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I appreciate your against the grain opinion because anyone who actually owns one of these cars has every right to be critical or point out it's weaknesses in my book. What do you think of the 911 Turbo from the same period? Most call it a supercar merely for the performance factor whereas I'm with you; the first Porsche supercar was the 959. The Turbo never looked like a supercar to me either despite looking fantastic. In fact, the 928 looks more traditionally supercar in design.
Early 911 turbo is proto Porsche super car. A 'Super Car' cant be faithly cloned. There are many good 911 turbo and turbo look clones. If a home gamer or well funded and resorceful enthuiast shop can build a mechanically faithful clone and have it be taken seriously, it's not a super car. No F40 clones, No good 959 clones, No Mura Clones, Countach and Testarosa clones are a joke (Fiero). And so on...
Maybe this is why architects like the 928 so much in Germany. The other supporters were gynecologists!
Thank you for the good advice. The bad braking was after changing rotors and pads in the front. The only work done was pressing back the pistons in the GTS calipers. It‘s a real PITA!
Big (for the day) sport coupes with finer appointments and academic rear seats.
Right, evidence the trope that the 928 was supposed to replace the 911 is not true. 928 was an ambitous expansion into the premium GT segment. I do find the XJS placement interesting though as if it was far behind.
The 928's biggest challenge and it's greatest strength, is that it is a difficult car to pigeonhole. It was ground breaking design compared to its peers, such as it had any peer group. Yes, performance was "underwhelming" in early models, especially US, but its looks were so other worldly, that it could sit alongside Gandini supercars and junior supercars like the Esprit.
The XJS was pretty dull to drive. Really a wafter for old chaps to go the golf club in and talk about how they downed three ME109's in a single day. The AJ6 took a bit of weight off the nose and made it a bit more sprightly, but it was not really a direct competitor.
The Aston was agricultural to drive and old technology. Build quality was poor and between the time you had ordered and the time you had taken delivery, the company would have had 4 different owners and one side would be using metric and the other side imperial, with an empty can of Bathams ale lodged inside the rocker cover, because socialism.
The Mercedes was similarly conservative to drive and a boulevard cruiser.
If you ignore any pleadings that the 928 was a 2+2, then your architect or thrusting young real estate developer would be looking at this or the Esprit, maybe the 308, but that was too fragile and the Esprit too limited other than for high days and holidays.
Alpine - nah not with that Volvo lump in the back and Lego switchgear.
What else was out there. Reliant Scimitar, but it was shed built and slow. 6 Series but slower and conservative and in reality, a coupe version of a bank manager's saloon. 240/260Z - slower, XJC12- really a saloon less 2 doors. The Jenson might be a comparator, it was a very stunning design, but heavy and wallowy. The Bora and Ghibli were good comparables. Both handled well, looked stunning and had excellent engines, but the build quality was not there and the same that afflicted Aston, afflicted Maserati.
For the really nerdy, mostly British types, the Gordon Keeble - lovely Chevy 327 in an awesome body and package.
....but really, no, no real direct competitors that would start on a wet morning and not puke its transmission fluid over your finest tassled slip ons.
I also agree with the writer, Porsche didn't really know where to place the 928. It was that ginger stepchild that was loved, but not really wanted by the mid 80's. In fact, I think it was just too ahead of its time. Like the Microsoft tablet. However, launch it again, at the right time, and it would be success and carve out its own market. for that, an example would be the A110 - try and sell and a small buzzy French car in 2005 and you'd fail. Sell it in 2020, admittedly after Alfa have helped raise the concept, and you're laughing.
Last edited by Ferris the Cat; Yesterday at 01:20 PM.
Reason: update
@Rob Edwards this is Luisa Piech, Ferry’s sister, often mentioned to have been preferably treated by old Ferdinand and mother of Ferdinand Piech.
When discussing the gestation of the 928, we should also consider what the major stakeholders (I.e. Ferry and Louisa) wished for.
IMHO the car better encapsulating the 928 ethos and engineering integrity was the wonderful Maserati Khamsin, a magnificent , striking, ultra fast (170 mph +) but equally misunderstood machine, which had the double bad luck of being launched in the first energy crisis and than having Alejandro De Tomaso (who intensely disliked it) taking ownership of the brand.
What bothers me most now is that Porsche builds everything BUT a 2 door front engine sports touring car. They just choose not to be in that space... are they still that butt hurt over the 928 decades later? Current offerings from the same brands in the 1976 skid pad picture.
Realistically I think the 8 series is the better comparison since the 6 no longer exists, and the pictured 4 series isn't a very good parallel. It's also much better looking!
What bothers me most now is that Porsche builds everything BUT a 2 door front engine sports touring car. They just choose not to be in that space... are they still that butt hurt over the 928 decades later? Current offerings from the same brands in the 1976 skid pad picture.
I think it is about brand and dna
Jaguar are known for their delicate, fine handling sports cars
Mercedes build what the Four Horsemen would now drive.
Porsche, whilst the SUVs pay the bills, are known for shoving the engine in the **** end.
It was an inappropriate thought I had that made it out of my fingertips. I will Be Better, going forward.
Another inappropriate thought: The evolution of BMWs grilles (including the fake ones on their electric cars) seems to be heading towards a twin kidney version of the 1958 Edsel. Am I the only one who sees it?
What bothers me most now is that Porsche builds everything BUT a 2 door front engine sports touring car. They just choose not to be in that space... are they still that butt hurt over the 928 decades later? Current offerings from the same brands in the 1976 skid pad picture.
Sure they do....it's called a 911. It's become significantly larger and fancier with the 991 and 992. With the GT versions (GT3 & GT3RS) and special editions, they've tried to sharpen them back up to tame the size, but the current Porsche sports car is the Cayman and the GT car is the 911. The last 911 sports car was the 997 series.
Even when you look at widebody models of both, it's obvious.
Yesterday, 10:10 AM
