119
O
nsaleinNorthYorkshire,this
928 isa Japaneseimportwith
only35,000milesontheclock.
Whatlookstobetheoriginal
metallicsilver-greypaint isin
very goodcondition.Thedark
metallic silverretains adeep
and consistent shine across
themixture ofmaterials that
constitutea 928 ’sbody: steel,aluminium
andplastic.Thematerialshavenotbeen
separatedby warping orsagging overtime,
andpanelgapsremaintrue.
The long doors do not drop or creak
when opened. Their hinges and door
cavitiesare free ofthe grimeor surface
corrosionthat sooftencollectsinrecessed
areas.Thesometimestroublesomebigrear
hatchalso opens smoothly andlooks to
becorrosionfree– asindeeddoestherest
ofthecar. Theraisedrearbootspoilerhas
somefading at itsedges,asdoesthechin
spoiler, though the latter is free of any
seriousscuffsorscrapes.
Theleatherinteriorlooks tobein fine
shape – with almost no wear, it looks
andfeelssupplewhile retainingitsdeep
blackcolour. ThePorsche-logo mats and
carpetsare alsocleanandunfaded.Interior
switchesalldothejobtheywereassigned
andthebiginstrument podshowsnosigns
ofwobbling orsqueaking.
Thedenselypackedenginebaylooksto
beingoodorder– thebeltsaregoodand
everythingisstain-free.There are nosigns
ofoverheating,fluidlevelsarecorrectand
the oil of a goodcolour. Some paint has
peeledoff the intakemanifold.The good
newsitthat theinvoice-richhistoryfileis
comprehensive;thebadnewsisthat it’sin
Japanese, although apparently the dealer
hasfoundanappthat willtranslateit.
Reassuringly, when you come to start
and drive the car, nothing contradicts
your initialimpressions.Likeother 928s,
whenyouturnthekeyit doesitsbestto
disguisethefactthat it’sa V8brawler.The
5.0-litre engine is muted and ticks over
evenly, justrockingthebodyif yougunthe
motor. There are nosmoke signalsfromthe
reartoindicateanyadverseenginewear.
Beingafairlylate productionmodel,this
car’sdrivetrainbenefitsfromthestronger
cylinderheadsandtorquetube.
Like most of the breed, this car is
equippedwiththeMercedes-derivedfour-
speed auto ’box, which slots into drive
withoutfuss.Right-footpressuretranslates
1994 Porsche 928 S4
Price £44,995 Contact Specialist Cars, Malton UK (01653697722, specialistcarsltd.co.uk) Engine 4957cc V8
Power316bhp@6000rpmTorque317lbft @3000rpmPerformanceTopspeed:165mph;0-60mph:6.2sec
Fuelconsumption19mpgLength 45 20mmWidth1836mm
RobScorahfindsthisgrandtourerinfinefettleandwitha
historyfilewhichhopefullywon’tloseanythingintranslation
1990 Porsche 928 S4 £44,995
intoseamlessandprogressivepowertake-
up. While cruising youmight leave it in
‘D’,butclickingit backintothelowergears
for the bends brings nocomplaints, the
cogsswappingsmoothlyandquickly. The
suspensionfeelstautandthecarrunswith
thatslightlyaloof 928 poise.It feelsvery
balanced and planted on the road, with
noclunksor whinestodetract fromthe
drivingsensation.Theseven-slotalloysare
invery goodconditionandtheBridgestone
S-02shaveplentyoflife leftinthem.
The values of 928s have strengthened
tosay theleastoverthepastfiveyearsor
so– andthisonecertainlyhasn’t beenleft
behind in that repositioning. There are
betterbargainsoutthere,butprobablynot
inthiscondition.Thiscarisinfinefettle
with (for one of these autobahn eaters)
a pretty low mileage. A versatile and
powerfultourer,worthchecking out.
CHOOSEYOURPORSCHE 928
Arrivingin 197 7, the 928 wasPorsche’sfirst V8
- front-mounted,all-alloy andrearwheeldrive.
Earlycarshad4. 5 litresandtwo valvesper
cylinderfor237bhp.Capacityandoutput
increasedseveraltimes duringproduction–
biggestboostwasthejumpto 5.0litresand
316bhpforthe 198 7 S4.
Onlythelightened 928 ClubSport andthe
1991-95 5.4-litre 928 GTSoutperformedtheS4.
With15,682built(outof a totalof 61,056),
theS4wasthesecondmostsuccessful 928
productionmodelaftertheoriginal 1977 spec.
This 928 has retained
its chiselled features
and even panel gaps
The 5.0-litre V8
ticks over cleanly
and pulls seamlessly
Quote£770.06 comprehensive, 5000 miles
peryear, garaged. Call 0333 323 1181
Leather is still supple
and no squeaks from
the dashboard
ADS ON TEST
