Front-engined 2+2 set to slot in above 911, Based on Panamera, with hybrid on the way
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Get ready for a blast fromPorsche’s past! The German firm is developing a luxurious,front-engined grand tourer – a spiritual successor to the 928 builtbetween 1977 and 1995. The ‘new 928’ will be a fifth model line, and isdesigned to sit above the sportier 911 in the range.
With the compact Boxster and Cayman, the 911, the Cayenne SUV and four-doorPanamera, Porsche would appear to have most bases covered. But it’snotable for its absence in the front-engined GT segment. The newcomerwill allow the brand to take on rivals such as the Ferrari 599 GTB,Bentley Continental GT and Aston Martin DB9. And our exclusive picturesshow exactly why the curvy, Panamera-based coupé is set to stun thecompetition.
Essentially it’s a two-door, short-wheelbaseversion of the Panamera, which will help to spread the £1.1billiondevelopment costs of that model. Its front-engined layout has a numberof inherent benefits, too.
A rear-engined 911 has barely morethan 100 litres of luggage space, but a similarly sized GT with itsmotor up front would offer a useful 320 litres – a vital attribute ifthe new 928 is to be taken seriously as a grand tourer.
Whilethe nose is virtually identical to the Panamera, the shortenedwheelbase and 2+2 layout mean the 928 features far smoother lines atthe back. One of the major criticisms levelled at the four-doorPanamera was its bloated rear, but this model’s muscular haunches andneater proportions should attract a new wave of style-consciouscustomers.
As you’d expect from Porsche, though, driver appealremains a top priority. The engine line-up will mirror that of thePanamera, so a 4.8-litre V8, with or without a turbocharger, producing500bhp or 400bhp, will be available. The naturally aspirated variant isset to come with four or rear-wheel drive, while the range-toppingturbo model will be 4WD only.
Thirsty V8s aren’t the only powerunits on the agenda. The Cayenne SUV hybrid is ready to go on sale nextyear, with a petrol-electric version of the Panamera following closelybehind. As the new 928 shares the latter’s platform, it’s sure to getthe hybrid drivetrain, too.
An Audi S4-sourced 369bhp3.0-litre supercharged V6, coupled to a 38kW electric motor, will givethe hybrid 928 fuel economy that breaks the 30mpg barrier. That willmake it the most frugal petrol-powered Porsche ever, while stillproviding hair-raising performance.
The 928 will slot intoPorsche’s pricing line-up somewhere between the 911 and Panamera. Thefour-door ranges from £70,000-£95,000, while the 911 starts a littlelower, at just over £60,000, but stretches to £128,000 for the GT2.
Withthis is mind, expect the 928 to be pitched between £65,000 and £90,000– enough to safely undercut its Ferrari and Aston rivals when it goeson sale in 2012.
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