Porsche 928S4 vs. Ferrari Testarossa vs. Lamborghini Countach vs. Lotus Esprit Turbo

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Next in line was Porsche’s new 928S 4. Porsche has decided that the 928 needed an image change. The car has always been viewed in this country (by the enthusiast) as an unparalleled cruiser, the perfect car for a weekend in the Napa/Sonoma wine country with your lady friend or a quick run from L.A. to Portland. Its compliant, comfortable ability to cover large distances quickly has few, if any, equals, but now there will be a new emphasis on performance for the 928 from the German car company. The ’87 928S 4 is the spear carrier. As we reported in last month’s issue, it’s not all image. The car has more power, better aerodynamics, and, as a first step for the new “performance” 928, Porsche sent Al Holbert to Bonneville Salt Flats to capture two FIA speed records for the flying kilometer and flying mile, nearly 172 mph. We were slightly slower with our test car at TRC, but the differences are small enough to be explained by preparation of the car for the Bonneville record runs.



Certainly the most civilized of the field, the Porsche was also the least demanding at top speed. Compared to the others, it was compliant, and managed to turn the bumpy west banking into a non-event. The Porsche was also the quietest at speed. The 4-valve V-8 was silky smooth, the only sound was the complaint of the air as the big, red 928 blasted a 170-mph hole through it. The speedometer registered a solid 169 mph at the end of the front straight, and the Porsche seemed totally unconcerned by it all. We tried both high and low lanes of the banking to see if the 928 suspension would react – it did not. We tried different exits from the banking – the Porsche didn’t care. We considered turning the stereo on but decided that would be sacrilegious; after all, this was serious stuff blasting along here at 170 mph on the high banking, and we should be paying attention.

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The Results



Speedometer accuracy being what it is, we were anxious to see the printouts from the timing equipment. The story of the tape:

Ferrari Testarossa – 177.27 mph

Porsche 928S 4 – 166.94 mph

Lamborghini Countach – 160.27 mph

Lotus Esprit Turbo – 145.79 mph



The surprise of the field was the 928S 4 at 167 mph. A noticeable improvement over the last time we tested a 928S, here at TRC back in 1984, when the best speed was 147 mph (a full 14% increase).



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