The story of Porsche's front-engined, water-cooled transaxle cars, Porsche 924/928/944/968 contains interviews with several of Porsche's key engineers, designers and modellers who worked on the car in period. The book outlines the design processes and development work, detailing each model, and contains sections on the motor sport achievements of each model, as well as owners' views of their cars. This complete story of the Porsche transaxle cars will be of interest to all motoring enthusiasts and useful as a reference guide. Superbly illustrated with up to 300 colour photographs.
Porsche AG, today the most profitable car company in the world, was in 1975 a small but headstrong German automaker on the verge of its most significant development. New national laws were changing the way manufacturers designed their products, but the auto consumer was also craving more exciting and innovative design. That innovation came in 1975 with the release of the revolutionary Porsche 924. This book begins its analysis with the creation of the Porsche 924 and the impact it made on the automotive world. During the 1980s, Porsche honed earlier 924 designs to create the 944 and its Turbo and convertible variants, and later the 968, completing a line that has produced some of the most respected sports cars of the modern era. The text also follows in detail the long production life and development of Porsche's V-8 powered high performance grand tourer, the 928--introduced in 1977, named the 1978 European Car of the Year and culminating in the 350 bhp 928 GTS of the 1990s. This history of the dynamic Porsche family gives a full account of each model and reveals the unique contributions each has made to a constantly evolving automotive world.
Replacing the 914 as the entry-level model, the new 924, with its front-mounted, water-cooled engine, represented a bold - some thought heretical - break with Porsche design tradition. Given its price and specification, the original 924 offered good performance allied to safe and sure-footed handling. The Turbo model, introduced at the end of 1978, gave to the 924 the sparkling performance expected of a Porsche. The 924 has an impressive record on the race tracks of the world; it made appearances in the Monte Carlo and Safari Rallies too, while the Carrera GT, then the GTS and GTR, kept alive the great Porsche tradition of proving its models in competition. Eventually, the 924 Turbo gave way to the 944, but the normally-aspirated 924 carried on into the summer of 1988, by which time it was fitted with the 2.5-litre engine from the 944, and known as the 924S. In the past the 924 was often underrated, but nowadays enthusiasts appreciate the car's performance, build quality, practicality and affordability. This book records the full history of the Porsche 924, including its motorsport involvement, from inception until the end of production.
The Porsche 928 sports-GT car was produced from 1979 through to 1995. Originally intended to replace the iconic 911, the 928 combined the power, poise and handling of a sports car with the refinement, comfort and equipment of a luxury sedan. This book looks at all the variants including the Porsche 928 GT, the Porsche 928 and 928 S and the Porsche 928 GTS.
The Porsche 928 was originally designed as a replacement for the legendary 911, although traditionalists wouldn’t let the air-cooled machine die, and the fuel crisis that occurred soon after the new Grand Tourer was launched meant its stunning performance on the road would not be matched in the showrooms. There was hardly a bad word written about the 928 or the beautifully-engineered V8 that powered it when it was new, yet it always seemed to be in the shadow of its older, six-cylinder stablemate. Today, over two decades since the last car was built, interest in this magnificent Porsche is increasing, as people start to judge it in a different light. This painstakingly-researched book looks at the birth of the 928, and then follows its progress around the world, taking in all the variants in all major markets, as well as a peek at its racing exploits. Illustrated with contemporary material throughout, it is the perfect guide to this eight-cylinder Porsche.
Bonneville 928 is a must read for any car enthusiast. Within, Carl Fausett chronicles his journey of taking a modified German performance car to the most American of events; the Bonneville land speed record race. Fausett masterfully portrays the unique challenges of adapting a street car to a land speed record spec, a standard that is basically peerless in the motorsports world. Through simple, heartfelt storytelling, we take the journey alongside Fausett and experience his highs and lows as he attempts to capture the land speed record in his class. Bonneville 928 is a worthy read for anyone who loves to modify cars; Fausett, in his characteristics down to earth fashion pulls no punches and tells you everything that worked and didn't work with his car, giving the reader valuable insights into what it takers to go fast. This book is also written with the common car enthusiast in mind, and Fausett builds the car on a limited budget, unlike many of his competitors. It's a real David vs Goliath tale about a normal guy with a gutsy crew and an ambitious dream. If you like Porsche 928s, and you've ever wondered how the car stacks up against the world's best, this book is for you.