Rare and sought-after manual transmission model
1988 Porsche 928 S4 Coupé
Chassis no. WPOZZZ92ZJS841639

Unveiled at the Geneva Salon in 1977 and voted Car of the Year for 1978, the 928 was intended as an upmarket replacement for the long-running 911, but in the event Porsche's rear-engined classic would outlive its younger sibling. The front-engined 928's stylish hatchback body used aluminium for the doors, bonnet and front wings in the interests of weight saving, while ingenious impact-resistant 'bumpers' made of colour-matched plastic were incorporated in the nose and tail. The V8 engine – Porsche's first - displaced 4.5 litres and produced 234bhp. A five-speed transaxle gearbox or three-speed automatic were the transmission options, the latter being the most common choice. In 1979 the 928 S with 4.6-litre engine arrived and then in 1986 the model was further revised and restyled, becoming the 928 S4. Its engine producing 320bhp courtesy of twin-cam, 16-valve cylinder heads and enlargement to 4,957cc, the S4 enjoyed a welcome top speed boost to over 160mph. Porsche has not made anything like the 928 since its deletion in 1995, and today this underrated modern classic is increasingly seen as offering exceptional value for money.

According to the accompanying Certificate of Authenticity issued by Porsche Import Belgium, this rare five-speed manual transmission Porsche 928 S4 left the factory on 7th April 1988 and was delivered by Sonauto in Levallois-Perret, France to its first owner. This gentleman had ordered the car in Granite Green metallic with a black leather interior, as it is today, as well as with the optional locking differential and a sliding sunroof.

The first owner had the car serviced at regular intervals by the local official Porsche dealer, and original service booklet and instruction manual are on file. Numerous subsequent invoices from official Porsche dealerships and independent specialists testify to the care that the car has received at regular intervals. This servicing has included replacing the timing belt, which was last carried out in October 2013 at 127,000 kilometres (invoice on file).

A few months later, the car was imported into Belgium by the previous owner, who sold it to the current vendor at the end of 2015. The car was serviced by Kronos Porsche in Gembloux less than a year ago, and on this occasion was subjected to the well-known '111 points' check (copy of report on file). On this occasion, the braking system was completely overhauled. Today, the odometer reads under 145,000 kilometres, and this much sought-after manual transmission Porsche 928 S4 is presented in generally very good condition.