Very interesting, this. What does his smile mean?

http://www.motorsportmagazine.com/ro...-future-plans/

 

FTA:

A 2-door GT "based" on anything is not a 928.

It will be a disservice to our cars if they "bring back" the 928 model designation.

 

After buying my 928 as a fun second car and my first Porsche, I became much more interested in the brand. Needing to visit a dealership and having some time on my hands, I checked out a Panamera. Could have bought one if I wanted.

I did not test drive it, so maybe missed a lot. I just sat in it. I did not get a great feeling from that like I got first sitting in my 928. I did not feel inspired to go out and drive it hard. Instead, and this may sound silly, I found myself worrying about parking it very carefully.

I'm sure they are great cars. I'm sure I am now an old guy. But I just don't see how having a 2-door version of that car is going to inspire the same feelings in me.

Brad

 

Porsche's plans are to remain relevant. Doing so has resulted in the company (same over at BMW) deciding to be the leaders in high performance AND green technology....the ultimate Win...Win for the company. Like Tesla, they can position themselves to license their innovations to other companies. Porsche recently announced all 2016 911s will be turbos (of varying outputs) to maintain performance and reduce emissions. By the end of the decade they will infuse their entire lineup with the hybrid electric technology developed for the 918 (which has a smaller carbon footprint than a Toyota Prius!). By the end of the decade the highest performance Panamara (or 2-door 928 successor) will have the new V8 with a turbo, and an electric motor. It will drive 100% electric for at least 30 miles to meet strict air quality rules in the cities. Porsche has set the bar high.

This video leaves no doubt where Porsche is going...

 

I'm an old guy too, and I sat in the Panamera months before it came on the market, at the Porsche factory in Leipzig during a 928 club event. I sat in the car in total awe. I had the feeling that I did not want to get out of the car ever. I thought it was XXXwonderful. The interior absolutely perfect in every way. OMG, what a car! How different opinions can be.

 

I can’t think this all the way through... First it would be a 2-door V8, and knowing Porsche, soon would follow a turbo V8. And that performance would de-thrown the queen 911. I just don’t see that happening. But based on 911 sales in Pano, who knows.

 

I have thought since Mercedes put out the AMG GT, that is the only car remotely close to being a 928 coming out of Germany shy of a BMW 6-Series Coupe.

 

By the way, if anyone hasn't heard yet, every 911 will become a 911 Turbo in 2016 since Porsche is dropping turbos in the flat-6 motors to comply with EU emissions. The 911 Turbo is now dead and every 911 Carrera is now a Turbo-Carrera.

 

There is a lot of competition in the 2 Dr High Performance and Luxury GT category now. If Porsche does decide to enter the segment now, they will be forced to take the gloves off and put a 911 beater out there. Either that, or they won't be able to compete with the Astons, Audis, Jags, Mercs just to name a few.

They would try to position the 911 as the pure sports car to differentiate between them. But that would ultimately hold back the 'new' 928 from being able to compete with the Sportiest versions of the above competitors GTs. And that would doom the vehicle to failure.

As such, I am not convinced that we will see a 'new' 928 at all.

 

***!!Blasphemy Warning!!***

I'd be quite happy to have a Pana Turbo in the garage. As much as I love my 928 for its timeless design/styling and relative scarcity on the road vs the Pana, the Pana Turbo is leaps beyond the 928 in performance, including go, turn, and stop. A shorter-wheelbase 2-door 2+sometimes2 with some better attention paid to the stern styling would be wonderful too, but any 2dr and the 4dr will likely share styling from end to end. These are great over-the-road cars. As the 928 was when it was introduced, the Pana needs to be driven to be fully appreciated. There's a good reason why it outsells the 911 already, something the 928 was never able to claim in spite of all we know good about the cars. My 928 is an excellent 27-year-old example of a 40-year-old design. I love it for what it is, am also aware of what it isn't relative to current Porsche (and MB/AMG, BMW, AM, Audi, etc) offerings.

Need a wake-up? Go drive a new Audi S8 sedan. A ---SEDAN--.

 

And this does work! My 1.4 Skoda has a turbo AND a supercharger reulting in 160 bhp and unbelievable torque! Same as my old 1992 Audi 2.6E but only HALF the fuel consumption!

 

I suppose because I've got a 89, 928 S4, and a 05, Carrera, I'm not looking to buy a modern version of the 928. I really enjoy the one I have. If I do buy another Grand Touring coupe, it'd be an Aston DB9. Porsche will have to come up with a better design than a warmed over Panamera, IMO.

 

You need to go back and do the test drive. I recently went to the Porsche Road Show driving event where I was able to drive aCayman GTS, Boxster GTS, and new Targa on a track. They had an auto-X set up for the Macan and Panamera. I was not interested in driving the Panamera at all.

It was a revelation.

Out of all the vehicles I drove that day, the Panamera would've been the one I would want to take home. The only hard part is having to look at it upon entry and exit. Maybe keep it parked in a pitch black garage so you never have to see it from the outside, cause once you're behind the wheel.....great exhaust note (PDK downshifts on a V8 are awesome) handles on a dime, Interior quality is A+. In my mind, it was very much a GT driving experience. The car you see from the outside does not match the driving experience from the inside at all.

Unfortunate that the Panamera GTS is the butterface of today's motoring world.

 

918 is on display at the local Porsche dealer today only. I may go over for the viewing. For one major reason, I won't be trading the 928 for one. Still a good idea for folks to keep an eye on what's going on with rest of the car world. Remember when the 928 was introduced? 911 owners just walked past the 928 in the showrooms since it wasn't the Porsche they knew. Most missed out in a great but decidedly different experience.

The 928 is definitely a two-seat car as far as practicality goes. Yes, we've managed to squeeze people in the back seats but for very very short rides only. At this point in my life, having real rear seats in a car with easy access would be a plus every once in a while. I'd be hard pressed to choose a two-door shortened Pana over the current four-door model. Why isn't there a Pana Turbo in the garage now? Not enough garage space. Same reason there isn't a 918.

 

Quote of the year..... LMAO