Absolutely agree with this... The 456 is very modern looking even today, not overtly "FERRARI" either which is either good or bad depending on your perspective. VERY EXPENSIVE to maintain...or can be...just like a 928. If you find a good one where everything has been kept up what a great car to own w/ plenty of rear seat room even for small to average size adults. You would still need the Boxster though as it is just the best '90 V12 touring car...

Driving a 430 Scud is pretty unreal...I can tell you that! Shifts are lightening fast and the car sound UNBELIEVABLE!!! CHA-CHING though! You should be able to find a decent well driven, maybe a little tired, 360 Couple for less than a 355 Spyder...that would be a hell of a car, but it has a top...

I'm surprise no one has mentioned a Maserati the 4200, Grandsport or the newer Grandturmiso. All are 2+2, fast and little different. I will be getting another of one of these at some point, it was a great car with plenty of character let down just a little with a few build quality issues which by now should be sorted.

^^^^^^
GranTurismo is STUNNING!!! The only car I would put above the Aston in the looks dept and that is inside and out AND it is WAY cheaper than the DB9 and about the same price as the Vantage. I can tell you there is a lot of room in back and the car drives like a dream...a real GT car like the 928! Smoother and "newer" than the 928 though. I LOVE IT! If I could only have ONE car but it could be ANY car under $150k I think I would have THAT CAR!

Funny, I just got back from the UK and while Astons are a rare and beautiful sight on our roads, they are like Toyotas in London! Everywhere. No question about it, the V8 is a wonderful car and the DB9 even more so and both would be a nice replacement for a 928 if you went that route. Maserati? Not a chance. Really nice car with a singular design, but the cambiocorsa is just lazy to drive even in sport mode. And while I keep looking at Boxsters and Caymans, every time I drive one it just doesn't work. I took one of the latest PDK Caymans out a couple weeks ago and was just bored driving it. However early Boxsters are cheap enough now that they are very tempting for a daily hack with a drop top.

The 987 is every bit as quick as the 928 but you really need to be on it to get the acceleration. Unlike the 928, it doesn't really have a great deal of acceleration in the lower RPM's. If Porsche put a Turbo into that thing they would probably cut into 911 sales dramatically. It would be a monster. The handling on the Boxster is beyond explanation. Going into the on/off ramps I was going pretty fast but the car didn't even feel like it was doing 5/10's. With the top down you could easily hold a conversation in the car unless you were really on the gas. It's actually pretty quiet if the Sport exhaust is turned off, surprising for a convertible.

I'm not really a fan of the Maserati's, the exterior is bland and does nothing for me. The interior is nice but that's not enough. They also come across as more luxury oriented instead of sport.

As far as having the ability to take the whole family out, that hasn't happened in the current 928 and I realize I might as well get what I want. We have two other cars that can haul the family.

Still tempted by the Spyder, I think it really is an ideal sports car.

Guy's, there has always been a myth, an old wives tale, about engine placement and handling. I always said it was BS and caught a lot of flack for it.

IT IS BS!!

The SLS beats the 997.2 TT PDK and Audi R8 V10 at Hokenheim and Nordschliefe, even though slightly slower in a straightline. Engine placement did not have an effect or at least the predictable and expected effect according to the MYTH.

If we can get the ideal suspension bits and wheel/tire combo for the 928 to go along with the physical benefits of the car then there should be no need for looking for any other "sportscar".

Cars that I have driven and written about here in the past;

Ferrari 360 CS
997 C2s
Merc CLS

It was the test drive in Boston of the 997 where I felt the shocks absorb the bumps with a dull, non-jarring thud. The salesman was also daring me to slam the barkes at any speed full-on to test them and the suspension.
There is NO voodoo here, it is nothing to do with being newer, it has everything to do with spring rates and shock quality and the right shock design.

The 928 needs the right spring rates and those koni FSD's.

Engine placement doesn't matter as long as the car has a balanced weight distribution. The 928 does, the Boxster does and I bet the SLS also does. Center of gravity also needs to be low, simple physics really.

The 928 is very capable, if it were even lighter I would agree that nothing else would really come close.

Porsche has done an incredible job engineering the weight bias out of the 911. They do this out of necessity because they continue to have customers which demand the 911. The sales guys at the dealer also said the 911 handling doesn't compare with the Boxster. If Porsche would just put some serious power in the Boxster they would seriously have supercar performance.

Merc SLS AMG F/R weight distribution

47/53 or 48/52 depending on who you read


and yes I have always said it was the physics. Thats why putting some money into improving/updating the 928 suspension, exhaust, tires, Greg Grays F50 brakes will make the 928 your sportscar and then spend some money on a different role car might be the better plan. like a pure luxury car. Many of those at great bargains in the used category.

The dealer I tested out of in Boston was Chambers, great building/dealership BMW on the first floor, Mini on the 2nd floor, and Porsche on the 3rd floor. Lots of cars, no pressure, very friendly. The salesman wanted me to try a boxster too. Got to drive very fast along Storrow Drive.

I also LOVE Ferrari 355's......rolling art really.....I'd love to own one, AFTER it got its major engine out service!!!!

I really like the Ferrari's including the Testarossa and F355 but I'm not interested in buying a really high maintenance car or something which has higher than average maintenance requirements. I want a car that has supreme handling without requiring significant effort at low speeds, has to look cool and and have enough power to put a grin on my face.

I was talking with my wife this afternoon and she thinks I should buy what I really want which is the Spyder. It has everything I want in a car, looks, handling, power and it looks like it is put together very nicely. Interior is simple with no gimmicky stuff.

I also decided I only need one fun car at this point in my life. I may be putting up a for sale post soon. I'm going to give it until next weekend after I fix the A/C to decide what I want to do.

Afshin,
It appears you'd already made a decision, and I like where you headed w/ finding a supplemental car.

What was missing from your OP & subsequent (IIRC) was what type of driving, or more specifically, what type of use were you planning to get out of a replacement? Your 928 is a concourse car, and your driving is limited (my basic understanding). Are you looking to do more driving? If so, are you concerned about putting add'tnl "wear-n-tear" on the BHC?

Any way you slice it, I think you are on the right track finding a car which fits your evolving driving style and the roads you drive.

My wife and I have been working through some car identity crisis for some time. We've put alot of thought into what it takes to stay practical and still have fun. Not an easy proposition.

The cliffnotes ('06 to present) :
-BMW X3 (sport): As we enter into new parenthood and figured this is what you do if you don't want a minivan. Bad assumption and worse car.
-BMW 323i : sold to purchase Perl ('87 S4), where the 928 would become my DD. Good decision because the car was plain boring, bad decision because see next
-Perl 928 : relieved from DD duty quickly as I learned the car needed to be restored and it was rather special
-Chewy 928 : Picked up DD duty for about a year. Did rather well other than the fact is just wasn't suited for the Richmond commute. Not bad, just not good. Car has just under 200K miles, and the little things started to get to me.
-Audi A3 : picked up DD in good fashion. Has been fantastic and well suited for the roads in which it travels. Love the DSG and paddle shifter.
- VW CC : wifes new DD as she was seriously sick of the X3. Very sound purchase on her part.

Summary:
The identity issue is not yet over but on the down-swing. Still have the 2 928's, A3, X3, & CC.
Chewy and the X3 will be leaving shortly which leaves us with close to the ideal (for us)

A3 - my ideal DD, CC - her ideal DD, Perl 928 - our long distance travel car, date car, and fun car.

Only thing missing at this point is my light duty track car. ;) And you must think I'm joking, but I'm not.

Since I need another car like I need a hole in the head, I'm considering my next replacement for the A3. As much as I like it, it's a FWD.

Criteriea are: Modern, RWD, 4 seats, coupe, able to perform reasonable DD duty, and weekend track duty.
This is a tall order really, and very few car will meet this criterea. Actually, I've had to rule out some really nice cars (Boxster, Miata, M Coupe).
Short list is really short at this point, Audi TT, GS37s.

If you'd actually read this far, you see what you are asking is not an easy task. It really takes some serious assessment to make the right choice (sometimes a little trial & error).

Hope this helps...

what an utterly ridiculous post.

When you said rear engine cars have nothing "solid" in front of your for protection, I nearly lost it.

To YOU the 928 may be the best combination of luxury/ergonomics on the road (LOL), but that is your OPINION.

The AM is a better looking, better sounding, and better performing vehicle, with a higher level of luxury.

Just because you think your car is the best doesn't mean everyone agrees. And to say people disagree because they want "the adoration of the public" is simply asinine.