The Porsche 928 is known as a long-running sleek coupe that collectors and enthusiasts will enjoy, and it stands out as the first production car with a V8. The 928 is also the only coupe with a front-mounted V8 engine today, making it a unique option.
The 928 was developed first in 1978 and was a replacement for the 911, sold as a rear-engine sports car. If you’re curious about the luxury grand tourer from Porsche, you can check out our complete review of this speedy car.
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Overview of the Porsche 928
The Porsche 928 is a beautiful luxury grand tourer with a body style of a 2-door 2+2 hatchback/fastback coupe. It has a layout with a front engine and rear-wheel drive. The car is produced by Porsche AG of Germany between 1978 and 1995. The car was originally released to replace the 911, and it was designed with the features of a sports car and a luxury car.
One of the highlights that makes the 928 a famous collectible is that it became a top-of-the-line coupe from Porsche. It was designed by Wolfgang Mobius and Anatole Lapine. The car was meant to be a flagship and appeal better than the 911. The 928 is the first car from Porsche with a V8 engine and also the only coupe with a V8 engine in the front.
The 928 is the only luxury grand tourer that has been released by Porsche to date, but it was released in different configurations like the GTS, GT, S4 and more. Aside from the base model, Porsche offered the S variant, later called the 928 S4. Then there were the CS or Club Sport and GT versions, and the final models were GTS models.
The 928 was not as popular as the 911, but it is currently considered a classic because of its unique style and engine power. There were different changes to the model, including the engine and drivetrains, optional features and packaging, suspension and minor body additions. There were 60,870 units made.
History of the Porsche 928
The Porsche 928 started as a development project in 1971 and was designed to eventually replace the 911 by Porsche. The company had gone through a lot of turmoil during the 70s due to the oil crisis, and it experienced different changes like new executives. The new executive believed that the future of Porsche should be with grand tourers, so he placed a lot of importance on the 928 as a successor of the 911.
But not all leaders agreed, which is why 911 remained a significant part of the car portfolio. The Porsche 918 was first released at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show, and it was then named the Car of the Year by 1978. It was the first time that a sports car won this award.
The car was designed by Anatole Lapine and came with different innovations, like the hatchback body with aluminum doors, front wings and bonnet with lightweight features. The bumpers were also hidden behind the nose and tail sections made of plastic. If you experience a minor collision with your car, the panel will go back into shape.
One innovation is the Weissach axle, which is a unique design of the semi-trailing arm suspension design. The 928 was a great success, and it was able to capture North American sales. But the production stopped in 1995, and the 928 never replaced the 911 as it was intended. The Porsche traditionalists preferred the 911 model.
Features, Design, and Specifications of the Porsche 928
There are different features of the Porsche 928, as the focus of the car when it was released in 1978 was on lightweight construction. Parts of the car were made of aluminum, while the body shape was plastic bumpers. It had round pop-up headlights that were electrically operated and integrated into the wings.
The large window of the rear lid came with a rounded fastback. The 928 models came with a water-cooled V8 engine with a 90-degree cylinder arrangement, and it was transmitted based on the transaxle principle. There were some changes to the 928 as the years went on.
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Engine Power
There were different engines used in the Porsche 928. These options include 4.5-liter V8, 4.7-liter V8, 5.0-liter V8 and 5.4-liter V8. This came with three types of transmission, which were 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic and 4-speed automatic transmission. The 4.5-liter engine offered 219 horsepower.
The large, front-mounted and water-cooled V8 engine power the rear wheels. By 1980 in the US, Porsche had moved from a mechanical to an electronic fuel injection system. The transmission was either a five-speed dog leg manual transmission three-speed automatic transmission from Mercedes Benz.
Most of the early 928s came with a cheaper 5-speed manual gearbox as standard, while the optional engine was the 3-speed automatic. Eventually, more cars came with automatic than manual transmissions.
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Styling and Design
The Porsche model came with a 50/50 front/rear weight distribution using a transaxle, and this contributed to the balance. The weight balance and high power output gave the 928 great performance on the track, and it was even considered a relaxing car to drive.
The car was mostly styled with galvanized steel, while other parts were made of aluminum to save weight. The sports coupe came with a spacious luggage area that could be accessed through a large hatchback. Polyurethane elastic bumpers were added to the nose and tail and covered in plastic, although this reduced its drag.
Also, the car had pop-up headlamps integrated into the front wings. Other features included the Weissach Axle, which increased the stability of the sports car whenever the driver pressed the brake during a turn. It also has a silicone alloy engine block designed with aluminum for weight-saving and durability.
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Interior Spacing and Design
The Porsche 928 was a 2+2 coupe, which means there were two seats in the front and another two smaller seats in the rear. The rear seats had to be folded for more cargo space, and there were sun visors placed over all the seats. While this is a sports car with back seats, it doesn’t offer a lot of space for passengers, so it won’t be ideal for taller or bigger adults.
The sports car also featured an instrument cluster which moved when you adjusted the steering wheel. This made it easy for drivers to view the stats and instruments without being blocked by the steering.
The Different Porsche 928 Models
The Porsche 928 is known as a refined, luxurious and comfortable Porsche, which was focused on competing with Mercedes and BMW. It came with a sleek and sporty design, but there were different production models thaat were produced.
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Porsche 928
This is the base model that was produced between 1978 and 1982. It was the first production car with a V8 engine and a front-mounted V8.
The car was designed to be sleek, with a heavy 2 + 2 hatchback coupe that set it apart.
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Porsche 928 S
The Porsche 928 S replaced the base model, 928, and was released from 1980 to 1986. It came with new rear and front spoilers and wider tires and wheels. It was powered by a 5.0-liter 32-valve engine with Bosch LH-Jetronic injection with 288 horsepower.
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Porsche 928 S4
The 928 S4 was released in 1986 and lasted until 1991. It came with a 5.0-liter V8 engine producing 316 horsepower, and there were major styling updates for a better look.
It also came with a single-disc clutch in manual transmission vehicles and a larger torque converter.
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Porsche 928 S4 CS/SE
The CS stands for Club Sport, while SE means Special Equipment, and these were available from 1988 to 1989.
The CS was much lighter than the original car for better driving. The SE was the CS but with some luxury accessories.
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Porsche 928 GT
Between 1989 and 1991 was the 928 GT. In 1989, drivers could choose between this and the S4, and the GT was sportier and better equipped, but with only manual transmission. It was powered by a 330-hp engine and came with a dog leg manual gearbox, seven-spoke Club Sport wheels and aggressive suspension.
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Porsche 928 GTS
The 928 GTS was released from 1992 to 1995 and is the last stage of the model’s history. It came with flared rear wings painted in the exterior color and a red light panel at the rear. It was powered by a 5.4-liter engine that gave 350 horses, along with bigger front brakes and a redesigned exterior.
Evolution of the Porsche 928 From 1978 to 1995
There was a subtle evolution of the Porsche 928 throughout its 18 years of production. In this section, we’ll go through some of these changes throughout the years.
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1978 to 1979
The yar 1978 came with a 4.5-liter 275 cubic-inch engine with 219 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. In 1979, the change made was that the battery box was added as a part of the body rather than being mounted to the gearbox. The gearbox shocks were removed.
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1980 to 1981
The year 1980 came with Bosch L-Jetronic injection, and it introduced the manual gearbox, which came with a shorter torque tube and a different rear subframe. In 1981, the Competition Package was introduced, which was available to the US market.
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1982
This year, it came with a vibration damper added to the torque tube behind the automatic gearbox car and between the second and third support bearing on the manual gearbox cars. S brakes were used, and the reverse gear lock was also added to the gearbox. The Competition Package was removed.
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1983
The 928 S model was introduced in North America with larger brakes and front and rear spoilers. The standard model was dropped. It came with a new-style hydraulic motor mount and deleted engine shocks. There was also 4-speed automatic transmission and a new car body and torque tube.
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1984
In this model year, Porsche made the Bosch LH-Jetroic injection and 4-speed automatic transmission available globally. The torque tube was shortened, and they introduced the Bosch EZF ignition system with dual distributors. Bosch ABS brakes were optional for the first time.
The 928 S came with a maximum speed of 146 miles per hour, and cars were designed with front suspension lower ball joints. It also came with a compression change.
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1985
Now, Porsche added a 5.0-liter 32-valve engine with 288 horsepower and a maximum speed of 155 miles per hour. It also changed the design of the LH-Jetronic control box. The front seat had a new style, with modern door panels and a multi-speaker stereo.
As for the gearbox synchromesh, Porsche introduced the BorgWarner design and a shorter gear lever. The radio antenna was relocated to the embedded windshield wire. They removed the shims from the front end of the torque in automatic transmission cars.
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1986
The 1986 model came with a 5.0-liter 302 cubic-inch engine. It introduced ABS brakes as standard for all markets, the reduced 9.3:1 compression ratio four-valve engine became optional, and there was some compression change. The S4 suspension package and Brembo brakes were introduced too.
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1987
This was when the 928 S4 was introduced with different changes like the pistons, intake valves, cylinder heads and camshafts. The compression ratio was 10.0:1, and the cylinder heads were replaced with bolts for easier removal. It also came with modified front brake calipers, a new design for the front and rear bumpers and rear wing spoilers, and engine knock sensors.
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1988
This introduced the 928 S4 and CS in the USA. It also had a stronger torque tube with a center shaft that was 3 millimeters thicker, which was ideal for automatic transmission. Porsche improved the oil drainage and the skirt on the piston.
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1989
The CT model was discontinued in the USA, and the GT model debuted with manual transmission. They modified the front brake calipers, with an ignition circuit monitor system added and a thicker cylinder head.
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1990 to 1991
The model year came with dual airbags standard across all models and RDK tire pressure monitoring system on all cars. It also uses GT pistons for a 10.0-1 compression ratio and also removed the manual gearbox.
In 1991, the Check Engine warning light was available on all cars, with temperature sensors for the ignition circuit monitor system and improvements to cooling.
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1992
This model year introduced the GTS. This car came with Big Black front brakes, a strong manual gearbox, and engine displacement up to 5.4-liter. The camshafts are milder for emission purposes.
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1993
The car comes with a new air conditioner refrigerant, which changed to R-134a, and there was a minor update to the gearbox clutch. Porsche also changed the engine piston rings and lower half studs on the cylinder block.
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1994 to 1995
In the year 1994, the cabin pollen filter and a dynamic kick-down for automatic transmission models were added. The wheel design was changed, and connecting rods were changed to a stronger design.
In 1995, the final model year with the 928 GTS came with a special release with 8” wide front wheels. There were also special colors like Iris blue metallic and Amazon green metallic.
Conclusion
The Porsche 928 is a fantastic coupe that ran for 18 years, offering impressive power and an exterior style.
Here’s a rundown of what we covered:
- The Porsche 928 is a luxury grand tourer with a 2-door body style, and it was released to replace the Porsche 911.
- It started as a development project in 1971 and was launched at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show.
- The models include the base 928, 928 S, 928 S4, 928 S4 CS/SE, 928 GT and 928 GTE.
If you’re curious about this car, you can check it out at second-hand car markets. It is quickly becoming a classic car, too, making it a great addition to your collection.
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