Jalopnik
In 2000 I was moving from New York to Los Angeles. I needed a car. My boss at the time was selling his 1992 Porsche 928 GTS with just 20,000 garaged and pampered miles. The word "cheery" doesn't even begin to describe it. And it could have been mine for the low, low price of $10,000. More amazingly, this one had a manual. Only 77 GTS model 928s ever made it to the United States. Of those, just six had manuals. [Update: only 77 928 GTSs showed up here in 1995. Between 1992 and 1995 2831GTS cars were produced — thanks rennlist] And I had the money. However, he warned me, just because you are paying Honda money for a supercar, doesn't mean it doesn't have supercar needs. The engine, while awesome, was notorious for eating oil and heaven forbid it needed a repair. Or two. Or a part. The straw that broke the camel's back was my boss explaining that it cost him $1700 to replace the window motor. Once in Los Angeles, I bought a Sentra. Biggest mistake of my life. I've already let a 928 slip away from my actual garage once; there's no way it's not making it into the Fantasy Garage.
In 1971 Porsche read the writing on the wall. The nifty 911, while just seven years old, was reaching what they thought then to be the limits of its rear-engined, air-cooled design. I'm not talking just performance, but also crashworthiness, noise and emissions were impending concerns. Most troubling though, was the threat that because of the Nader-Corvair incident, there was some talk of the US banning rear-engined cars altogether. Additionally, the 911 was an evolution of the 356, which was an outgrowth of the VW Bug. Which meant that P.J. O'Rourke was right; Porsche's flagship was an "ass-engined Nazi slot car." The company needed a modern, clean-sheet design.
There were other considerations, too. In the hands of a good driver on a closed course, the 911 was very capable and supremely rewarding. In the hands of most customers on the street, it was a widowmaker. And they were uncomfortable, loud and — compared to muscle cars dominating the all-important North American market — slow in a straight line. Porsche's top engineers began work on an all new vehicle that would combine the white-knuckle performance of the 911 with all the appointments and accouterments of a world-class GT. The new car was to be a major source of pride for Porsche, too. For the first time every part would be 100% Porsche, not leftover VW bits (notwithstanding that the 928's three-speed auto was sourced from Mercedes). "Projekt 928" was underway.
They considered many designs, including rear and mid-engine layouts, but ultimately it was decided that maximum passenger comfort dictated a front-engine, RWD layout. A transaxle would help the new Porsche achieve a BMW-like "perfect" 50/50 weight distribution. Interestingly, the original design called for a 5.5-liter V8, but the OPEC silliness of the mid-1970s saw the displacement shrink to a less-thirsty 4.5-liters (and at seven feet long, its timing Gilmer-type timing chain was the longest ever fitted to a car). Don't feel too bad, though; one group of managers was pushing for a V6. Luckily, the engineers refused. The body was designed in semi-secrecy behind curtains in the factory, alongside 911 production. Prototypes were nearly beaten to death in severely hot (Africa) and cold (Finland) weather testing. Projekt 928 was even doing better than expected in crash tests. All that was needed was the Board of Directors to give 'em the go code.
Before we go further, we must discuss what an alien the 928 was, vis-à-vis Porsche. A water-cooled, front-engined V8 sitting in front of the steering wheel would have been exactly as odd as Billy Graham coming out in favor of cocaine. And Jews. The design was anathema to everything Porsche stood for. Everything, save for one thing: like all Porches, the new 928 was a driver's car above all else. With that in mind, Porsche's directors gave the car their blessing. It debuted at the Geneva Auto Show in 1977, was quickly named car of the year (a first for such an expensive vehicle) and entered production in 1978. (Okay, a few were made in 1977, but sold as 78s.) World, meet Porsche 2.0. Side note. Before some of you start your inevitable sniping, listen up. While it's true the 924 was launched in 1976, making it the first front-engined Porsche for sale, the design of the 928 predates it by a year. And the 924 was originally going to be a VW. And it had a 95 horsepower 2.0-liter van engine. And it sucked, quite unlike the 928.
The engine was all-aluminum and the cylinders were sleeveless. It was the first vehicle to be equipped with four-wheel steering since the Schwerer Panzerspähwagen (a Nazi armored truck). Actually, the 928 featured passive rear-wheel steering. Known as the Weissach axle, this improvement on the semi-trailing arm suspension largely eliminated lift-throttle oversteer. Before the 928, if you were to lift the throttle in RWD car with an independent rear-end, the tendency was for the shift in weight distribution to cause the vehicle to snap-oversteer. Fun to watch on TV, but not ideal in a race. With the Weissach axle, the rear wheel would toe in, preventing oversteer. Most sports cars that still use semi-trailing arms feature a Weissach axle. The 928 also had a double-disk clutch and a torque tube (where the differential is bolted to the transmission as opposed to the suspension). The 928 was also advanced on the inside. Porsche's flagship featured an instrument binnacle that raised and lowered with the steering wheel, a trick it took Nissan's Z a few decades to copy. Rear-seat occupants were treated to both sun visors and AC.
The 928, or "Shark" as its adherents refer to it, had a long production run (1978-1995) with continual updates from Porsche, including lots of high-tech goodies from the 959. When it debuted, the mechanically fuel-injected SOHC 4.5-liter mill made 219 horses in North America and 237 hp in the ROW (rest of world). At the end of its 17 years, the 928 was packing a 32-valve 5.4-liter unit delivering 345 hp. It also featured 12.5" Brembos. Zero to 60 mph took about five seconds flat, and top speed was in the neighborhood of 170 mph, if not a touch faster. That number, still quite respectable today, for a time made the 928 the fastest production car in the world. Only the Corvette ZR-1 and Lamborghini Countach were faster. But none of these facts are why I'm putting forward the 928 to be locked in our Fantasy Garage. I mean, just look at it!
Unlike other Porsches, the 928 is actually good looking (the Carrera GT is notably excepted). I take that back. The 928 isn't good looking; it is utterly gorgeous. You can think of it as the German E-type, with its long hood, huge front fenders and eggish greenhouse. Unlike the Jags of yesteryear, the 928 still looks modern. Like the 911, the design is timeless, only without all the awkward clumsiness inherent to rear-engined fastbacks. Viewed from behind, only the Pontiac Solstice (which has a butt quite similar to the 928) looks as good. We still can't get over those rear-fender cuts. Even the engine is fantastic looking, with that wild, arachnid manifold spilling out all over the place. Just a beaut all around. We'll take ours in either key lime or champagne, thank you.
While certain 928s held their value (that candy-apple red GTS I neglected to purchase is today worth around $45,000), for many years the 911 replacement was the sports car bargain. This was largely because the 928's discontinuation was understood as both a validation and vindication of its predecessor as a superior vehicle. And while the 997 iteration of the 911 is truly awesome, can you imagine what a 2007 928 would be like? Especially with those twin-turbo 500+ hp engines out of the Cayenne? Can I get a Yowza? If the rumors are to be believed, a new 928 built off the Panamera platform should show up in 2011 as a 2012 model. Or not.
If, like me, you check eBay daily from time to time, you'll spot the alarming trend that 928 prices are starting to creep up. Especially the manuals. But, with a car this hot, it was inevitable. Also worth noting is that the 928 holds the all-time record for manliest car; more than 98% of its owners were male. How could that car not wind up in our Fantasy Garage. As to which specific model gets in, well, we're torn. On the one hand the performance of the later GTS models is beyond reproach. On the other, the car introduced in the 1970s is just so much better looking. You know what? As the this Fantasy Garage only exists in our collective Jalopnik consciousness, it can be any 928 you want. Though we call dibs on the green one up top.
Here's Some Clarkson, Saying What We Said In 1500 Words, In 192.
[The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage appears every Tuesday. Readers vote the cars in or out. The idea is that we'll have 50 cars in our Fantasy Farage, the world's greatest mechanic and endless wads of cash. Would you like to nominate a car for the Fantasy Garage? Write tips@jalopnik.com with the subject line "Fantasy."]
The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, So Far:
RUF RT12 | Maserati Quattroporte Executive GT | 1978 Aston Martin V8 Vantage | Honda 1300 Coupe 9 | 1931 Daimler Double Six 50 Corsica Drophead Coupe | Ferrari 288 GTO | Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 | 1970 Buick GSX 455 | First Generation BMW M Coupe | Bugatti Veyron 16.4 | Ford GT | Citroen SM
Related:
Jalopnik Fantasy Garage: Citroen SM; The Jalopnik Fantasy Garage [Internal]
Comments
The 928 was great but it was a GT through and through. Replace this with the 944 Turbo and you have a fantasy garage car. Most were stick, 50/50 weight and completely insane when modified. Sorry but the 928 was a pig. If there had to be one front engine car that says Porsche, it's the 944 Turbo.
I know of an abandoned 928 sitting in a university parking lot in bucolic Massachusetts. Wonder what it's worth...? It even has a full set of spare tires and rims shoved inside.
This is the most awesomest car of my childhood. I remember the first time I saw one was in the movie Wierd Science...who knows maybe as a 5 year old it was just the car or the thought of some dorks could bag a hot chick like Kelly LeBrock with a car like that but either way it has always held a special place in my heart.
This is a top five car in the MarionCobretti Fantasy Garage. Abso-freaking-lutely yes.
Despite being a rotten person, I am voting yes on this one. A 928 has been in my wife's fantasy garage for several years (The 356's and early 911's that are in the actual garage aren't enough) so I've got to go thumbs up. The car is more common than the SM I voted against and almost as troublesome, but it truly represented a new and risky way of thinking at Porsche. They may have not hit the mark, but you've got to encourage the staid Germans to express themselves periodically, except for SUV's.
@johnny lieberman: In light of the recent comments suggesting we should change the name to the Fascist Garage, I applaud you for making a choice from an appropriate manufacturer.
all I had to see was the headline.
The 944 Turbo would be a better candiate. Light. Sexy. Involving. Playful.
Plus, the 944 has the fender flares like Shakira. Mmmm, flares...
I've always liked the 928, but I think the best curves are on the 968 Cabriolet. A neighbor has one in a Rose metallic. Gorgeous.
I've been the proud owner of an 86.5 928S 5-speed for several years now. That's the last of the "70s" body style, but with the newer brakes, exhaust and suspension. Black on black. A rare beast. And aside from a Vector W2, it's about the only car that I can imagine keeping this car nut happy for many years to come.
@burglar: Ditto. This may make me a wretched person, but the styling on the 928 has always looked really dumpy and awkward to me. The rear quarter is the *only* view that's good.
Much rather see the 944 in there, if we're only going to put in one front-engined Porsche from that era. Alot sexier than the 928, but not as heavy and overdone as the 968.
@burglar:
My wife has a 944 turbo, and I have a 928S. Both are fantastic, with the handling edge going to the 951 (944T). But for me, nothing can replace the burble of the big V8 in the 928, or the rush of hitting 55 mph while still in first gear, and 120 before you're out of third. Good stuff and definitely worth of the fantasy garage!
@burglar: Banned
@kaosfere: See above
i think if for nothing but the "Billy Graham coming out in favor of cocaine. And Jews." line, i have to vote yes.
aside from that, i loved this car from the first time i saw it at the new york auto show in the late 70's.
Can I stamp a preemptive bullshit on anyone who states that only true Porsches have engines hanging behind the rear wheels? Because if they do then they will have conveniently forgotten about 550's, 904's, 906's, 908's and the absolutely most Bruce race car of all time the 917.
Not knowing anything about this car up until recently.. (decided to compare a porsche to a bmw 850csi to see what might make my personal garage) it rates as a serious contender in the "i will buy someday" category.
personally i think it's kinda ugly.. it has that minimalist thing happening with the body.. kind of like the result of an AMC Pacer mating with a Jag e-type..
But it's growing on me.. still a toss up with the 850 or the 928.. it is however.. a sleeper porsche.. because it doesn't look like a 911 it isn't a car you pull chicks with.. it has all the outward appeal of a corolla.. or 80's rx7 and most cops wouldn't give it a second glance.. just a funky 80's underpowered sports car (ala 924.. but not).. unfortunately its a car you have to explain.. and you begin explaining it by having to defend that it's a actually a pretty damn good car..
But as far as a car you can pick up for $6K, that's a proper GT car, with a high hoonage potential 300hp v8 and rwd.. that's a bit of a sleeper except to those in the know.. it's a damn good deal.. i expect that those $6K cars will disappear quickly as your readers now know they exist.
I voted yes.. but as a bargin way into a proper sports car.. the $ to performance ratio is pretty damn high.. much better than any american car.. save probably an 80's turbo firebird fitted with a modern EFI system, or a t-type that the owner doesn't know what he has..
The fantasy garage needs a daily driver.. screw the phaeton.. this is it.
Plus it makes a pretty snazzy 'camino.
The only Porsche I have ever wanted to own.
Sorry, this car fails.
Yes, it gets in.
The JFG-spec example should be a '78 body on top of GTS drivetrain and suspension.
But I must confess that I do fancy the 968 almost as much.
Candygram? Landshark!
Awesome.
@Crashburn: And the 914.
Worst Porsche Ever
@
@jonnylieberman: Can I vote No twice?
We all knew it was coming.
And props to niterunner for the Wierd Science shout out.
You guys forgot to mention that Scarface had one. That gives it a plus in my book.
And even if a window motor cost as much as a month's pay at my job where I work with highly precise aluminum und schteel!, I would totally own one over any Sentra (believe me) any day of the week. Just staring at what you knew was YOUR 928 would be worth it.
My uncle Kevin (RIP) is partially responsible for my addiction to cars. The day he let me drive my great aunt to the airport in his 735 by myself was the start...but my fondest memory was the day he looked over at me from the driver's side of his 928 and said "Wanna drive?"
I remember turning the key, and as that sweet v8 rumbled to life, a huge grin spread across my face. I really didn't know all that much about Porsches, but remebering thinking, "Wow, this thing's kinda like a German Mustang!" Even better, as I started to drive, my Uncle looked at me and said "Don't pussy-foot, punch it!" As Frank Zappa would say, "Yowza!"
I almost bought one a few years back, but horror stories of thousands of dollars to replace a rear-end made me think twice.
I drive an original M Coupe now. It doesn't have the top-end of a 928, nor does it have that amazing v8, but in many ways it's a kindred spirit. The 928 surely needs to join the M Coupe in the Fantasy Garage!
@Buckster: Only if we can ban you twice.
@bzr: I can't really explain how sad I am for not buying it.
The Shark is a truely awsome car, esp. given the era it was designed and built in. It is absolutely 'georgeous'... BUT I cannot vote for something as pedestrian as a 928... yes the GTS is REALLY HOT, but its still overweight...
(BTW, I own a 944 Turbo that has been put on a diet), and while a 928 would make a great track toy once stripped, there is a LOT of stuff to keep up on a shark...
I'd vote for a Dauer 962 or 959 or a RUF CTR (Yellow Bird)... I don't dream of owning a Shark though and this is a dream garage... sorry.
The fantasy garage is quickly becoming a mechanic's dream - cars that are in constant need of five-figure repairs.
The 928 is as unreliable and as likely to strand its owner as a Citroen SM; yet it has none of the daring engineering or French I'll do-it-my-way charm.
The 928 is a horrible stain on the reputation of Porsche's engineering prowess. There is no excuse for the 928's suckitude. It was awful. Every bit as fat, unreliable and sorry as the BMW 8 Series.
I always though the 928 looked like three different cars congealed together, none of which agree with the others. The 1955 Spyder, now that's a beautiful Porsche, but to compare this to the E-Type?..
In high school, a friend's dad had a manual 928 S4. Black with red interior. To this day, perhaps the fastest I've ever been to 100 and back.
Jonny, you neglected to note (see, I actually read this post) that first gear was off the H - racing style.
Ick, I'd rather have the 914.
@Al Navarro: True, and dog legged, too.
DO NOT WANT!!!!
Definitely a yes. If you don't agree, go watch "Risky Business" at least 3 times.
"Who's the U-boat commander?"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ba0tWgP138g
@burglar:
werd.
both vehicles were the Porsches of my pubescent fantasies, but the 944 with the meaty flanks was my favorite.
we could problably do a list of where the 928 and 944 showed up in movies.
i believe the 928 was the Prosche that Tom "u-boat commander" Cruise sank in Risky Buisness.
although the 944 was the cosen ride for Molly Ringwalds Beau at the end of SIXTEEN CANDLES.
The 928 is the German high performance equivalent of the AMC Pacer. Yeah, I said it.
Maybe it isn't that ugly, but I've driven a 928 and a few 911's and I just don't see fantasy. The 928 was great as a Hot Wheels car (the one with removable rubber tires) but sometime after losing my virginity I lost interest in the 928.
I can remember this car and a Countach being the ONLY cars I wanted as a kid! Oui!
Gorgeous? That's highly debatable.
Jonny, you are clearly still smarting from passing this one up....who in their right mind takes a german car to a mechanic for a window motor replacement anyway? It's always the non-engine stuff that kills you on German cars.
Reminds me of my friend Rick's old joke about the financially devastating a/c repair on his wife's 635csi. (in the voice of a mechanic) "I have bad news for you...its not the transmission."
I'll take mine with headers and twin, open exhaust please.
The 928 design was one of their best. I love it in that weird electric grasshopper green. C'mon, who couldn't love those zany headlights?
I am a rotten person. I admit it. Even though I've wanted a 928 since I was child. Even though I've never forgiven my father for buying a BMW instead of this because it was "more practical," (I was five, I would have been perfectly comfortable in the back seat!!) I vote no.
Any car this available on eBay and used car lots doesn't cut it for a limited number "fantasy garage." It's in my "would like to very possibly will own garage", yes. But damn it, I don't ache and drool over it like I do a 550, or even a 959.
And damn it, if this is a fantasy garage, where there hell is the 917? I fantasize about driving that on the road every day!
YES!
But it needs a U-BOAT vanity plate -
"Who's the U-Boat Commander?"
@saabophile: Always remember: there's no such thing as a cheap Porsche.
I really respect the 928 as a GT car, and yes Johnny L - you should have bought the GTS, they're something. The look is distinctive and the performance is great. More maintenance than I'd want to take on (and this from a 944 turbo owner), though.
But I voted nein since I don't feel the lust. The 550, 904, 911 and Cayenne are iconic for me, the others not so much.
IMO the JFG is for mistresses. Mmmm, Kelly LeBrock....
I had an '80 928 5-speed a few years back. Unfortunately, it was pretty rough so I decided it wasn't worth keeping. Despite being completely neglected, it was still well-put together and pretty reliable. The alternator died twice, but it was other