The 928 was a long-running nameplate, built until 1995. The Stuttgart-based company intended to replace the Neunelfer with the 2+2 grand tourer, yet Peter Schutz didn’t allow Porsche to kill off the 911.
The president and chief executive officer didn’t even sit in a Neunelfer before joining the German automaker in 1981, but he knew that the 928 is too expensive to replace the Neunelfer in the long run. The front-engined layout and water-cooled V8 powerplant didn’t sit well with ardent loyalists either.
In addition to saving the 911, Schutz has also managed to double Porsche’s sales and to boost earnings from $4.5 to more than $54 million from 1981 to 1985. The 959 project, however, cost the high-ranking official his job because the automaker ended up losing in the ballpark of $420,000 on every unit.
Porsche, however, is a very different company nowadays. Not only did Stuttgart introduce the mid-engined Boxster and Cayman as well as hypercars like the 918 Spyder, but the Cayenne and Panamera were unthinkable concepts back then. So, does a 928 “revival” fit in the current lineup?
Aside from rumors, Porsche let it slip that a Panamera-based coupe is under consideration. Nothing has materialized so far, but a two-/three-door grand tourer does make a lot of sense if you look at the competition.
BMW has the 8 Series, Mercedes-Benz has the S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet, Lexus is much obliged to offer the LC, and so forth. Although it wouldn’t enjoy the commercial success of the Panamera liftback and shooting brake, the 2+2 grand tourer would be an interesting addition to the segment.
Transportation designer John Mark Vicente thinks so too, which is why he envisioned the 929 design study as a “flagship coupe concept.” Mostly inspired by the Mission E and Taycan, his modernized 928 also features gullwing doors as you’d expect from a halo model.
Centerlock wheels with carbon-ceramic brakes, digital mirrors, and a generous aerodynamic diffuser are also featured, but strangely enough, we can’t see any tailpipes sticking out the back. This gets us to the $185,000 Taycan Turbo S, Porsche’s most potent electric vehicle in 2020.
The dual-motor sedan with four doors may be rather heavy at 5,060 pounds (2,295 kilograms), but 761 PS (751 horsepower) and instant torque translate to impressive straight-line performance. Zero to 60 mph (97 kph) takes 2.6 seconds, and top speed is rated at 162 mph (260 kph) thanks to a two-speed transmission with a long-ratio second gear.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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