By Adrian Crawford

I’ve always had a soft spot for the Porsche 928. It’s the car those clever engineers at Stuttgart built to replace the 911…way back in 1977.

At the time it made a massive impact, with its alloy V8 offering a very different soundtrack to a 911, and the transmission and axle mounted in the rear, extensive use of lightweight materials in the body, this was a very thoroughly engineered true Grand Touring machine capable of crossing continents at pace and comfort.

The one we have here is the Series 4 from 1991. By now further performance and refinement was included.

Even today, these cars are outstanding, so much so that everyone I came across on my test drive commented…it’s the car Jeremy Clarkson drove to say farewell to his father, it’s the choice of World champions for travelling to the races.

It’s unmistakable.

The S4 in particular is the sweet spot. By this stage Porsche had really honed the concept. The all-aluminium 5.0-litre V8 is a wonderful piece of work – under stressed, beautifully smooth, and built with the kind of long-distance ability that modern GTs still struggle to match. When you open one up, you see the care in the casting, the precision in the machining. This was Porsche engineering at full confidence.

What many people overlook is just how advanced the layout is. With the gearbox mounted at the rear in a proper transaxle configuration, the weight distribution is near perfect. You feel it the moment the car settles into a fast corner – stable, balanced, calm. Add in the Weissach rear axle, which subtly manages toe under load, and you get a car that was designed from the blueprint upward for high-speed stability. Not just fast, stable fast. There’s a big difference.

Driving it on test is simply not enough to appreciate how it best works, a long journey allows you to settle in, take advantage of its strengths and get where you want in style and comfort…and arrive looking so cool.

The S4 also benefitted from real aerodynamic development. Porsche reshaped the nose, refined the tail, and significantly improved cooling. It wasn’t cosmetic; it was a functional redesign to help the car live comfortably at Autobahn speeds.

The brakes, suspension, and underbody airflow were all upgraded accordingly. It was a holistic piece of engineering, and that’s why these cars feel so cohesive even decades later.

Inside, Porsche put just as much thought into the ergonomics. Everything fits the driver properly. The seating position is spot on, the visibility is good, and it’s genuinely comfortable over distance. They spent an astonishing amount of time on the details – seat contouring, pedal angles, switchgear layout. You can tell it was built by people who actually drove.

Now, here’s the important bit: because the 928 was so cleverly engineered, and because it’s such a sophisticated machine – its condition and history matter more than with almost any other classic Porsche. Get one that’s been cherished, serviced correctly, and kept up to date, and it’s a revelation. Get one that hasn’t…and it’ll quickly remind you why expertise and documentation are essential.

That’s why the very best examples stand out instantly. When everything is right, the 928 becomes the car Porsche always intended it to be. A proper, long-legged, V8 Grand Tourer with engineering integrity written into every component.

If you want to see what I mean in practice, have a look at the example we currently have available. It’s the sort of car that shows just how good a 928 can be when it’s had the right life.

And it’s the sort of Porsche that crops up here very seldom, one we know, supplied before, and we can give it the thumbs up.