The First-Ever Porsche Model To Feature A V8 - Storyboard

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Porsche was an established sportscar maker by the '70s

However, sales of its 911 had slumped with the oil crisis and the German automaker desperately needed a new model
Enter the Porsche 928, a radical new sports car that was designed to replace the 911

With a V8 RWD layout, this grand tourer marked a significant departure from Porsche's traditional sports car formula
The 928 was first showcased in 1977 at the Geneva Motor Show

With the 928, Porsche sought to combine the performance and agility of a sports car with more comfort, space, and luxury for long-distance drives
The water-cooled V8 was front mounted

Throughout the lifespan of the 928, Porsche had to increase the displacement, starting from 4.5 liters to 5.4.
The 928 model evolved over its near 18 year life span

The GTS model arrived in 1992, its V8 bored-out to 5.4-liter cranked as much as 345 hp
The Porsche 928 was available in both manual and automatic gearbox options

Porsche offered a 5-speed dog-leg manual gearbox with the 928 with an option to opt for the Mercedes-derived 3-speed automatic
This V8-powered grand tourer was pretty quick off the line

The 928 could accelerate to 60 mph in about 6.9 seconds and a quarter-mile in around 14 seconds
The 928 garnered mixed impressions

Straying away from the 911's rear-engine philosophy, the 928 was criticized. The 928 featured softer suspension and more comfortable interior that was unlike any 911 sold at the time
The 928 won the 1978 European Car of the Year award

Being Porsche's first V8-powered vehicle, the 928 inspired Porsche for the introduction of the Panamera in 2009
Swipe up to read more about the Porsche 928!