Please Say the Porsche 928 Is Coming Back
All things Porsche have been on a serious uptick lately. Obviously, the air-cooled 911s have gone bananas, but this boom is somewhat understandable. However, the most shocking and also heartening of the Porsche boom has been the appreciation for the Porsche 928.
This goofy-looking little alien car was almost left to die in the past until recently. The recent uptick in people overspending on obscure cars from the 70s and 80s has proven to be quite good for the weird little Porsche.
Now, a couple of designers from Brazil have decided to bring the Porsche 928 into the 21st century – and it looks slicker’n greased lightnin’.
Is there a new Porsche 928?
According to Classic Driver, a pair of Brazilian designers decided that the old Porsche 928 deserved a chance in the modern world. So, they made a rendering showing what their vision of a modern Porsche 928 would look like, and they are making a strong argument for their brainchild.
Guilherme Knop, the mastermind behind the design, says he first fell in love with the 928 when he saw Tom Cruise ripping around in one, in the 80s classic, Risky Business. While the car isn’t overly Porsche-y, the silhouette is undeniably endearing. In trying to keep it true to form, Knop used the same dimensions as the original 928 but adapted it to fit a 2015 911 platform. When Knop was done with his end, the incredibly talented CGI artist João Schendle then worked his magic to help produce the images on the concept.
The old 928 would be proud
Knop’s design and Schendle’s renderings stay honest to the original 928 GTS while adapting everything to modern specs and style. The execution shows real vision and creativity while clinging to the love and romance of the vintage Porsche’s style. It feels appropriate to call this a masterpiece, given the tightrope walk of honoring the past while making something totally new.
Is the Porsche 928 a good car?
The Porsche 928 was meant to replace the Porsche 911 when it was released in the 70s. Knowing what we know now, that was a silly idea, but you can’t blame the Germans for trying. For the 928, Porsche moved the engine from the rear and plopped it in the front, giving the 928 a totally different look from the 911.
Not only did Porsche have the car follow the engine now, but it also tossed the old air-cooled flat-six and went to a water-cooled V8. This represented the first shift from peppy, nimble little sports cars to long and low grand tourers.
What’s funny is, although the 928 never really stood a chance against the 911, the 911 has shifted over the years to adopt more of the 928’s features and size to better accommodate the modern taste and style.
Knowing how the Porsche 911 has changed over the years makes a pretty good argument that this modern take on the 928 is not such a crazy idea after all. I mean, it fits perfectly with the current Porsche flavor; it looks like a million bucks and ties into the resurrecting vintage models with a modern twist. If you need further proof of this, look no further than the Dodge Charger, Challenger, Bronco, Wagoneer, and so on.
Porsche, talk to the folks in Brazil, and let’s bring back a classic. Let’s face it, Porsche hasn’t shown much excitement, passion, or innovation in its car design since… well, the original 928. Y’all are overdue for a little trip outside the box.