icsmike

I always think of my 86.5 as an "S", but a see a lot of people calling them S3's.
Is this a recognized model or just a made up name?

BIMMERMIKE

icsmike, where are you located? Toronto area?

Brett928S2

Hi Mike

I have always wondered about that as well....My UK 1986 16 valve is an S2 ...the next year in UK the S4 (32 valve) was released...but no S3....

Anyone else know ??

All the best Brett

928 S2 AUTO V8 4.7 LTR 1986 IRIS METALLIC BLUE WITH X-PIPES ,RMB ,PROMAX CHIPS, KICKDOWN SWITCH.K&N.
PCGB UK 928 FORUM MODERATOR

Imo000

The '85-'86 32Vs should have the S3 designation, but for reason Porsche didn't do this.

jeff jackson

To me, Imo...only the 86.5 "qualifies", for an S3 designation. It has the "next generation" S4 brakes, suspension, floorpans and exhaust. The "only" thing it shares with the ealier 85-86 cars, is the US spec 32V engine, and the old body style....

IcemanG17

I always thought of it like this:

928 (no spoilers 4.5L engine) S1
928S (spoilers +4.7L engine) S2
928S (spoliers + 5.0L 32 valve engine) S3
928S4 redesigned body-wing-engine intake) S4

So in theory the GTS would be S5?

jeff jackson

perhaps your right Iceman...but the 85-early 86 cars (US Spec), have the 32V engine @288HP...but none of the "upgrades" of the real "S3" model...which is the 86.5. It has numerous (if not ALL) the upgrades of the 87 S4...with the old body style. It also of course doesn't have the 316 HP "flappy" 32 valve engine in its 1st iteration...Rather...its the "last" iteration...of the "classic" 928 design. The real "S3" model. the 85-early 86 cars, were essentially the same car, but less the S4 upgrades
included on the 86.5 (which are everything but the "flappy" 316HP engine, and the "revamped" front and rear body panels and lighting...

Shane

This has been discussed before. There is no official "S3". But at one time there was a link posted to a French based website that metioned the early 32 valve "s" as being refered to in-house as a "S3".

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FlyingDog

You got the first two wrong. No spoilers is a plain 928. An S has the spoilers and Euro S cars are all 4.7L K-jet 300HP, 80-83. S2 is 4.7L Euro with LH-jet injection 310HP, 84-86. There are no US S2s and very few Euro S3s.

FlyingDog

Actually all of the 85-86 US cars have the features of an S3 Borg Warner synchros in the manual trannies and M28/43/44 engines. The 86.5 US cars added a few features of all 86 Euro S2 and S3 cars. An 86.5 is just an 86 Euro S3 with some minor internal engine differences and DOT lighting.

jeff jackson

OK...I quit. But...did the "euro " S2" and "S3" come out in 1986 ?? With a 32 valve engine ?? No...only Euro 86s...were 16 valvers, at least as I understand it...the 32V motors came out in 87 (I think)..

Vilhuer

- ROW/US '78-82 4.5L 16V are all plain 928 only
- ROW '80-83 4.7L 16V is 928 S without 1
- US '83-84 4.7L 16V is because factory called it 928 S
- ROW '84-86 4.7L 16V is 928 S because factory called it 928 S
- UK '84-86 4.7L 16V is S2 because UK importer and possibly factory also called it 928 S2
- US '85-86 5.0L 32V is S because factory called it 928 S
- ROW '86 5.0L 32V is S because factory called it 928 S
- '87-91 5.0L 32V is S4 because factory called them 928 S4 everywhere
- '89.5-91 5.0L GT is 928 GT...

Those are only official names I know of. Everyting else is more or less unofficial. S3 is most common unofficial model name, especially in here. For future reference I'd like to submit these:

I would call US '85-early '86 as S3 and US '86½ as S3.5 simply because S3 is already used with them.
- US '85-86.0 32V is 928 S3
- US '86.5 32V is 928 S3.5

All '86 model year Euros have later S4 style suspension and brakes. '86½ (from VIN 1000 forward) is US model thing.
- ROW '86 16V is then 928 S2.25

If 310hp Euro is S2 what is Euro '86 S 32V with S4 suspension etc? It could then be also 928 S3.5 like US '86.5 as it has same engine (except pistons) and brakes.
- ROW '86 32V is 928 S3.4 simply because it came several months before US S3.5. Other choice is to call it 928 S2.5 but that doesn't really describe what it is.

FlyingDog

You understand wrong. There were 72 (supposed number) 1986 ROW/Euro S3s with 5.0L 32V engines (M28/45/46), seperated dual "S4" exhaust, "S4" brakes and suspension, and IIRC standard ABS. As Erkka and others have pointed out S3 isn't an official factory number, at least not that they released and sold.

jeff jackson

I "knew the "S3...not a factory designated number ID thing"....didn't know the rest though. Pertaining to the several dozen ROW 32V 86s...with the S4 brakes and all..thanks for the insight.

icsmike

Hey thanks for the info, glad to see im not the only on wondering.