1986 Porsche 928S Coupe

When introduced in 1978, marque enthusiasts didn’t know what to think of the 928. Like the four-cylinder 924 offered the prior year, the new car was front-engined with a water-cooled power plant. This, then, was the future for Porsche, as the company appeared to have plans to phase out the 911, which even then had been in production for over a dozen years.

The press was much more positive about the 928 than long-time Porsche enthusiasts. It was sleek, exotic looking and very fast. The long nose behind the exposed pop-up headlamps held an all-alloy 4.5-liter (273-cid) single overhead camshaft V8, producing 219 bhp in American trim.

Despite the use of aluminum panels for the doors, hood and rear hatch, the 928 weighed a less-than-svelte 3,144 pounds. The new Porsche was very refined and quieter than the 911, yet capable of reaching 60 mph in 7.0 seconds and topping out at 138 mph.

Although the base price in 1978 was a heady $28,500, that...