Monday 29th June 2015

Porsche 928 S4: PH Carpool

A lovely example of 'the forgotten Porsche' very much enjoyed by one enthusiastic PHer

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Name: Trevor Brooks/v8trevster
Car: Porsche 928 S4
Owned since: 2012
Previously owned: "TVR Griffith 500HC, Jaguar XJS 4.0, Range Rover 3.5 Vogue SE, Rover 820 Vitesse, plus numerous rep-mobiles and runabouts."

Why I bought it:

What else to replace a 118d with as a daily?

"I had first tried to buy one of these in 2006, but just couldn't find one that I was happy with (and could afford) so bought a very tidy XJS instead. Then a few years later a good friend of mine bought this car after spending years (literally!) looking around for the perfect car. So when my friend came to sell it I couldn't say no, and it replaced a BMW 118d as my everyday car!"

What I wish I'd known:
"I had done a lot of research when I bought the car, and I bought it from a friend who had possibly done even more research than me. So there really isn't much that I wasn't forewarned about. The community and mailing list on 928.org.uk is completely invaluable, and made sure that I was fully prepared for the realities of 928 ownership before I ever sat behind the wheel."

Things I love:

Leather, leather everywhere!

"What's not to love? The car has a full leather interior (not just seats, but dash and headlining, etc) - the smell is wonderful, and combined with the rumble of the Porsche 5.0-litre V8 is really quite intoxicating. Plus everything works! Fundamentally this car is from a different era, and back then Porsche had such high build quality that it just isn't comparable to most modern cars. There aren't many 26-year-old GT cars that you can use everyday, but you can with this one, and I do!"

Things I hate:
"There's really not much to hate, although when we had the bad snow in winter 2012, it made me realise why most people's everyday cars are slightly more practical than mine. But even that resulted in me buying another V8 (in the form of a Range Rover), so I have the 928 to thank for that experience too..."

Costs:

V8 uses lots of money

"Running costs are high, but that's the deal you enter into when you buy one of these cars. MPG is 15 around town, 25 on the motorway. Servicing and tyres costs around £1,000 to £1,500 per annum at a good specialist. On the flip side insurance and road tax are really cheap, and your servicing costs are met by the fact that the car appreciates rather than depreciates. So overall I'd say a good experience. Lots of 928 owners service the cars themselves (and there's lots of support through 928.org.uk and rennlist) but I'm not that mechanically minded so tend to use 928 guru Paul Anderson in Stroud. Paul really knows what he's doing with 928s - so much so that I won't trust anyone else to look after mine."

Where I've been:
"This really is the perfect vehicle to tour around in - it's taken me down to Surrey, South Wales, Bristol, Liverpool, Yorkshire, and many many other places, and just eats up the miles with minimal effort and maximum comfort. Also been to numerous PH Sunday Services, breakfasts at Shelsley Walsh, days out with 928.org.uk, etc."

What next?
"The time has come for me to part company with my 928. Unfortunately I don't have room/money to keep it as a weekend car (my TVR fills that role more than adequately!), and I need something larger for my everyday car."

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Want to share your car with PHers on Carpool? Email us at [e-mail]!

[unsprung]

Well, well, well. How could such an iconic machine go 25 days on PH with nary a whisper. Kindly allow me to post.

First of all... simply gorgeous.

Secondly, what other older GT could look brand-new on the forecourt, today? Goodness, gracious. Porsche began putting pen to paper for this car in the early 1970s! (launched in 1977)

Yet it looks utterly contemporary.

I'm not surprised that the owner drives it daily. Comfortable cabin and a seriously useful hatchback. Prodigious amounts of torque.

I'd investigate a different brand or class of tyre. Reduce the cost of consumables whilst making little difference in performance.

Best wishes to the new owner, if you sell it. Pity you can't keep it 'til the end of time. Truly a bit of history, a gem.

[unsprung]

Matt Bird said:

unsprung said:

Well, well, well. How could such an iconic machine go 25 days on PH with nary a whisper. Kindly allow me to post.

First of all... simply gorgeous.

Secondly, what other older GT could look brand-new on the forecourt, today? Goodness, gracious. Porsche began putting pen to paper for this car in the early 1970s! (launched in 1977)

Yet it looks utterly contemporary.

I'm not surprised that the owner drives it daily. Comfortable cabin and a seriously useful hatchback. Prodigious amounts of torque.

I'd investigate a different brand or class of tyre. Reduce the cost of consumables whilst making little difference in performance.

Best wishes to the new owner, if you sell it. Pity you can't keep it 'til the end of time. Truly a bit of history, a gem.

Apologies for this, scheduling mishap! Published before it should have been, whoops...


Matt

No apology required, as far as I can tell. This fine article was on PH and any PHer could have commented it at any time.

[unsprung]

There are Australians here on PH. I wonder if they have an opinion on the value of this car if purchased from Oz and shipped Down Under.

One could ask the same of the Americans. However, I'm guessing that a) 928 prices are comparable or more affordable in the US and b) one would need to hope for that eccentric buyer who fancies a RHD German.

In the US, RHD is allowed. As is the importation of cars that are 25+ years old.

[unsprung]

The 928 may be one of the few cars of the past... that could be reissued today with little change to the exterior design.

Example:

We all wanted something slender and feline like the E-Type. The F-Type certainly borrows from this, and moves the design language forward. However, the F-Type could never be as drop-dead gorgeous.

Safety requirements, mostly. But also all of the "content" that folks want in their cars nowadays. Mod cons, gizmos, etc. Thus, the F-Type is not merely larger and with a higher belt-line, but also a bit bulbous in some of its proportions.

The 928, however, was designed with a higher belt-line as well as some bulbous bits from the beginning. Are these sufficient to allow for today's more strict requirements in terms of side impact, rollover, etc.? Possibly.

The pop-up headlights on the 928 might need a rethink vis a vis today's standards for pedestrian impact safety. Could be a fun challenge: how to honour the "flounder" face of the original car, but in today's world.

If the required engineering is possible, a contemporary design interpretation of the 928 would not necessarily be too different from the original.