used only rear- or mid-mounted air-cooled flat engines with four or six cylinders.

Porsche utilised a transaxle in the 928 to help achieve 50/50 front/rear weight distribution, aiding the car’s balance. Although it weighed more than the difficult-to-handle 911, its more neutral weight balance and higher power output gave it similar performance on the track.

The 928 was regarded as the more relaxing car to drive at the time. It came with either a five-speed dog leg manual transmission, or a Mercedes-Benz-derived automatic transmission, originally with three speeds, with four-speed from 1983 in North America and 1984 in other markets. For the first generation cars, 1978 & 1979, the majority of cars were fitted with the less expensive 5 speed manual gearbox while the optional 3 speed automatic was much scarcer. As the model years continued, this ratio evened out and then finally more cars had the automatic transmission. The exact percentage of manual and automatic gearbox cars for the entire production run is not known.

The body, styled by Wolfgang Möbius under the guidance of Anatole Lapine, was mainly galvanized steel, but the doors, front wing, front fenders, and hood were made of aluminium to save weight. It had a substantial luggage area accessed via a large hatchback. Newly developed polyurethane elastic 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. Another unusual feature was the pop-up headlamps which were based on the units found on the Lamborghini Miura and were integrated into the front wings.

1980

Model designation: 928 / 928 S (only 928 in North America)

Engine displacement: 4.5 L / 4.7 L (S model only)

Valves: 16

Power: 240 PS (177 kW) (4.5) / 300 PS (221 kW) (4.7 S) / 229 HP (167 kW) for North America only.

Changes:

Higher 10.0:1 compression ratio engine (except North America) 4.5 L model. Same power, i.e. 240 PS (177 kW) but more torque, 380 Nm instead of 350 Nm.

Bosch L-Jetronic injection in North America.

Addition of “S” model, shown at Frankfurt in September 1979. The 928 S was not available in North America until 1983. Front & rear spoilers. Larger brakes.

Manual gearbox changed during model year requiring shorter torque tube and different rear subframe.

“S” brakes installed during model year except North America.

Read more: Technologies, transport and equipment ...