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We’ll be taking a closer look at the 1987 Porsche 928 S4, and what made it a record-breaking grand tourer.
Porsche is a brand known for its 911 sports car, which is, undoubtedly, the most incredible sports car of all time. By the late 60s, the brand needed a way to spice up its 911 line. In 1977, Porsche introduced the 928 to replace the 911, but that never came to pass. As its grand tourer alternative, the Porsche 928 competed with the likes of the Mercedes W111 Coupe 3.5, the Jaguar XJS, and other classic grand tourers.
For the 1987 model year, the Porsche 928 S4 came with lightweight construction and new styling cues that opened new markets for the sports car producer. Much like its fast 924 siblings, the Porsche 928 gave existing 911 owners a grand touring alternative that they can park next to their sports car and use as a daily driver without switching brands.
We’ll be taking a closer look at the 1987 Porsche 928 S4, and what made it a record-breaking grand tourer.
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Porsche was quite determined to make the 928 a trend-setting grand tourer. In the wake of the oil crisis, everyone wanted a car with a more conventional engine under the hood. That’s where the 928 came in. It was meant to be a fuel-efficient vehicle in the Porsche fleet. But in the early ‘70s, the 928 was only a mere idea. As a completely new model, the brand didn’t have a base car to build the 928 upon. To develop the first prototype, they needed a strategy. Led by Fuhrmann, Porsche did what many manufacturers do today – they built the first model upon the competition during that time.
The Porsche 928 had an aerodynamic shape, featuring electrically operated pop-up headlights and a sleek front apron that boosted its fascia with a sporty appeal. Porsche developed the 928 with much focus on a lightweight body. So, instead of using steel, most of the car’s paneling, specifically the doors, hood, and front wings, consisted of aluminum – all of which gave the 928 a weight reduction benefit and made it faster.
For power, Porsche developed a new V8 engine for the 928. Even though a Lamborghini Gallardo-inspired V10 engine (based on an Audi five-cylinder unit) was under consideration, the prototypes had a 5-liter V8 engine that generated up to 300 hp. Upon finalizing, the Porsche 928 had a 16-valve, 4.5-liter V8 engine, making 219 horsepower in North America and 240 horsepower in Europe. And from the get-go, the brand already knew that the Porsche 928 was going to have two doors, a 2+2 seating configuration, as well as front-engine and rear-wheel drive mechanisms. But, as quickly as the 928 rose to the top of the chart, it became cloaked with negativity for its unreliability. This was due to its faulty cooling systems and oil leaks.
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The S4 came with some styling changes. Its sloppy roofline welcomed a black rear spoiler that protruded from the body between the wide and recessed taillights. Its side rockers matched the car’s exterior color. The rear wing was made of black polyurethane. The new vehicle also had front and rear aprons made from deformable plastic. This material not only gave it lightweight benefits, but it also made it easier to style. With that, the front apron received well-designed air intakes that gave the vehicle’s fascia a sporty finish and helped in cooling the brakes. Besides that, the vehicle inherited the predecessor’s pop-up headlights with visible lenses, cool side direction indicators, and paint-themed side protection strips.
Power previously increased again with the 1986 model year, when Porsche boosted the V8 from 4.5 liters to 5.0 liters. But despite the increased displacement, the power output remained the same. Then the S4 came into the picture the following year. Thanks to its 10.0:1 compression ratio and a few other adjustments, power output went up to 314 horsepower at 6,000 RPM and 317 lb.-ft of torque @ 3,000 RPM. This was the output enjoyed by owners in the US and everywhere else except Australia, where it only generated 296 horsepower. This was because the Australian market prepared for low-grade fuel. Of course, this wasn’t the only difference between US and Australian models. American models had changes in instrumentation, with either kilometer or mile gauges. Porsche models in the US also came with special front and rear bumper shocks, as well as lighting.
Aside from the engine modifications, the 1987 Porsche 928 S4 came with drivetrain changes, such as a new single-disc clutch in manual transmission models. This addition significantly improved its shift response. Models with an automatic transmission received a larger torque converter. After the S4 grand tourer’s year, major updates were few and far between for the succeeding model year. It wasn’t until 1989 when the line received a dogleg manual transmission-only 928 GT.
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One factor that separated the S4 from its competition and predecessors was its amazing speed. This depended on its gearbox. Models equipped with the standard 5-speed manual transmission had a top speed of 165 mph. The automatic transmission models were all rated at 162 mph.
To prove just how fast the S4 was on the dragstrip, Porsche sent a pre-production 928 S4 model to Bonneville to race for a speed record. Behind the wheel, was the renowned American racing driver, Al Holbert, who took the car to its victory car, achieving 171.926 mph between two runs. This made S4 the fastest non-turbocharged production car in the world.
Wilfred Nkhwazi is a screenwriter, actor, and sports car enthusiast from Blantyre, Malawi. He has written 2 feature films and a thriller trilogy. Wilfred is pursuing an Electric Car Technology program and spends a lot of his time writing for hotcars.com, penning down fast whips, celebrity collections, and everything else in-between. When he isn't writing, he loves to take long drives around the city, make music, and drink hot chocolate.