Porsche 928

There cannot be a car movie without a great selection of performance cars. Many sports cars have gained popularity through pop culture, whether it is the big screen or video games. Porsche’s iconic sports cars also have their place in pop culture, with more than a few being featured in famous blockbusters from the movie industry. That said, not all movie cars share the same fate, and oftentimes, cars get destroyed in movies. No Porsche can truly be classified as an affordable car and this goes double for the German automaker’s sports cars.

Despite Porsche making one of the most iconic sports cars of all time – the 911 – the German automaker was in financial trouble for much of its existence. It was only after the 986 Boxster and the Cayenne SUV in 2003, that Porsche managed to stave off the threat of bankruptcy. Of course, the acquisition by Volkswagen helped, and because Porsche’s lineup is a lot more diverse, for better or worse. Four-door models like the Taycan and Panamera are selling well, despite the Panamera’s recent sales drop by 25 percent.

In 1977, Porsche gave us the 928 – a more luxurious take on the German sports cars. Just two years later, at the 1979 Frankfurt Motor Show, the audience saw a Porsche 928 Targa. However, it wasn’t Porsche that made it. Sure. The German carmaker made the donor car required for the conversion, but the Porsche 928 Targa was conceived by Rainer Buchmann. The Porsche 928 was more of a comfortable cruiser that could double as a sports car, instead of the 911’s all-out performance car characteristics.

Porsche sports cars are some of the most replicated and reimagined on the planet. The German carmaker’s road-going models have always benefitted from the brand’s racing know-how, especially when it comes to the German brand’s most iconic model - the Porsche 911. That said, the 911 wasn’t always the most favored model by the company. At one point in time, Porsche wasn’t convinced an air-cooled, rear-engine sports car was the way forward. This train of thought spawned the Porsche 928. Instead of the 911’s rear-engine layout, the 928 featured a water-cooled V-8 engine in the front. The 928 was also bigger and more of a grand tourer than an all-out sports car.

If you’re a fan of Tom Cruise like I am (Top Gun fan here), a piece of cinematic history from one of his earliest hits is set to roll across the auction block. The iconic ’79 Porsche 928 Coupe (Chassis no. 9289201213), immortalized in the classic 1983 film "Risky Business”. It’s not that long ago, that this very car crossed the auction block at Barrett Jackson back in 2021 for $1.8 million. Now; it will be once again offered at auction, this time at the Bonhams’ Quail Auction in Carmel, California, at the upcoming Monterey Car Week (August 16, 2024).

The ’Surfari’ 928 is one of the more creative builds, that we’ve come across in a while. We say this because while Safari-style Porsche 911 are quite well known, we haven’t seen the 928 embrace that rugged jacked-up look. The Surfari was conceptualized by Tadeusz Elwart who lives on the Hel Peninsula - a narrow strip of land in between the Baltic Sea and the Bay of Puck, in Poland. From a young age, Tadeusz’s father instilled a love for cars in him, especially vintage air-cooled Porsches. This is where his idea for the Surfari was formed and eventually manifested into a heavily modified 928.

The name Porsche evokes images of the iconic 356, the legendary 911, and the agile Boxster. In recent years, this image has expanded to include the luxurious and impressively potent Cayenne and Macan SUVs, solidifying Porsche’s position as a versatile and desirable automaker.

Forget slick lines and a powerful engine. This is unlike any other Porsche 928 that you’ve seen before. This silver example cobbled together from mismatched components and resembling something out of a Mad Max film, is actually a Porsche legend. What you’re looking at is the world’s quietest 928, and its story is both odd and interesting. For over three decades years, this unique-looking Porsche fulfilled a single purpose: to silence its peers. Commissioned in 1989, it has cruised the Weissach test track, stuffed with insulation, and helped Porsche engineers in developing quieter tires owing to more stringent noise rules and regulations that came into force back in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s.