Opinions welcome

engelme

engelme

True Classic
Hi All. I'm looking for opinions. I am considering the purchase of a GT type vehicle to carry me and my wife back and forth between Salt Lake City and Reno Nevada, where my son will start college in August. I've identified two cars that interest me. One is a 2010 Lotus Evora 2+2 and the other is a 1988 Porsche 928 S4. Obviously one is a modern vehicle with borderline super car qualities. Could easily be interpreted by others as a midlife crisis purchase, but truly is being acquired for the purpose of comfortable long distance touring. The other harkened back to my youth, and may be the ultimate GT, at least in the 80's. Both cars are in outstanding condition with low miles (~45-50K). I'd love to hear what folks think about the relative merits of these two cars for the stated purpose, and suitability as daily drivers as well. I know this isn't X1/9 related, but I really value the opinions of those who visit this forum. Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers. Mike
 
Can't really comment on the Porshe, but the Evora seems like a much safer buy. Not only is it newer, but it'll also have longevity which most supercars lack thanks to the Toyota drivetrain.
 
Your money and my opinion, but I personally wouldnt key on either if those when for 40-50 grand, you can get a nice M5, Aston Martin DB7/DB9/Vantage/ etc... , Porsche 996/997 Turbo, Ferrari 456, Jag XKR, Maserati (nearly any), and plenty of others. Did I mention you can get a Ferrari 456!!! Front engine V12 manual Ferrari!! The values are rising fast! Buy now, drive it for a year or 2, sell if for a huge profit (manual only), and then you can buy any othe GT car out there and have cash in the bank. To me this is smart money and a smart buy. The rest are just a cool way to spend money.
 
Oddly enough I have one of those! I know two former 928 owners and even more former Porsche owners. Based on info from that group I would recommend 928 ownership to the level of... a poster, framed or not, I would leave that up to you! :)
928 was placed in motion pictures (Looker) and IIRC was to be the new flagship for Porsche. I don't think either of two would:
Recall many if any fond memories about that car.
Recommend that anybody should seek to buy a 928
I was offered the one car as payment for some work I had done($4000 total)
Not all 928s are these two examples but image wise unless you see the front you are looking at 924/928/944?
So my opinion on 928 is old tech/style that way further devalued by cheaper lookalikes. You are talking about lower mileage but the time factor will make this car far more need, IMO. But as a pro Porsche parts are available everywhere and very affordable! Which is good you will need lots:)
The Lotus would/is probably on one or more of the "if you can, you must own this car" list. I guess it sort of looks like some other cars... All styling seems to come from the same CAD file these days. It doesn't look at all just like a cheaper weekend thrasher car. I don't think any comparison would have a classic come out ahead of new technology... handling, reliability, ergonomics etc.
If those were your only two choices my opinion is you don't really have a choice.
Now if you are a Porsche guy you still don't have choice because while while conducing your prepurchase inspection you turned up that the head bolts, which were properly torqued(using torque wrench #PMC56378931-6789a, which was calibrated on 2/13/2004@ 17:03.27 at the Stuttgart Cal lab by a guy named Otto, verification was performed by inspector# 32590.)

My opinion? If you think the last bit about head bolts and torque stuff, if true, is good news. Buy the 928, you are a Porsche guy! Otherwise I would recommend the Lotus.

But I would also recommend a look at the new Alfa Romeo Gulia. IMO that would be a much tougher choice.
Regards
 
Ferrari 456!!! Front engine V12 manual Ferrari!! I didn't think to mention all the others but my daughter graduates from college next week and I can tell you this is the 456 you will need!!!!
yprazgwd1pa6.jpg

Regards
 
NFC posts show up in the "New Posts" search, so there is no reason to post NFC content in the DF.
 
Eastep said:
Thats one of the Sultan's custom 456s! Very cool. I was talking more along the lines of a "normal" 456 though lol
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Yeah buddy!
Bit there is nothing like a wagon to haul the stuff up to the dorm!!! Lol!
Wagons are actually pretty cool to be honest. We had a Forester XT which is a WRX grocery getter. But from the earliest wagons to the current batch they have some pretty cool, like the anti X1/9 cool, coolest. Back before SUV was the wagons ruled utility! Had a buddy with a Vega GT wagon. If only they still made cars like that. We could never hope to get through all the neat rides!
Regards
 
engelme said:
Hi All. I'm looking for opinions. I am considering the purchase of a GT type vehicle to carry me and my wife back and forth between Salt Lake City and Reno Nevada, where my son will start college in August. I've identified two cars that interest me. One is a 2010 Lotus Evora 2+2 and the other is a 1988 Porsche 928 S4. Obviously one is a modern vehicle with borderline super car qualities. Could easily be interpreted by others as a midlife crisis purchase, but truly is being acquired for the purpose of comfortable long distance touring. The other harkened back to my youth, and may be the ultimate GT, at least in the 80's. Both cars are in outstanding condition with low miles (~45-50K).Thanks in advance for your help. Cheers. Mike
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So this will be a daily and a distance tourer. The trip is roughly 7 hours, so it needs to be decent enough for that amount of time.

The 928 is a real vintage super car, one I would love to own but for the fact that it is a Porsche with Porsche priced parts. The design is not derivative of any other and it shares nothing with any other car. The Weissach axle was a break through at the time. The change over to the twin cam in each head that the S4 received really changed it into a truely hot car. The exterior upgrades of the S4 built on the design of the original 928 in a consistent way that accentuated what set the 928 apart. The interior of the 928 has always been a high water mark,the instrument binacle moving with the steering wheel, the continuous flow of the IP across to the door panels and its mirrored flow down the center console you can see in the much later 300Z. If I were a wealthier person the 928 would be my choice.

I want to like the Evora but I can't. No doubt it is a magnificent sports car, just one I have no passion for the design of. The interior is closed in with nearly vertical surfaces all around you. The view to the front is the edge of the instrument panel and then the road with no perception of the car you are driving. It is a modern fully competent, instrument verging on appliance. It would be the right choice for one who has no passion.

It's the 928 all the way. At least for me. God help you...
 
Lotus Carlton:
rare-in-the-usa-1992-lotus-carlton-sedan


Skip the Porsche 928, while not too expensive used, parts are precious. Whacky German design including the same problematic vacuum operated vent control system used in the later Bertone except the parts are zyx times more expensive and far more difficult to service.
The timing belt can and does fail just like in the Fiat. Service life of the cog belt used in the 928 is shorter than the Fiat due to it's length and this list goes on...


Bernice
 
This is a true story.

I used to work a few hours after school at a local gas station/repair shop in a extremely wealthy town pluming gas when I was a kid in High School and I owned my 1980 X1/9. All the mechanics were from France and Italy and they all worked on Ferrari and other exotic cars. These mechanics knew these cars inside and out and were masters of their professions. One day a beautiful blue Porsche 928 came in for repair and I sat inside it dreaming that this would one day be the perfect car for me. One of the mechanics saw and asked me why I was sitting inside. I told him how much I loved the car. He said bluntly, "it was junk." I trusted his judgment.

Then one day in an unusual event, an X came in for repair. I asked the same mechanic what he thought of the X. He knew that I owned and drove one. He shrugged and in broken English said, "No. No. Junk." He later took it for a test drive for about 20 minutes after the repair . When he came back I asked him what he thought? In broken English he said, "Good! Good! Very surprised!"
 
I may be a bit late to the game here; having owned a 928 I can assure you it is a very well made machine. I had a rather rare one - no sunroof and a 5 speed - which was fine except the 5 speed shifter linkage was terribly designed. There are two aftermarket replacements to correct the issue - if you end up with a 5 speed, which is pretty unlikely. I know folks talk about the relative complexity of the 928 but I found it quite logical; the backseat is very comfortable (a/c vents for the passengers on many of them!). It is heavy, quiet, and ridiculously stable at very high speeds. I had the 4.5L V8 (1979) with Bosch CIS injection and I can't imagine the car with the larger engines and Bosch L-Jet...more reliable and much faster I'm sure.

On the comments above:

The vent control is vacuum, the hoses did have routing issues, and it is very easy to replace with silicone hoses of better lengths.
The parts are expensive, but I never had to replace a part twice. Unlike a FIAT the quality control of OE Porsche parts is excellent.
Accessibility to things in the engine bay can be tough - you absolutely need a shop manual and time to work
The timing belt is a two day job. It is something like 7 feet long. It isn't hard to do, but it's a lot of very methodical work.

Contrasted to a Ferrari it's a reliable car, but the 944S4 and 968 Coupe are far more reliable than a 928.
 
Of the three, 928, 944-924, 968.
The 968 is the most under appreciated and likely the best trade off design of the group.

These are front engine-rear transaxle cars that have high polar moment of inertial. This chassis layout is well suited to high speed distance consumption with enhanced stability. Very much the opposite of a mid-engine chassis.

928 notable is the Weissach Axle, essentially produces toe in on bump to enhance stability.
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/porsche-928-history2.htm

"Acceleration was nothing less than Porsche-brilliant. Despite its heft, a five-speed 928 would reach 60 mph from rest in 7-8 seconds; the automatic version took perhaps a tick more. The standing quarter-mile flew by in 15-16 seconds with manual, the speedo reading about 90 mph. Top speed was 135-145 mph, more than most owners would typically use."

Measured time wise, the 928 is not that hard on acceleration, it is the flat torque curve with good throttle response of the Porsche V8 that gives the feel of acceleration and power going forward.

Do know this Porsche V8 has a designed in oiling problem for connecting rods 2 & 6. Oil drain back from the cylinder heads goes directly on to the crank which whips air into the oil. This aerated oil is then pumped back into the oiling system. Adding to this problem oil flow to con rods 2 & 6 is poor. If this V8 is put to road course race duty, they fail. like this:


The 1500cc Fiat SOHC powered exxe holding off a Porsche 928 at LeMons. The exxe out cornered, out maneuvered, equalled the Porsche 928 in straight line speed.



Bernice
 
Mercedes C63... Unbelievable performance in something that looks like a commuter car. Used they sell with low mileage for less than 1/2 the original price...
 
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