1981 porsche 928 s Review

While overshadowed by the hallowed 911, Porsche’s 928 embodies the engineering ethos of the company. It set out to design a world class GT from scratch, and achieved just that.

The Porsche 928 is often glossed over when it comes to the company’s greatest hits, but when it arrived in 1977, it was a sensation. It is the only sportscar to win the European Car of the Year award, and was particularly revolutionary in its day for its refined, well-mannered handling. Time hasn’t been kind to its overall reputation, its character overshadowed by the more sporting 911. But the 928 was something completely different to the rear-engined car; it was a proper luxury grand tourer.

Porsche was thinking about a new model as far back as 1968, though the racing department was sucking up a considerable amount of development money, while the firm was also busy designing stuff for Volkswagen. At the time, it was thought the rear-engine layout was nearing the end of its practical existence, especially when it came to exhaust emissions regulations and rear-end crash safety. A move to liquid engine cooling was deemed necessary to address noise and emission concerns. So a new model was going to be considerably different to the 911.

Porsche didn’t have a clear idea as to what this new model would look like, but it had made initial investigations as to what would work best when considering regulations, driving refinement, performance, luggage space, safety, aerodynamics and ease of maintenance. Their evaluation concluded a model with an engine up front would work most effectively, with the transmission at the rear to improve weight distribution.

So in October 1971, Project 928 was born on that basis. Much was still to be decided upon however. They had a target of a 2 + 2 configuration and had settled on a water-cooled V8 engine for motivation, one with hydraulic valve tappets for ease of maintenance. It would be developed with both a manual and automatic transmission. 

Early design sketches were presented in January of 1972. The shape needed to be aero efficient, with a timeless silhouette rather than the wedge that was popular at the time. Novel features included integrated bumpers and flush fitting pop up lights.

Porsche designed the V8 from scratch with a low weight and overall height in mind. The firm used a special alloy and casting process for the block to do away with cast iron cylinder liners, the design using a single overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder. An initial capacity of 4.5-litres was settled on to give it a balance between performance and efficiency. There was generous bore spacings however which led to increases in capacity later in its life. 

When designing the transaxle, Porsche had to overcome problems of vibration and noise that such a layout presented, which were solved with continued development and optimisation of bearing types and location. They also used the battery as a vibration dampener by placing it at the end of the gearbox. Not only was this good for balance but it also reduced vibration by 35 per cent.

Porsche wanted to imbue the 928 with safe, predictable handling. The 911 had a reputation for over-steer, and they wanted the 928 to have better manners. They worked on the trailing arm setup to neutralise its tendency to upset the rear wheels when decelerating, especially when cornering. This ‘toe-out’ characteristic unloaded the tyre, reducing grip and increasing the likelihood of the tail stepping out. With special metal control links and optimised bushing, they managed to get the rear suspension geometry to go ‘toe-in’ under deceleration, which gives the tyre better contact with the road and therefore the rear is less likely to spin out. Porsche described the rear end of the 928 as having ‘dual transverse arms with toe and stabilisation by control link’. 

The 928 also debuted a few innovations like painted urethane integrated bumpers and alloy body panels to help reduce weight.

This new Porsche was first shown at the Geneva Automobile Salon in 1977. The motoring press were taken by the 928, which they saw as a ‘new sports car setting standards for the future’. They were impressed by its refinement and sophistication. One report noted that with the 928, ‘the super sports car of the 80s no longer roars by spectacularly with the tail hanging out, nor extends the driver at high speeds with its unruly road manners’. This was part of the 928’s appeal at the time; it brought fast but predictable handling, refinement and everyday use that wasn’t really part of sports car ownership at the time.

When it debuted, the fuel-injected M28 made 177kW and 350Nm at 3600rpm, the rev limit set at 6300rpm. With the five-speed manual, the 928 was good for a 6.8sec 0-100km/h, while the three-speed auto model took another second. 

The 928 sold well in the US initially, and evolved steadily until 1995 when production ceased, 61,000 having been made.

This 1981 928 S has had a recent rebirth. Its current owner said it was going cheap, picking it up for just $15k a few years back. Described as ‘quite rough’ he decided to buy it because it was manual. “They don’t come up for sale very often. I think 80 per cent of them were auto.” And having previously owned a couple of autos, including a late model GTS, he says the manual is certainly the one to have.  

Some panel work needed to be sorted out and the interior was ‘shot’, being so far gone that another 928 was purchased to source better parts. “I can understand why people do restomods and fit new parts to old cars. Trying to restore the old stuff is just a nightmare.”

The interior was stripped, relined with sound deadening, while the seats and door cards have been retrimmed in the period correct Pasha pattern. New rubbers and seals keep it all water tight. Finding new speakers to fit the original holes was a challenge, while the new speaker grilles are 3D printed. Bringing it up to date, it has a Porsche Classic Communication Management system slotting into the single din slot, complete with Apple CarPlay and maps. 

With the body rectified, it was resprayed in a modern Crayon colour, and the owner has added a personal touch by removing the rear spoiler and wiper, badges, giving it a monochrome appearance and adding clear lenses with LEDs front and rear. 

This near fifty year old design still has presence. The proportions are right, being 4.4m long, a wide 1.8m across and just 1.3m in height. The number plate, if you’re wondering, refers to the 928 in the movie Risky Business, which recently came up for auction and went for silly money. 

Having owned both 911s and 928s in the past, our owner tells us; “people constantly compare the 928 with the 911 but they’re completely different cars. Plenty of 928 owners have never owned or even wanted a 911. They like the 928 purely because they love its shape and that Grand Touring style.”

Twisting the key in the ignition, the starter sounds agricultural, but the V8 certainly doesn’t. This one’s a little wilder than stock, but still smooth. Getting into position, the electric seat adjusts low, the wheel and instrument binnacle moving as one. The five-speed manual is arranged with first out on the dog leg, and while the clutch isn’t heavy it bites towards the end of its long travel. The pedal box is straight out in front, the brake and accelerator well placed if you want to dabble in blipped downshifts while on the picks. 

The V8 is torque rich right down low, with a good response, and pulls well through the mid-range. It’s not a quick spinner, or one that likes to stretch itself right out. It sounds unique, with a real character as it builds towards 6000rpm. And this one is loud with the muffler removed.

The shift action needs some restorative love, while the throw is long. The gearing is autobahn optimised, blunting the ultimate urge, though the owner says the manual is much better than the auto of the day. 

The steering has a decent action about it, turning nicely off centre. It manages to filter unwanted shock, yet still relays a reasonable feel for the action, as a proper GT should. The hydraulic servo assist has a nice weight about it at speed but it’s not too heavy when parking. While not the sharpest corner tool, it’s stable and well mannered, the rear planted, just as the engineers intended. What really impresses is the ride quality, it’s plush on rough roads, and quiet too. Except for that V8. It has a definite GT vibe to its character.

While perhaps under-appreciated since its production ended, the 928 deserves more respect, especially from the air cooled brigade. Now having experienced the 928, we feel its spirit lives on in the Panamera, a modern take on effortless and refined performance, just like its predecessor.