Pick the best version of the Porsche 928

"Textured Soy Protein" (texturedsoyprotein)
09/18/2014 at 13:41 • Filed to: None

I've always liked the Porsche 928. When I was a wee jalop in 1986, my dad borrowed one for a weekend from a coworker who was trying to sell it. Pops didn't buy it because "it had a history of brake problems," but I was smitten with the headlights and curved rear quarter windows. Today I randomly saw a 928 S4, which reminded me, yup, I still like 928s.

Over the years, there were 4 different variations of 928 styling, and a few more different model variants spread over those 4 styles. They are:

1978-1982 928

This is the original version of the 928, with a 4.5 liter 16v V8 that made 219 hp in '78-'79, and 229 hp in '80-'82.

1983-1986 928 S

The 928 S had already been on sale outside the US for a while. It added front and rear spoilers, and a 4.7 liter 16v V8 that made 296 hp. When Porsche brought the 4.7 to the US, it was choked with emissions equipment that brought power down to 234 hp. This was improved for the '85-'86 cars that got a 5.0 liter 32v V8 making 288 hp.

1987-1991 928 S4 (and 1989-1991 928 GT)

The 928 S4 was the first major styling revision. The car got updated headlights, driving lights, taillights, front and rear fascias, rear spoiler, and gained side skirts. The 5.0 liter 32v V8 through various improvements now made 316 hp. Brakes were much larger. Starting in 1989, the 928 GT was introduced and the 928 S4 was only available with an automatic transmission. The GT made 326 hp, and had other various performance tweaks. The '90 GT added an electronically-controlled locking rear differential called PSD, the first of its kind in a production car (although the 959's center diff was the first eLSD of any production car differential, just not in the rear).

1992-1995 928 GTS

The 928 GTS bumped the displacement up to 5.4 liters, which produced 345 hp. Brakes got even larger again. Fender flares were added to accommodate wider wheels and tires, and the rear fascia gained a reflector strip between the taillights. The rear spoiler is now painted instead of black rubber. Side mirrors are the more rounded style shared with the 968 and 993. PSD was standard on both automatic and manual cars.

Phew! That's a lot of 928 versions. But hey, the car was on sale for 17 years in the same basic form, so Porsche had to keep evolving it. Now if only Porsche had brought us the checkerboard pattern interior that was available outside the US on the early cars.

Let's get to voting!

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DISCUSSION (16)

MonkeePuzzle > Textured Soy Protein
09/17/2014 at 17:55

the next one

Kinja'd!!!

hopefully still with that awesome checkered interior

Manuél Ferrari > MonkeePuzzle
09/17/2014 at 18:21

And still with Manuél too!

Axial > Textured Soy Protein
09/17/2014 at 18:45

I've always found the 968 to be the more visually attractive car in this style. Still, if I have to pick a 928 it has to be the 928S, because it's soooooo '90s. And it has to be in that pictured color.

MonkeePuzzle > Manuél Ferrari
09/17/2014 at 19:47

obviously

Textured Soy Protein > Axial
09/17/2014 at 23:41

To me, the 968 looks disjointed. The front end apes the pointy/rounded look of the 928 S4/GT/GTS, but from the windshield back it's a much boxier, updated-944 look. Because...it's an updated 944.

Also, why do you find the 928S "soooooo '90s" when it was sold from '83-'86?

Axial > Textured Soy Protein
09/17/2014 at 23:44

Keystroke missed, I definitely meant to hit "GTS."