Why Don't More 928's race?

[M.D. Holloway]

Our PCA chapter is into TT's and AX's bigtime, it is mostly all 911's a few 914-6's and a stray 944 but you are hard pressed to ever see a 928 on the track. Why is that? Are they not supposed to be very well balenced and exceptionally fast? They seem to be a great bargan when offered for sale. So what is the dealy-o?

[Victor]

Heavy - VERY heavy from what I understand. Also, I think most of them where automatics - coupled with very complex "1st gen" electronic systems.

Also the trannies and power steering stuff is expensive to fix. There's a guy who runs one in the local Porsche club - be glad there aren't more out there. They hold you up in the corners, brake way early and then overtake you in the straights only to hold you up in the corners again.

[techweenie]

Mark Anderson has had some success in POC with a 928, running in the top 3-5 in plenty of races.

http://www.928intl.com/race/

[Victor]

Is that the "E-Ram" guy? That could explain the anomaly.

[HardDrive]

Their big expensive pigs to run. Nice comfortable car for a touring, but not really intended for throwing around.

[Victor]

Yes - built for late 70's to 80's executive types to rip from Stuttgart to Frankfurt in record time along the Autobahn.

Ja!

[techweenie]

I've owned four 928s and I don't agree. They can be very agile.

[CJFusco]

there is also a guy named David Lloyd who has a 928 PCA Club Racer here in CT... I just noticed he is also in Anderson's pit crew

[turbocarrera]

There's a vid on Rennlist of a race 928 just pounding a GT3Cup car on the straights and in the twisties. I would love a 928GT.

[nostatic]

there are a couple of prepped ones that show up at OTR events. Very fast, and mean sounding.

[928ram]

Is that the "E-Ram" guy? That could explain the anomaly.

No, that's another 928 racer also named Mark. I don't believe he uses his fantabulous E-rams on his race car though..hmm.

[DaveE]

I thought they had some issues with crankshaft oiling at continuous high RPM.

[Tishabet]

As stated above, they're heavy...more of a GT car than a racecar. The 928S4 for instance had a curb weight of a little over 3500lbs being pushed around by about 315hp.

[bryanthompson]

You guys are looking too deep into this. The real reason 928s don't race more, is because all of the socks throw off the balance of the car.

[304065]

There are a few guys who race them in the northeast. Great aero, steamroller tires, and when gutted, can be fairly light. Manual boxes are hard to find.

These guys have developed a way to pin the Weissach axle so that there's no auto-camber-correction in the corners. This improves the predictability of the car dramatically.

Nothing like one of them going by at the end of the straight, you can clearly make out the V-8 rumble against the flat six whirr.

[RallyJon]

Weight is relative. Back when the 928 came out, 3285lbs was unbelieveably heavy for a performance car. These days, unfortunately, it's average.

My Subaru STI weighs 3263 lbs, for comparison. The M3 is in the high 3000s.

[Iggy]

Originally posted by 928ram
No, that's another 928 racer also named Mark. I don't believe he uses his fantabulous E-rams on his race car though..hmm.

That would be Mark Kibort. He uses the same S4 that set the speed record back in '87 (Holbert car)

http://www.928registry.org/1987-928S4-Mark-Kibort-Excellence-10-2004.htm

[MichiganMat]

Kiborts car is effing awesome. He runs a 4" exhaust pipe straight off Devek headers and the sound is orgasmic. Helluva nice guy too.

[TyFenn]

I think I read in Excellence's market report that the clutch was difficult, expensive and really, not all that effective.

[tobster1911]

Originally posted by bryanthompson
You guys are looking too deep into this. The real reason 928s don't race more, is because all of the socks throw off the balance of the car.

I don't think anyone over here got that.

OTOH, Don't you think that a high perf sock might provide good variable damping in high speed cornering?