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"Pretty depressing to look that good and be the slowest car on the road."
Ntrly
My 1980 928 is in similar condition--and lower mileage--than this pretty burgundy car. In two weeks, I'll join 30-40 pre-1990 European cars on a multi-stage, 250-mile drive across southwestern Wisconsin's "Dirftless Region" (a Paleozoic plateau). Over the years for this same event, I've driven an '87 Porsche 911 Carrera, an '89 BMW 325is, and an '88 Porsche 944 Turbo S. I was never the fastest car on the road, but the drive is not a speed contest. Again this year, I will not be the fastest... or the slowest. I'm there for the driving experience, the unbelievably beautiful scenery and topography, roads that rival anything my son or I experienced in our years in Bavaria in the military (35 years apart), and the camaraderie. I expect to be richly rewarded on every score... again.
"Pretty depressing to look that good and be the slowest car on the road."
Ntrly
My 1980 928 is in similar condition--and lower mileage--than this pretty burgundy car. In two weeks, I'll join 30-40 pre-1990 European cars on a multi-stage, 250-mile drive across southwestern Wisconsin's "Dirftless Region" (a Paleozoic plateau). Over the years for this same event, I've driven an '87 Porsche 911 Carrera, an '89 BMW 325is, and an '88 Porsche 944 Turbo S. I was never the fastest car on the road, but the drive is not a speed contest. Again this year, I will not be the fastest... or the slowest. I'm there for the driving experience, the unbelievably beautiful scenery and topography, roads that rival anything my son or I experienced in our years in Bavaria in the military (35 years apart), and the camaraderie. I expect to be richly rewarded on every score... again.
Don't misunderstand.
I love these cars.
However, no matter how much you sugar coat it, the performance is still dismal.
Seems like Porsche could have done a bit more to build a US car which passed the emission standards (certainly if I can, they should have been able to) and not have such a huge performance difference between the "Euro" cars and the US cars.
(The difference between a Euro car and a US car is.....insane.....almost like the two cars came from a different manufacturer.)
After all, 911SC engines still had CIS (like a Euro 928) and still passed the US standards, by adding in a control loop on the fuel pressure.
The L-Jetronic system, as installed, was a step back to 1975 1.8 liter 914's....not exactly the "performance star" of the 914 world....
If only the 1980-1984 cars had better performance, from the factory.
Pretty depressing to look that good and be the slowest car on the road.
Perhaps, yet still the US 1984 928 stands above all others as the best of the bunch. And they are the only MY of 928 where you can can lay claim to owning the fastest new production car you could buy in US for that year.
All things are relative. In 1984 the Corvette (there wasn't an 83 model) was 3,200lbs with a whopping 205hp. The 308 Ferrari of this year had almost the exact same stats.
Next to this 928 on the showroom was the 944 which was a bit lighter, but sill had a paltry 140hp. The automatics feel like time machines going in reverse they are so slow.
Porsche knew what they were doing and built a car for the target market. Just like the first generation Boxster. Porsche could have just went with the 911 engine instead of the 201hp 2.5. It sold like hotcakes and I love driving our anemic 98.
All things are relative. In 1984 the Corvette (there wasn't an 83 model) was 3,200lbs with a whopping 205hp. The 308 Ferrari of this year had almost the exact same stats.
Next to this 928 on the showroom was the 944 which was a bit lighter, but sill had a paltry 140hp. The automatics feel like time machines going in reverse they are so slow.
Porsche knew what they were doing and built a car for the target market. Just like the first generation Boxster. Porsche could have just went with the 911 engine instead of the 201hp 2.5. It sold like hotcakes and I love driving our anemic 98.
i understand. My '81 924 Carrera GT was an absolute bullet, back in those days, stone stock.
Almost nothing could touch it...ate 911's and 928's for lunch. I eventually put in a shorter gearbox and one of the super trick Factory ported GTS heads. Crazy fast in 1984...it seemed like it had warp drive.
Today....not so impressive, in the speed department:
But still darn cool.
That's a nice car. My first was a ruby red 84, and it was a far cry from the station wagons, SUV's and Ford sedans I had spent a lifetime driving before it. Slow by today's standards? Depends on the driver. I have a pretty good time in my 85 keeping up with the modern supercars in the back road twisties. Only until we get to a highway do you see the difference.
Today....not so impressive, in the speed department:
It really depends on what you are trying to do. Just recently I was on a run with a Jaguar F-Type, 918, and 997GT3 and had no issues keeping up with our 201hp Boxster. Were any of those cars running anywhere near their peak performance? No, and they probably never will be, it's simply unrealistic to push such cars that hard on public roads.
In the grand scheme of things, within the confines of US roads and having fun without committing a felony, on paper everything from a new Honda Civic to a McLaren is light years faster than anything made before 1990 (arbitrarily picked a year). But out on the open road you can only go so fast and frankly in most situations even a stock US 16V can reach such speeds and hold their own.
Last time I tracked my 79 at Road America, which is stock power wise except for headers, I had the owner of a 997S come up to me after our session asking what I did to make my car so fast since I walk away from him like he dropped anchor. I politely explained that I simply knew the track better than he did.
Originally Posted by vanster
Ok, I'll bite. What is the best way to make a 16v quick?. I think we know the answer to a 32v
My 81 is super quick thanks to a Murf928 Supercharger kit
I like the raw driving experience of our old cars. Maybe not near perfection like a new sportscar but if I make a failure the car speaks to me. Real exhaust sound and not a speaker in the exhaust like the new Biturbo Diesel.
Sometimes I miss the whole entertainment intallation of a new Audi but our cars have a soul and an craftmanship you will never see again.
05-13-2021, 04:51 PM
Very nice 48k-mile '83 928S in PCA Classifieds
And they are the only MY of 928 where you can can lay claim to owning the fastest new production car you could buy in US for that year.
