tv

Just thought i would pass on my thoughts from a visit to a dealer today. Had to get a part for another car so i thought i would look around the candy store.

The salesmen were quite nice at this place. Sat in a BMW 645csi and turned on the engine, was told to take it out, but didn't bother. (not in the market, don't want to waste anyones time) The 645 is somewhat cheap on the inside with what felt like vinyl instead of leather and has that I-drive system. Seat was very hard, engine sound was non-existant. Blipping the throttle barely woke the engine up.

Over on the mercedes side inquired into whether a CLS500 was unlocked so i could sit in it. I was offered another chance to take a drive (these guys must want to get out of the office) and figured what the hell. Touch button start, simpler electronics than I-drive, nicer interior. 300+ hp, 7 speed auto, amg handling package all in the sleekest body mercedes has ever put out.

Very competent handling, quiet cocoon like ride, and if nailed a good response. You can control the tranny by hitting the gear selector to the sides which was fun and useful. Nice all-around sedan which excels at looks and does better than most in performance.

But the bottom line is that the 928 (at least my very potent euro) still wins in the looks category, kills in the sound category, and can't be matched for performance. The CLS500 and 645 are some of the best cars available now unless you jump up to new exotics and they can't match the 21 year old 928 masterpiece. I drove mine last night and it is such an event (my custom exhaust has a lot to do with it) that thrills all the senses. All of us here that own one of these rare jewels should appreciate the experience and keep our cars in the best possible condition to show others what a group of very talented car builders achieved a generation ago.

Nicole

I agree with you in many ways, but you have to think about the expectations of people who buy new cars in that price range. They want the smooth, quiet, and refined with all the modern creature comforts. That is one area where the 928 was no longer able to compete in the 90ies (more than 10 years ago).

Examples: The AC system is complex but can't do much. The console was cluttered and some of the switches rather clumsy. Some plastic parts felt cheap, and there were some rather large gaps between them.

Porsche would have had to rework a lot of the inteiror and make the car a lot quieter, in order to keep the car on the market. But all that would have made the car even more expensive - at a time when it already became clear that it was way too expensive to make. The resulting prices were so high, that in many areas you could have bought a nice condo, maybe even a house for the same amount. At the same time, BMW and Mercedes had their cars much more refined and offered more for the money in some ways.

The 928 - no matter how much we love it - was doomed. It had become a dinosaur in the luxury car market. It's still a great car, and still the most beautiful I've ever seen, but the reality is that the overall package is not up to the expectations of today's luxury car buyer. And we are not today's luxury car buyers, so our opinions don't count very much...

Jim bailey - 928 International

TV.."Blipping the throttle barely woke the engine up. " perhaps because it is drive by wire and all you were doing was telling the engine management computer what you thought YOU wanted to do ! It of course has a mind of it's own I love all these cars with Traction control so you can floor the pedal anytime and it saves your butt ,ABS so you can jamb on the brakes with out fear of skidding ,stabilization power and braking if you overcook a corner ,computer controlled automatic transmissions... All that you have to do is point it in the direction you intend to go ! Now if they could just engineer that dangerous aspect out of the picture everyone will be safe...

Ron_H

blau928

I drove a CLS as well in Germany for several weeks i July, and was not as impressed as I thought I was going to be. Nice car, drove over 2,000 kms with it, got to 250 km/H+ several times, but I missed the 928.

A friend has a 645, and I took it for a spin, nice, but also numb on the controls. The same numb feeling in the CLS....

Cheers,

m21sniper

"I love all these cars with Traction control so you can floor the pedal anytime and it saves your butt ,ABS so you can jamb on the brakes with out fear of skidding ,stabilization power and braking if you overcook a corner ,computer controlled automatic transmissions... All that you have to do is point it in the direction you intend to go ! Now if they could just engineer that dangerous aspect out of the picture everyone will be safe..."

Agreed Jim.

Active controls SUCK.

the flyin' scotsman

Driving for Dummies.............rather than educate the driving masses this is the solution..............too many people with restrictive fun meters in their hands.

There's always the race track I guess!

atb

We had some non-928 guests at our bi-annual track event over the weekend. One was a 240Z owner that basically wanted to ride in every type of car there. He took a ride in a 70 vintage 911, a 993, a Viper, a SBC powered 240Z, and might have even got a lift in one of the STi's and many bimmers that were there. Saving the best for last, he decided to climb in for a ride in the mighty S4. Hitting the brake zone on the back straight he remarks , "man, this thing has got brakes!". He also commented how great the engine note was. I asked "even better than the Viper?" "No contest" was his reply. I think the funniest part was when he realized that we were in an automatic. ("Hits just like a 5 speed".)

It's was nice to see (and hear) the 928 holding up so well.

tv

Nicole, when i was in it today i was comparing its interior and sound to my interior and my sound as of last night. My full leather euro has a nicer interior, nicer carpets, nicer cleaner display especially at night, and excellent buttons. And when on the highway not pushing my throttle with windows up and stereo on, my car is like a sound insulation booth.

I do not understand the complaints about the big rocker switches for the windows and sunroof. I find them perfectly placed and easy to use. In fact the 2 above cars that i experienced today had SMALL plastic rocker switches on the door handles. 928 1, CLS500 0, 645 0.

When starting out i asked the surprisingly pleasant salesman if the wood veneer was plastic or not because it felt and looked it. I purposely compared the drivers ergonomics and view to my 928 and its no contest. I also tried to rest my left arm on the door window sill like i do on the wide sill of the 928 in cruise mode and i couldn't. The 928 interior is one of the widest and most spacious of any class car in existance. Not even worth discussing the best seat category.

As i was driving last night at dusk i turned on the lights, NO OTHER CAR has as cool a feeling as when those frog eyes pop up and turn on those H4's.

AAAHHHHHHHH the 928, there is NO substitute!!!!!!!!!!!

worf928

New cars == Yawn. Except for the ZO6 (C5 or C6) and they're not as pleasing as my GT.
I-Drive == Blech. Any car with a TV(-like) screen in the console is right out for me.

Perhaps the Cayman will change my mind. (At least you can get it without the TV screen in the console unlike the 997.)

Nicole

Remember that we are here because the 928 is what we want. But obviously, that was not what the majority of luxury car buyers wanted in that price range. That's why the 928 faded away.

Like most here, I would not want to trade my 928 for anything - except maybe a new Aston Martin, maybe....

worf928

The new V8 Vantage is tempting. However, in the current issue of Autoweek the reviewer writes something to the effect that this is the first car AM has built that is intended to be a (more-or-less) daily driver.

I think I'll wait for a few years to see how AM's experiment with cars owned by people that want to drive them works out for 'em.

goodspeed928

Maybe the 928 is the last of the GT driver cars.
I think so.

Flint

I totally agree. I think the ergonomics of the console buttons on the 928 is without comparison. Very few buttons, some of them very big and easy to grab without looking or with heavy gloves on. In comparison my new Jetta (well, 2000) has tons of tiny buttons...I can't even figure out how to turn on the fan without the AC!

When I first saw a 928 as a kid, I thought that was absolutely the coolest thing I had ever seen on a car.

Jim Nowak

The CLS 55 is much much quicker with close to 200 more hp than the CLS 500. It also handles better and is nicer all around. I'd take the CLS 55 any day over a 928. I love my 928 dearly but it realy doesn't hold a candle to the newer Mercs. Mercedes has become the new power broker of automobile manufacturers with 7 cars around 500 hp and 3 with over 600 hp. Not to mention, you can easily fit your family in the Mercedes and drive cross country in total comfort

CLS 55 time on top gear:


1st Maserati MC12 - 1.18.9

2nd Ferrari F60 Enzo - 1.19.0

3rd Ariel Atom - 1.19.5

4th Porsche Carerra GT - 1.19.8

5th Mercedes McLaren SLR - 1.20.9

Ford GT - 1.21.9

Ferrari 360 CS - 1.22.3

Porsche GT3 RS - 1.22.3

Murcielago - 1.23.7

Zonda - 1.23.8

Koenigsegg - 1.23.9

Noble - 1.25.0

Gallardo - 1.25.8

Lotus Exige - 1.26.4

Chevrolet Corvette - 1.26.8

Mercedes CLS 55 AMG - 1.26.9

Porsche 911 GT3 - 1.27.2

TVR 350C - 1.27.5

BMW M3 CSL - 1.28.0

Dodge Viper SRT-10 - 1.28.5

MG SV - 1.28.6

Porsche 911 Carrera S - 1.28.9 (very wet)

Mitsubishi Evo VIII - 1.28.9

BMW Alpine Z8 - 1.29.0

Mercedes CL65 - 1.29

Alfa 3.7 GTA - 1.30.0

Subaru Impreza STI - 1.30.1

Aston Martin DB7 GT - 1.30.4

Vauxhall Monaro VXR - 1.30.16

Audi S4 - 1.30.9

Porsche 911 turbo - 1.31.0

Vauxhall VX 220 turbo - 1.31.3
Honda NSX Type R - 1.31.6

BMW M3 - 1.31.8

Nissan 350Z - 1.31.8

Mazda RX8 - 1.31.8

BMW 535d - 1.31.8

Ford Focus RS - 1.32.2

Lotus Esprit V8 - 1.32.5

Audi TT V6 - 1.32.7

MG ZT - 1.33

Noble - 1.33.1

Mercedes SL 55 AMG - 1.33.2

Volkswagen Golf R32 - 1.33.2

Cadillac CTS-V - 1.33.3

Holden Monaro - 1.33.9

Volvo S60R - 1.35.0

Ferrari 575 - 1.35.2

Alfa 147 GTA - 1.35.6

Lotus Elise - 1.35.6

Aston Martin Vanquish - 1.36.2

Renault Clio v6 - 1.36.2

Honda Civic Type R - 1.36.5

Saab 95 hot aero - 1.37.9

Mazzer - 1.38.0

Bowler Wildcat - 1.39.4

Bentley Arnarge - 1.40.8

Overfinch - 1.44.0