2021-07-06 13:21:43
• Classic Driver •
This is the Porsche 928 for the 21st Century
When the 928 was unveiled in the 70s, it was meant to replace the aging 911 as Porsche’s vision for the future. The 928 never did dethrone the rear-engined wonder, but a pair of Brazilian designers have reimagined Porsche’s GT for the 21st century.
The 928 represented a seismic shift in what people could expect from the German sports car manufacturer when it broke cover at Geneva in 1977. The engine moved from the rear to the front, a water-cooled V8 replaced the air-cooled flat six, and the overall focus had shifted from a nimble sports car to that of a comfortable grand tourer. Although the 928 never managed replicate the 911’s international success, as time has progressed and cars have grown in size, the 911 has since adopted almost all aspects of the 928 package.
A pair of Brazilian designers certainly saw the 928’s merit, as they have created a rather stunning 21st century rendition of the front-engined grand tourer. The mastermind behind this glorious creation, @guigaknop, first fell in love with the 928 driven by Tom Cruise in Risky Business, while the silhouette further endeared the car to him, being reminiscent of the Brazil-only VW SP2. Knop initially tried to use the Panamera as a base, before deciding it expanded too far beyond the original 928’s taught form. Instead, to nail the proportions of the car, Knop compared the dimensions of the original 928 to its contemporary 911 and translated the dimensions onto a 2015 911. The incredibly talented CGI artist, @joaoschendel, then worked his magic to help produce the images you see here.
What results is a wonderfully minimalistic reinterpretation of the original 928 that tastefully incorporates modern Porsche design signatures. This new 928’s rear strikes a fine balance between the 992-gen 911’s full-width light bar with that of the 928 GTS, while Knop and Schendle have done an equally admirable job of modernising the 928’s nose and headlights. Despite the lack of pop-ups, we’re sure you’ll agree that this new 928 certainly deserves to make production. Perhaps Porsche wasn’t that far off the mark with their visionary GT after all.
113 viewsSebastian Andrei Iordache, edited 10:21
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