928

Porsche developed the 928 in the 1970s out of concern that tightening safety and emissions regulations might eventually force an end to the rear-engine, air-cooled 911. Rather than replacing the 911 outright, the 928 launched in 1978 as a parallel model: a front-engine, water-cooled V8 grand tourer built around the same transaxle layout Porsche was developing for the 924. It was a fundamentally different kind of Porsche, more luxury GT than stripped-down sports car, and it became the first sports car ever to win the European Car of the Year award.

The original 928 used a 4.5-liter V8 producing 219 hp for the US market. Porsche expanded the range in 1980 with the 928 S, which stepped up to a 4.7-liter V8 and added the spoilers and forged wheels that gave the car a more aggressive stance. The US-market 928 S grew again in 1985 with an all-new 5.0-liter, twin-cam, 32-valve version of the V8, developed specifically to recover power lost to US emissions equipment, and reached 288 hp, a substantial jump that closed most of the gap to Euro-spec cars for the first time.

That 5.0-liter, 32-valve architecture became the foundation for the 928 S4, introduced for 1987, which refined the engine further to 316 hp and brought a lighter clutch and revised suspension tuning. Porsche added the 928 GT alongside the S4 in 1989, a manual-only, sport-tuned variant sharing the S4's bodywork but tuned to 326 hp, aimed at buyers who wanted the S4's performance with a sportier edge.

Porsche closed out the 928 with the GTS, arriving in the US as an early 1993 model after a one-year sales gap in 1992. The GTS grew the V8 to 5.4 liters for 345 hp, added flared rear fenders to cover a wider track, and brought larger front brakes, becoming the fastest and most capable 928 ever sold in the US before production ended in 1995.

• Model years: 1978 to 1995 (no US sales for the 1992 model year)
• Trims: 928, 928 S, 928 S4, 928 GT, 928 GTS
• Power range: 219 hp (early base) to 345 hp (928 GTS)
• Transmission: 5-speed manual standard (GT manual only), 3-speed automatic optional early on, later replaced by a 4-speed automatic
• Notable firsts: Porsche's first V8 production car; first sports car to win European Car of the Year; first Porsche built around a front-engine, transaxle GT layout rather than a sports car layout

Notes on Euro-market variants (not sold in the US):
Several 928 variants were exclusive to European and other non-US markets and won't apply to US-spec fitment. The 928 S2, a UK and Australian-market name for the revised 1984 4.7-liter S, is mechanically similar to the US 928 S of the same era but carries different badging abroad. The 928 CS (Club Sport), sold 1987-1989, was a lightweight, sport-focused variant never federalized for US sale. A small run of 928 50th Jubilee editions (140 units) was also sold exclusively outside the US. The 928 Weissach Edition is a partial exception, a 1980 special edition with unique gold paint and trim that was sold in North America (205 units), so it may still be relevant to Suncoast customers despite the otherwise Euro-heavy special-edition history.