docmirror

Correct me if I'm wrong, and we all know that happens often enough. The concept and theme of the 928 beginning was based on the US market for a high performance, GT coupe ala the Corvette of 1976-ish. which was a bad Corvette to sample IMHO. The layout was a wild departure for Porsche at the time, but they felt that they could storm the market with a Corvette-beater from the mid-70s. Again, not much of a challenge if you ask me.

So, while the similarities are few under the skin, the integrated bumpers, and front V8, with rear drive was more a concept model from the Corvette than any actual design taking. That would be somewhat of a stretch to say.

Clearly the car was aimed directly at the American muscle car market which had grown quite stale by the mid 70s. The Porsche 928 was a real departure for the German car maker, and tried to take away some of the Corvette market along with the other muscle cars of the time - such as they were.

Porsche certainly felt they could bring a technologically superior car to market in the US and compete handily with Corvette. OHC, Weisach axle, rear transaxle, and all around disk brakes were still quite exotic over here.

mark kibort

If the track is the ultimate test of the performance and reliability of a car and its design, then how do they explain a 21 year old 928, with its original engine, beating on a regular basis, (or at least even) with a 2000 Vet Z06 with a built motor. AND, Rob is a very good driver as well.

I think that is the acid test. If they want to see it in person, there will be two races at sears point this weekend!

MK

928SS

fwiw, a hoosier equipped Z06 spanked every porsche at a recent AX in SD. even a prepped GT3, heavily modded/trailered 911's and 968's - and even my stroked beast (albeit on street tires, but a beating is a beating).

the guy could drive well, and the car can haul butt in competent hands.

the old vettes look cool but suck at handling compared to most sports cars, imo. but the Z06 stuff is a whole nuther beast. probably the best sports car to ever be birthed in the USA since the pantera, shelby cobra or ford GT, imho... course it did take cheby nearly 20yrs to catch up - but they clearly did, imho.

a cool car, but no big deal compared to what the germans have been up to in the meantime - ever try to out run a new AMG 55?? good luck! w/4 doors, full leather, independent climate control, race bred independent suspension, incredible handling and oh - 500+hp thats so quiet you can hear classical music pauses. now that's an accomplishment!!

prolly be another 20 yrs before cheby or ferd can come close to that.

Mongo

The E55 is faster than the the ZO6 C5 Corvette. The E63 is actually faster than both the E55, C5 and NEW C6 ZO6 vettes. Ironically, the factory understated the amount of power in order to glorify the SL55, SL63 and SL65 AMG cars.

Oh and don't get me started on the Black Series CLK63 AMG. It's a DTM car legalized for the street with Ferrari quick F1 shifting.

Here is what those look like:
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sby/car/614873111.html

Art_Z

There is no harm comparing similar vintage cars, 928 vs Vette vs whatever. Comparing a 20XX Z06 to a S4 or a GT is just plain silly, especially stock to stock. Once you start talking mods, all that matters is how much you spend.

IcemanG17

Corvette guys have a certain mentality that is impossible to change....the "America is Best" thinking.... They have their ignorant opinions and will never change.....

However on a MY vs MY basis ALL 928's outperformed vettes by a wide margin....about the only time it got close was when the LT1 came out in 1992...but then the GTS came out with 45 more hp....again 928 wins

928SS

+1. the germans still build the meanest rides around, imo... the bmw roadsters and new I series stuff is pretty cool too. the new 997 variovane turbo is pretty slick also.. 480hp and 460tq out of 3.8 ltrs!! all wheel drive and lots of clever technology...

if the vette boys give us too much flack, we'll just have to call in our younger brothers, hahaha

docmirror

Well, I don't think that's really true. The ZR-1 was a beast. It was publicly available just like the 89-91 928GT on an order basis. I would not want to go up against a ZR-1 with my GT. Now the garden variety 'vette from 90 is no problem.

90 ZR-1; 375HP, 0-60 - 4.9sec, top speed 176MPH, lateral G - .88. Beasty numbers.

Jim bailey - 928 International

What ? "Clearly the car was aimed directly at the American muscle car market which had grown quite stale by the mid 70s. " And "The concept and theme of the 928 beginning was based on the US market for a high performance..." The mission statement was to produce the very best sports car that they could make. The ladder framed fiberglass body " KIT car " assembled by Chevrolet was a cruel joke foisted upon a poorly informed USA market. They proved that you could use a modified sedan chassis and suspension cover it with plastic and you had a "sportscar". Porsche probably thought that you could sell ANYTHING in the US market. Their competition was Mercedes , Jaguar and to a much lesser extent the impractical exotics. Porsche did not think they could get the 911s to meet the increasingly difficult UA emissions laws. Those same laws along with insurance company policies are what killed the muscle cars of the late 1960s. It became very very expensive to insure a 400 HP car with poor brakes and horrible suspension The ONLY thing a muscle car did reasonably well was burn outs ! The US was an important market but Porsche already knew that you could sell a 911 with a 914 engine in the US and if you could do that ...... So no I do not think they did much more than laugh at the Corvette and the USA buyer ! With only a 273 cubic inch engine the 928 was no "muscle car "

hacker-pschorr

I know more Corvette owners then 928 owners, the mentality you describe is few and far between.
I find it more common among P-car owners to have the "I own a PORSCHE so my car MUST be better" attitude.
It's funny listening to the owner of a N/A 944 with S rated tires tell me what POS's the new Corvette is, and how his car is superior in every way.

Every car group has its idiots.
ZR1 - started with 375hp in 1990, went up to 405 by the time the GTS came out.

Kevin Michael

928's SUCK and the corvette RULZ.

Shark Attack

Hey you wanna come over and arm wrestle my grandma? Or would you rather fight my 3 yr old over her easter candy?

Courtshark

They seem like a decent enough bunch. The strong majority told the joker to go for the deal, if only to flip it. If he's goofy enough not to understand that his side of the equitable scales is slammed to the ground when he could trade straight up a POS Ranger for a running, driving 928 of any vintage, then he doesn't deserve it.

worf928

Just read the CFOT thread. As 928 threads go on non-928 discussion forums I can't complain. Pretty civil. I'd say there's even a lower than average percentage of mis-informed posts.

The only comment that raised my blood pressure ever-so-slightly was "... the dreaded 928 motor.... when the timing belt breaks ..."

IMO, when a 928 timing belt breaks (or shreads, or looses teeth) 99.9% of the time it is because the belt system was abused by an incompetent technician or the system was neglected for a decade or two.

Courtshark

One more thing... read C&Ds review of the '08 Vette. Gives a good history of the 'vette, as it's now finally developed into a respectable full spectrum world class sports car after, oh, 55 years of trying. Comparing a 93 LT1 to a 93 GTS... GTS wins because it's a far more refined vehicle. 'Vette should win in a straight line, but who drives in only straight lines (besides John Force, et al)?