928 never superceded 911

[BennyBroadcast]

We spend an inordinte proportion of our lives waiting........ While I have been waiting to buy my 911 (long story) the mind has wandered. I started thinking "what about a 928?" So I began researching and checking out the classifieds, net ads etc and WOW! 928's are really cheap! However my research reveals the following. Fabulous motor, comfortable as a DD, good brakes, heavy which affects handling, expensive parts and finally almost ALL of them are autos. I could pick up a low mileage, clean, mid to late eighties example for about $AU35K thats about US$22.5K This is a car that cost AU$220,000 new!!!!!! Oh the depreciation Proof here of how unloved the 928 is. The point of all this preamble is this; How did Porsche get it so WRONG with the 928?? This car was supposed to supercede the 911 which was reckoned to be too ancient to continue meeting smog and crash regulations. It's a nice car to look at but it embodies almost none of the features of a 911. Heavy and automatic does not beat light and manual.

[350HP930]

From what I have heard, the 928 like the 944 was meant to be an alternate platform selection. Just as with the Cayenne today porsche knew everyone didn't want to buy a flat six mid engined car.

Where the 944 was meant to be light and nimble, the 928 was meant to be the big V8 counterpart to its front engined, RWD V8 competition.

I think the qualities of the car you have already mentioned and the test of time are the main reason why it is not the most loved of the porsche models.

It and the 924 seem to fall and the bottom of the desirable porsche list.

I think the movie 'Risky Business' has a lot to do with what popularity the car currently has.

[island911]

The 928 *was* intended to supersede the 911. Unfortunately, for the 928, it was choosen to do battle against the 911SC.

MUHAHAhahaha. . ..

note: respectful nod given to the 930 performance#'s; but it *was* the unsinkable 911SC sales numbers that keep the 911 afloat.

Oh, and automatic 928s are boring drivers.

[Adam]

928s are very rapid cars.

I drove my mother's 928S (Euro 4.7 - 310bhp 4-speed auto) for the first time in about 12 months last night. That big sucker smokes the tyres big time and is fun to point and shoot. Not quite as quick as my old 928 5-speed that I sold a few years ago, but quicker than both 911s...

Thirstier too...

[GSpreeman]

Didn't the 928 Euro kick the 911's butt? I recall a Track and Driver that had a review of the 928 but have no idea of the year.

[Milu]

The 928 did supercede the 911. Only now they call it the 996.

[Adam]

In their day, Euro 928s were the fastest and quickest P-cars available, with the obvious exception of the turbo. I used to race sport bikes at the traffic lights in my old 5-speed 928. It was hillarious!

[JonT]

"I drove my mother's 928S "--how freakin cool is that? My mom drives her cute little Honda CRX tin can coffin on wheels.

[ChrisBennet]

928's are only cheap to buy.
-Chris

[RickM]

If I remember correctly the 928 didn't have much high-hp competition here in the US....It was the King for a couple of years.

I also recall many car mag writers blessing it as on of the best ever GT cars....but "too perfect and boring".

[Jdub]

I like the 928S but let's face it it is a touring car in that grand tradition. The 911 remains a skateboard with an engine. No plush, mostly power.

Two different animals. It is as if Porsche thought the world was through with lightening quick cars in the late '70's. But, of course, the SC did yeoman's work for all of us and pulled the 911 through those times.

John

John

[roGERK]

The 928 and the 911 are just different animals altogether...

Occasionally, all companies make very stupid decisions, and the 928 was just that - a stupid decision.

It competed against Mercades in their area of expertise, (something Porsche deliberately avoided doing when they designed the 911) was very very very expensive, and at the end of the day, too heavy, and too fragile (a major minus point - they are very complex cars, and NOT reliable in the way the 911 is).

If you don't like money, and don't like driving, buy a second-hand 928 - you'll be in heaven.

As a very fast cruiser the 928 is OK. But many many expensive luxury cars are good cruisers, and most have 4 seats, all the Mercades and BMWs are going to be more reliable, and dynamically even some Jags will give a 928 a real challenge.

Talk to any experienced Porsche mechanic about the 928, and they will go pale with fear, and then red with anger. Everything is a swine to work on, everything is complicated, and you can guarantee some of it won't work.

Perhaps the most amazing feature of the 928 is its fragile and complex V8 engine. Without meticulous maintenance it eats cam-shafts, blows head gaskets, and wears pistons. I have a theory that parts of it run too hot, but I've never seen any data to support this suspicion.

Never mind, Porsche has learned much from the 928 debacle, and is now going for a real company-killer disaster - the Cayanne.

- roGER

[cowtown]

Originally posted by roGERK

Never mind, Porsche has learned much from the 928 debacle, and is now going for a real company-killer disaster - the Cayanne.

Are you again referring to the engine, the complexity, or just the car/target market in general?

[motion]

928s are killer cars. They were built to be a big, comfortable, heavy, powerful, automatic GT car, and for 10 years it was the best GT car in the word, bar none. I remember reading in the 80s that the 928 was the finest automobile you could purchase. As far as being cheap, look at any other $70,000 car built in the 80s. You can pick them up for $12,000 too! I don't believe Porsche made a stupid mistake with the 928 at all. I think the car was absolutely brilliant. I've owned 2, and would kill to own a 928 GT once again. They rock!!

[Iggy]

Originally posted by roGERK
The 928 and the 911 are just different animals altogether...

Occasionally, all companies make very stupid decisions, and the 928 was just that - a stupid decision.

It competed against Mercades in their area of expertise, (something Porsche deliberately avoided doing when they designed the 911) was very very very expensive, and at the end of the day, too heavy, and too fragile (a major minus point - they are very complex cars, and NOT reliable in the way the 911 is).

If you don't like money, and don't like driving, buy a second-hand 928 - you'll be in heaven.

As a very fast cruiser the 928 is OK. But many many expensive luxury cars are good cruisers, and most have 4 seats, all the Mercades and BMWs are going to be more reliable, and dynamically even some Jags will give a 928 a real challenge.

Talk to any experienced Porsche mechanic about the 928, and they will go pale with fear, and then red with anger. Everything is a swine to work on, everything is complicated, and you can guarantee some of it won't work.

Perhaps the most amazing feature of the 928 is its fragile and complex V8 engine. Without meticulous maintenance it eats cam-shafts, blows head gaskets, and wears pistons. I have a theory that parts of it run too hot, but I've never seen any data to support this suspicion.

Never mind, Porsche has learned much from the 928 debacle, and is now going for a real company-killer disaster - the Cayanne.

- roGER

Rubbish. My 928 has been a workhorse as a daily driver for the past 2 years and 25,000 miles (nearly 102K on the clock now). I had never wrenched on a car before my 928 and I've been able to do all regular maintenance items, including a timing belt/water pump replacement, without difficulty.

[JoeF]

The 928 is one great machine!!
Drive one sometime.
JoeF

[CHILI]

Ahh, they just didn't sound cool! As a matter of fact, I remember reading that Porsche was going to change the exhaust on the 996 this year for the same reason. Not sure if they did.

Milu's response about the 928 actually superceding the 911, but is now called a 996 still has me laughing!

You guys make my day!

[n8marx]

Funny story. Four years ago a co-worker was trying to sell his '78 928. He was asking $4000. He knew I was dreaming of a 911 so thought he might sway me to the 928 and make a sale. Too much for me at the time for a fourth car so I passed. One year later he stopped me in the hall and asked if I'd be interested in it again. Price was now $1000. What the he!!. I took a look. Should've brought my galoshes. Every fluid this thing had was leaking all over the parking garage floor and the car was covered in a layer of dust thick enough to disguise its red paint as gray. Even though the fluids were all on the ground this fool started it up without checking any of them and told me to have fun. He then told me to close the garage when I was finished and sped off in his Jeep. After he left I checked the fluids and, since nothing was dangerously low, took it for a spin. Fast. Plenty fast. Not bad but not for me. Besides, the interior was trashed and maintenance didn't appear to be this owner's strong point. The following day I declined to buy the car, much to his dismay. I later found out he ended up giving the car away to another co-worker who to still swears it was the worst deal he ever made! Never should have taken the car.

[Adam]

roGERK,

If you don't like money, and don't like driving, buy a second-hand 928 - you'll be in heaven.

What pure bull$hit!

As a very fast cruiser the 928 is OK.

roGERK, have you even driven a 928?

and dynamically even some Jags will give a 928 a real challenge.

You're kidding, right?

I am starting to get really sick of the purist 911 snobs on this board. If it doesn't have six cylinders out back then it's not good enough to compliment or even acknowledge. Some take it further with staunch distain for '74 - onward cars.

Sure, the 928 is a complex machine, but so is an S-Class Benz, or an E24 BMW. With regular maintenance, there's no reason why they have to cost the earth to run and maintain. Buy a cheap, abused and neglected 928 and you're right on the money. But anyone that buys a neglected 928 is asking for trouble. The same rings true for a 911, dude.

As for experienced P-car mechanics blanching at the thought of working on one, again, you're way off. Does a dentist run for the hills when a root-canal patient walks through the door?

A neglected 928 will put a mechanic's kids through college or buy him a new boat! My mother's '85 Euro 928S has been in the family for years and it's cost less to run than a GM or Ford sedan. It's covered around 82k miles now and has been a great interstate cruiser (I recall it cruising at around 130mph). It copes with the daily chores nicely and prompted me to buy my 928 (first p-car), which kicked ass. It was my weekender (and sometime drive-to-work plaything) and I thrashed it to death without it complaining. I blew a powersteering hose and replaced a waterpump (due to seepage) in 2 years, during which I spent less than US$600 in maintenance, including regular scheduled servicing.

I'm with motion. They are brilliant cars. Don't paint them all with the same brush.

[cegerer]

OK, I like the 928. But it is - as mentioned - a much different animal from the 911. I had heard how incredibly fast they were as well, what with 300+ HP and all. Well, one of the only cars I've ever street-raced against in my 911 was a friend's Euro 928S. I had no problem passing him and pulling away to well over 120MPH with my 2.5L. I also drove the car and it reminded me of a refined Camaro Z-28 - not a dig there, just trying to relate it to something else I had driven. We also drove it to the USGP a few years back on about a 6 hour ride and it was fantastic for that - a great grand touring machine! Probably one of the best automotive values in the market today. -- Curt