The Perfect Porsche? The 928 GTS
The perfect Porsche for me, that is. The German performance automaker’s history is so studded with greatness that it’s inevitable there would be almost as many different favorites as there are enthusiasts. But I remain a fan of the GT category, and as such, the ultimate 928—the 1992-1995 GTS—is it.
Sporting a front-mounted 5.7l, 345-hp water-cooled V8 sending power to the correct wheels via a rear-mounted transaxle, the 3,700 lb 928 GTS could hustle from a standstill to 60 mph in the high 5-second range—not jaw-droppingly quick, but the sheer thoroughbred competence of the chassis more than compensated for any dearth of straight-line speed. Besides, even though they occupied different niches—the 911 has always been more of a pure sports car—Porsche understandably wanted to position the big GT a suitable distance back from their evergreen icon, performance-wise.
The 928 GTS’s interior hold particular appeal. Perfectly complementing the space capsule exterior with its “command center” ambiance, the interior features the upswept-into-the-dash console I love so much and a lovely bank of instruments rendered in a pleasingly businesslike, no-frills theme.
In spite of its lack of success—production numbers for the 4 model years the GTS was produced only amount to a tick over 2,900—I love the final 928 for its handling composure, timeless “rocket sled” appearance, and especially the fact that it demonstrates Porsche’s commitment to a concept. In contrast to, say, yesterday’s post about the short-lived-yet-excellent Pontiac G8, the 928, whose future was in doubt more than once in the face of a changing marketplace, remained with us for 18 long model years, constantly improving until the final evolution was nothing less than a consummate GT car. In an automotive world of one-and-dones, Porsche bucks the trend, meticulously researching a particular corner of the market before throwing all its (considerable) engineering and development know-how behind the eventual car.
On a side note, it’s this resolve that gives me hope that the automaker will refine the technically peerless but aesthetically hideous Panamera to the point where I can actually stand to look at it. But that’s a topic for another post. For now, among all Porsches—yes, even over the 993 Turbo—give me a 928 GTS.
Image credits: cartype.com, cargurus.com, classicargarage.nl, 928registry.org
Well worded tribute to the the car that had bold curiosity for the future,a car that was born from a blank canvas .i had the big hard back book of the development story of the Porsche 928.First mass production car with zero bump steer suspension.To drive one tells you a lot without one word being heard.
Hear hear,bravo!
Thanks Richard. I still want one in spite of the horror stories I hear about timing chains and other maintenance nightmares. And 5-speeds are very hard to find.
Would love to pore over that book of yours!