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 was just the starting point for what was as much a luxury vehicle as it was a closed sports car. Although power-assisted brakes and steering were standard, air conditioning, sunroof and a long list of options added to the tariff.
The 928S received a 4.6-liter engine and 234 bhp in 1983. The five-speed manual was a no-cost option, with the automatic standard. This was in the days when an automatic wasn’t even available in the 911, the Sportomatic having died a quiet death in the late ’70s.
By the time the example shown here was built in 1986, it cost $50,000 and sported double overhead cams for each bank of cylinders. Displacement, at just under 5 liters (302 cid) , allowed the power output to climb to 288 bhp.
Finished in a lovely burgundy metallic, this automatic 928S has all the standard luxury equipment such as tan leather, air conditioning, electric windows, power steering and power-assisted brakes. It is truly in excellent condition and has covered just 57,000 miles since new.