Porsche is an established exotic car manufacturer that has been in business for many years. It's praised as the maker of some of the most iconic performance cars in automotive history. Some of its creations are remembered, while others, like the 928, have been largely forgotten.
The Porsche 928 was a luxury grand tourer that combined power, poise, and handling of a sports car with the refinement and comfort of a sedan. In addition, the vehicle enjoyed the distinction of being the company's first V8-powered production car. A unique automobile, the 928 was in many ways significantly ahead of its time. And here's what everyone forgot about it.
8 It Was Supposed To Replace The 911
By the mid-1970s, Porsche increasingly realized that the 911 was nearing the end of its evolution. Slumping sales seemed to confirm that the model was approaching the end of its economic life cycle. However, there already existed incredible 911 models that could keep its legacy alive for ages to come. So replacing it was not so much of a loss, and the best possible replacement was the 928, a grand tourer with the DNA of a sports coupé and a luxury sedan.
The 928 set itself apart from the 911 with its relatively Spartan interior and true sports car performance. It also signaled a new era of front-engine, rear-drive Porsches that would feel easier and more modern to drive.
7 It Was Extensively Built Of Aluminum And Galvanized Steel
When Porsche set upon designing the 928, their main focus was fixed on lightweight construction. As a result, the 928 was one of the earliest production cars to utilize aluminum throughout its construction.
The doors, front wings, and hood were made from aluminum instead of sheet steel. Behind the plastic bumpers were also aluminum profiles that could withstand a collision at up to 5 mph sustaining minimal damage. Along with the weight reduction, aluminum also meant the Porsche 928 was resistant to rust. Additionally, rust-resistant galvanized steel was employed for the floor pans, roof, and rear quarter panels.
6 It Pioneered Early Passive Rear-Wheel Steering Systems
The 928 transaxle was home to one of the 928's signature features, the famed Weissach axle. Named after the Porsche R & D center, this rear axle design was custom-built for this car. Its purpose was to increase the cornering grip and stability by eliminating the toe-out tendency caused by mid-corner throttle lifts.
This translated into incredible mid-corner composure and grip. The 928's 50/50 weight distribution made it fast in both straight lines and corners. The Weissach axle was the earliest passive rear-wheel steering setup and a precursor to active rear-wheel and four-wheel steering systems.
5 Most Of Its Models Featured Automatic Transmissions
The Porsche 928 was regarded as one of the most relaxing cars to drive at the time. It originally came with a five-speed dog leg manual transmission before Porsche engineers transitioned it to a three or four-speed Mercedes-Benz-derived automatic transmission.
When the 928 was new, the automotive press noted that its five-speed dog leg manual transmission was not a strong suit and, as a result, the automatic was the way to go. This resulted in more than 80% of the 928 models having automatic transmissions.
4 It Was The Fastest Naturally-Aspirated Production Car
During the 1978 European Car of the Year, Porsche's design and development efforts paid off as the 928 won ahead of the BMW 7 Series and the Ford Granada. The 928 is the only sports car to have won this competition, where usual winners were mainstream hatchbacks and sedans from major European manufacturers. This is regarded as proof of how advanced the 928 was, compared to its contemporaries.
On August 7, 1986, famed American racer Al Holbert took a pre-production 928 to the Bonneville Salt Flats for a few sprints. He went on to clock 171 mph, making the 928 the fastest naturally aspirated production car in the world. Later that year, the 928 supposedly went on to run a 180-plus mph top speed at Italy's famed Nardo top-speed ring.
3 The GTS Was The 928’s Most Wanted Model
The 928 GTS received a revised V-8 that was bored and stroked to a 5.4-liter displacement, equipped with the latest four-valve-per-cylinder heads, and mated to a new four-speed automatic transmission. The result was an output of 345 horsepower and a 0-60-mph time of below 6 seconds.
The GTS separated itself from other 928s with flared rear wheel arches to accommodate larger wheels and a wider track. Bragging the largest wheels in all of the 928's history, the GTS came equipped with 17" in a five-spoke cup design. It's also stood apart from other late 928s with body color-matching front and rear spoilers, a twin-pipe exhaust exit, and a signature full wraparound red light bar. Porsche sent 407 GTS units to the U.S, making them the most wanted 928s due to their limited supply.
2 It Was Porsche’s First V8-Powered Production Car
In the late 1960s, Porsche engineers believed they had pushed the rear-engine 911 as far as it could go, with slumping sales reinforcing this idea. So they began conceptualizing a luxury touring car that might have wider appeal. The first design was done in 1971, and while the rear- and mid-engine configurations were considered, the 928's engine ultimately landed upfront. The 928 drew power from a 4.5-liter Bosch fuel-injected V8, Porsche's first-ever eight-cylinder engine that offered 219 horsepower.
The four-valve layout of the V8 provided good high-rpm breathing, ensuring plenty of power. This, in turn, al¬lowed Porsche's powertrain engineers to tune its manifold and valve timing for efficient low- and medium-rpm breathing, providing good torque.
1 It Was Iconic Movie Car
The 928's futuristic design and status as a luxury vehicle for the eccentric garnered it a fair share of screen time. It was the star car in several classic big-screen hits of the 1980s, including Weird Science, Risky Business, and Scarface. These movie appearances were one of the reasons why the Porsche 928 became an icon and an enthusiast's dream.
Three 928s were used in the film Risky Business. They were used for the bulk of the wide-shot driving scenes, including its famous chase scene. The 928 was the car in which Tom Cruise learned how to drive a stick.