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Not sure if this has been posted before but I got this issue of R&T from a close friend this weekend.
Very interesting time capsule article.
Some speculation as to what the future held for both the production and appearance of our 928’s.
Also included is the apparent “death-nell” of the 911, or so the experts of the time thought.
Interesting that the article way back in '75 states the engine will be 4.7L; I wonder what year Porsche decided to go that size versus their original goal of a 6.0 engine?
Sorry about the disjointed roll out this morning you guys, I will try and go back and clean it up if I can.
Not sure if it's me or IB, but a lot of difficulty adding and editing content right now.
Thanks for posting that. Interesting to see the "thoughts for the future" from back then.
The "stricter emissions limits of the future" were what was going to kill the air cooled engines, and the 911.
No indication that they thought Porsche wanted to kill the 911, just that it wasn't going to be viable.
Also interesting that the "It may have a Mercedes engine" rumor was going strong. Not true at all, but it was pretty prevalent back then.
But no mention of any auto trans.
Very cool. Thanks for posting this. Couple of interesting observations:
1.) Funny that they referred to the styling as a "fastback" and "conventional". When released in 1977 it was anything but "conventional". Especially for Porsche.
2.) Interesting that they speculated cooperation with MB on the engine. Boy that would have made the car less special IMO. In the end I guess they did work together on the transmission.
3.) They thought the hood line seemed high from the sketch. I don't know this but I would have to imagine the the 928 hood line height was one of the lowest in its time.
4.) This article supports my ongoing opinion on other threads that the trope that the 928 was first and foremost designed to replace the 911 is a myth. Clearly in 1975, 4 years after the project was conceived, a major publication like R&T did not see the 928 as a replacement but rather and addition to the line up. Sure they state that insiders at Porsche indicted the likely end to the 911, but at least to me that doesn't mean they saw the 928 as the "replacement".
Yes, I was confused about the author’s concerns about mundane body styling as well .
He seemed to equate it to another Z car, or even the dreaded Oldsmobile Starfire GT.
I found the the piece on Detroit’s delemma just as fascinating in the future seeing past’s ideas on future context...
The drawings in the 11/75 R&T were done from limited spy shots of 928 prototype W3, built in 1974. The car went on African testing in 1975 and was spy-shot by at least one enterprising photographer. It appeared on the cover of Auto Zeitung magazine in 6/75…clearly not ready for prime time… note the hood to fender line vents that appear in the magazine drawings as well.
Interestingly enough it appears that Porsche produced some publicity photos of the rear and rear 3/4 view only…
not sure if these were leaked, or published, but drawings of the "new v8 Porsche" began appearing with the consistent rear, but with the headlight design improvised by the artist. I found two of these so far, the drawings in R&T, and another (in blue, with another guess at the headlight treatment) on the cover of Gente motori 09/76. I really wish these door handles went into production.
11-26-2017, 10:57 AM
R&T Previews 928, in 1975
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