Apart from the spoilers, wing, and wheels (which anyone can add or change) and increase HP how can one identify a real 1980/81 928S from a regular 1980/81 928 by just looking at it?
If you lift up the hood what can you see different, how about interior? Was there a special 928S interior? Anywhere else to look? Breaks?

 

The brakes are bigger but they are the same single piston and the non S, so they are probalby not that easy to tell.

 

Also, there's a "S" next to the "8"....

/ducks and runs....

 

The OB vs. S question raises its ugly head!

The interiors are more than likely the same...though it depends on year. 3 spd auto's in the pre '84 cars no matter if S or OB.

Kind of hard to tell from this shot, but here are front brakes:

S4 in black
S in Red
OB au naturale

Not sure where my GTS wheel well cleaning and brake pic went!

 

Apart from the "S"... funny! Anyway, I figured that there could be something in the engine bay, how about the speedo or tach any difference there?

 

Not an expert on older cars but the engine number at the front of the block will be different ?

Brian Long's book will give you chapter and verse, available from Nicole.

 

- Different steering wheels, S had 4 spoke while 4.5L used older 3 spoke design up to '81 MY. All or at least most '82 probably had 4 spoke.
- Different redline in tach I believe, S having few 100 rpm higher.
- Visually larger intake pipes in S engine.
- S brakes were used in all ROW 928 after mid 1980. All '81-82 ROW have same brakes.

 

I believe that in the US the first 928S models were 1983.

The earlier models could be ordered with a competition package that included the spoilers (and wheels?)but did not have the larger motor or S brakes. It was an appearance option only with no real performance advantage.

So unless it is a Euro, it was not a real S before 1983.

Greg Phillips

 

The 1st true S model came out in 1983. It was offered as a competition package in 1982 with the 4.5L engine. The 1983S has the package and 4.7L engine standard. This is the model I lusted after when I was a kid!

 

Greg thanks for that info... Was the four spoke steering wheel also part of the "competition" package for the early 80/81 928's?

 

Google is your friend:

http://www.928s4vr.com/928s4003.htm

Not sure of that is the 4-spoke wheel or not.

Greg

 

Sweet! Thanks Greg!

 

The S models also had the front spolier plus lip on the trunk...these aero mods dropped the Cd to .36 vs .39 for early OB's.....

 

Are we talking about ROW or US model? Since original question was for '80-81 differencees between S and non S I immediately assumed ROW models but quess not.