Why Was One Of Porsche's Best Cars A Flop? Porsche 928 S4

was of my favorite when teenager and could have bought one later but was scared of the potential cost repairs… I still regret but moved on

it's Nurburgring... not Nuremberg.... another story....

The basics on the last series was 0-60 in 5 seconds and top speed around 175 mph. As a kid that was enough for me. As an adult, its more than enough. This was my favorite car of all time then and it still is. I never knew it was so controversial.

Too expansive!

Don't blame Porsche....Little boys with posters of 911 and absolute no understanding of physics and why to never ever put the engine in the back, incapable of understanding the balance of a 928 or why a V8 is always better....

It was the size and the design which killed it. The upside down glass bathtub was famously inspired by the AMC Pacer which also had a sizable group who hated the way it looked. It was not intimate like a GT car should be. Too much space around the seats. Uncomfortably hot on a sunny day. Porsche should have given it to a better designer to "fix it."

I love proper GT cars and the 928 is one of the best ever made

A real touring sedan !!!!

they should have made it much smaller.
Remove the back seats, make it a hatchback.
Shorten its length and narrow its width, a bit.
The looks are excellent and would be much better with the above mods...

I love both of mine 😊

I love these, and had the opportunity to drive a few. Some of the most timeless styling I’ve ever seen, particularly from a German brand.

This 928 paved the way for Porsche's later success with sport utility's. The V8 sounded too much like an American V8 for most of Porsche's customers. But with a new customer base ready to buy an upmarket sport utility that is not a problem.

Gosh, she must be thirsty....definitely not a cheap date.😅

its simple......it is NOT and that is its story,.....complicated and VERY expensive......

Of the 300 plus cars and motorcycles I have owned, (3 928‘s and a 911 wide body cabriolet) The 928 was in my opinion one of the best cars I have ever owned.

I was owned a 914, VW Porsche,the handling was fantastic, I wished I never should sold it.

Saying a car is reliable, as long as it’s looked after. is honestly a copout. Seriously you’re not reviewing a British car. you don’t have to lie. We know Porsches are reliable. You’re acting like it’s a Range Rover.

Greetings from Cologne in Germany and thank you.

In my opinion discontinuing the 928 was the biggest mistake Porsche ever made. It was much better than a 911. Can you imagine what it would be like today with the technology?

Im a 928 and 911 fan. I never thought of this car as a competitor or replacement for the 911. That whole line of thinking was bizarre to me.

A friend of mine's father bought in late 1970's one of the first 928's brought into UK. A manual car. When people saw that car I can remember people going 'Wow.' It was so modern it made a huge impact. All the kids would run up to it pointing. Years later he said that his father admitted he was disappointed with it's performance. He previously drove a 3.0 litre Carrera. I guess he was lucky to sample both cars.

If you watch the Charlie Sheen film "No Man's Land" you realise that even in the mid 1980s the 911 had an Tesla like fanbase.

Too expensive, too slow

Always liked the 928, it's a shame it didn't do as well as it should've. 🥴

The S4 was great but its electrics and due to emissions the engine was way over complicated. The Manual S was faster and more economical although to be fair cos of its silly rear spoiler looked dated but for me the better model. I owned many a 928, 6 in total and absolutely loved them to bits (Porsche World Feb 1998 nos 48 mine)

Fancy seeing this episode. I actually saw a 928 with the registration THE928S coming over Shire Oak between Lichfield and Walsall years ago.

Was slower for what people expected at that price. Especially in AUTOMATIC is a garbage. Pretty fast was gts version as i remember..

The 928 was seen as a capitulation to the American market and Europeans, especially Germans, thought their vaunted Porsche was above such considerations. The 928 was cast into the redheaded stepchild role as a result. Plus, it was big and not as agile, so it represented a departure from their brand that was in stark contrast to the glacial pace of the 911's evolution.

I had a 1987 S4, which I drove every day for years, manual example, the zf gearbox was fabulous and build quality incredible, I still think about that car.

Nuremburgring? LOL.

I remember seeing a Porsche 928 pass us as we were traveling across country. We were traveling through Wyoming at the time and this amazing beast was suddenly there in front of us. As this is empty desert and the straight roads go for miles, I just watched it for the longest time as it moved its way toward the horizon. It was 1987, I was 15 (we could get our licenses at 14 back then) and I was in love with this amazing German vehicle that had graced our path. If I saw one now I would still gawk at it and dream.

I always liked the later 944s the most. It's a shame Porsche didn't keep pushing on the idea of a luxury GT with completely different lines than the 911.

Panomies.

The design hasn’t aged a day. I’d choose this over a 911 any day of the week.

Rule #1 when you first buy a 928 with no service history, replace the timing belt and water pump, so you don't ruin the engine if the belt snaps.

hotness :)

It was a flop to the uninitiated

I recall in the early 1980’s watching a very capable lady parking one in a little car park, I know know quite how brave she was, How impossible it is to get in and out of in a UK parking lot.

Wonder how difficult it would be to add a transfer case at the front and some rear wheel steering. Make her all wheel drive and all wheel steering.

I was fortunate enough to be able to buy a brand new 928 GTS in 1994. Let there be no confusion, the 928 was so much better than the 911 in every way. It's performance was better than the 911, that's for damn sure. I've owned a few 911's and they were great, but just never matched the 928. Period. I've never put the cruise control on 165 mph in any other car, but I did just for fun in my 928 GTS. What was amazing about that is that it literally was no big deal.

When it first came out, I thought it looked great and expected it have stunning performance with a big V8 under the bonnet. Given the unexpectedly poor power output and weak performance, I’m surprised that anyone wonders how it failed.

Beautiful beautiful car

Drove a 1984 928S 5 sp as a daily driver for some years. Comfortable, great handling and underpowered.

I can believe how tiny the old 911s are. Like Noddy cars.

looking at one of these in 2024!. timeless design. organic in shape...

Thanks for this fun trip down this memory lane! Would love you to do the Aston DBS from The Persuaders!

I just adore the later 928's and was wanting to buy one two or three years ago, but in a quirk of timing nothing seemed to be on the market for months. So, I ended up buying a 911 and although I love it, a bit of me still hankers for the 928 even though I have never even been in one.

The car that its looks never age.