1988 Porsche 928 S4 review from North America

One parking lamp is out, and was when I bought it. Getting serviced by the local Porsche dealership, so will see if my purchase was a good one. I am just thrilled to have a car of this caliber, and couldn't wait to tell all about it!

My fear when picking it up was driving it home 125 miles, through New York City (unavoidable). With stop-and-go traffic, I was concerned the car would overheat, or something would break down, and leave me stranded. It didn't. In fact, the longer I drove it, the more comfortable I became with my purchase.

I have never owned a sports car before taking possession of the 928 S4--always owned Hondas and Toyotas, and certainly have been pleased with their reliability. But I'm a big boy now, 39 years old, and wanted a big boy toy. The car is immaculate outside—showroom quality. Inside it's in very good-to-excellent condition, with only some dashboard cracking preventing it from being excellent. It has 64,000 miles on it, and the timing belt was changed by the previous owner at 50,000. It appears the prior owner used it as a secondary or even tertiary car, and took tremendous care of it.

Based upon the gauges while in use, the engine is sound. Oil pressure redlines when gas is given, and the thermostat works perfectly. The engine rumbles (and always puts a grin on my face) ; the accelerator pedal—though a bit stiff—causes the car to jump to attention when depressed at 60 MPH. It's not the quickest car in the world, but above 60 MPH, it's a beast. It absolutely rockets from 60 to 85, and the V-8 snaps to when the tachometer hits 3000. It does not like running at anything less than 60 MPH, and the engine seems to grin at higher speeds. Good luck finding anything else on the road that can stick by its back bumper when you hit the accelerator on the highway.

Cornering is outstanding. The car does not dip at all around mild-to-sharp corners. I was amazed by it. Because the body's in great condition, it's a real head-turner, especially to those 35 years or older. The car's lines are gorgeous and classy. Pending my sprint to dealership for a check-up, I feel like I made a great value purchase.

The only problem I am faced with is its actual use. I cannot drive it to work, because I fear dings and scratches from those who do not appreciate an 18 year old car maintaining its showroom appearance. Additionally I own one of perhaps three Porsches in my town, and not only will it attract attention, it probably will attract the unwanted kind. And lastly, I kind of don’t want to use up the miles that are left in the car—I want to keep it young forever. Maybe it parallels life; we all want to remain young forever and anon. In any event, even for the short time I’ve had it, I love this car.