1979 Porsche 928     928 History 928 Technical Information (Porsche History and Tech content on this page provided by and linked to THIS SITE) The concept and beginnings of the Type 928 In 1971, Porsche realized that the 911 would not last forever. At the time of planning, lawmakers were beginning to get aggressive about exhaust emissions and safety on the automakers. Since 1969, Porsche and Volkswagon had a joint-stock based company to produce the Type 914 Volkswagon-Porsche sports car. The 914 was an effective successor of the 912. But Porsche wanted to design a new car capable of keeping the Porsche flag flying high when the 911might be finally let go. The company felt that they would stand a better chance to survive the long term with a more universal automobile. Porsche started on a fresh sheet as a 'pure' design. No VW parts required - all Porsche. It was a super fast 2+2 GT in the mold of the Aston Martin V8 and the Jaguar XJ-S of the time period. Both the 924 and 928 would end up with a common engine - transmission layout. (Also the later 944) Silver 928 The 928's layout would be designed to achieve as near as possible a 50/50 weight distribution. The rear-transmission design allowed for roomier rear seating compared to the later designed 924. A V6 was considered, but the design team pushed and got a large capacity V8 engine that would achieve the performance goals targeted. The goal was simply to build a modern car based on more conventional patterns than the 911, but with the potential to exceed the 911's performance. Weight Image The distinct styling was a gamble from Porsche's head of design, Tony Lapine, an American. The curvature was enhanced by the concealed front/rear bumpers and large body contour side panels. The body/roof was specially designed to reinforce and add integrity to the overall body/chassis. The headlights were front hinged and laid back into the front fenders added to the distinct shape. It is rumored that this unique headlamp design was influenced by other "exotic" cars of the time. But it also was utilized to allow the headlight lenses to get cleaned when the car was washed. Conventional "covered" heaadlights did not allow this. But the overall car displayed the distinct and recognizable Porsche" styling. 928 Design Team The body was partially constructed of corrosion-resistant aluminum of: Wheels, doors, front hood (bonnet), transaxle housing, front suspension wishbones, rear suspension uprights, upper links and main cross member. The rest of the vehicle was galvanized steel or plastic. Extensive testing, as with every Porsche car type, was done with construction materials, wind tunnel testing, and endurance tests. Wind Tunnel Tested 928 The engine was mostly aluminum: Cylinder heads, block, crankcase, intake manifold, oil pan and iron coated pistons. This steel-coated aluminum process - a high silicon alloy called "Reynolds 390" - eliminated the need for steel bore liners (linerless). NOTE: General Motors attempted this process in the ill-fated Chevy Vega 4-cylinder engine of the early 1970's 4.5 L 928 V8 Since the 1950's, Porsche each engine was hand-assembled, blue-printed and dyno tested before installation. The 928's V8 was no exception as 911 engines were assembled side-by-side with the 928's at the Zuffenhausen works. Below: Blueprint from May 1971 - Note engine was first designed in the rear! (Click on blueprint to enlarge) 928 in Assembly Line Drivetrain on Assebly Line 928 Body - Hand Assembled Clay Model - Early 928 Endurance - Mobil Oil 928 928 Technical Chart 928S Specifications