Looking to buy a porsche 968 or 928S4/GT.. will be using it weekly in summers. Any suggestions: which and why?

Question

I am looking for something reliable. I currently own a 1986 944 N/A, I have always done the upkeep and it has proven to be bulletproof reliable. By choosing a well maintained 968 or 928, I know the upkeep will be minimal yet somewhat costly, and the car should prove to be very reliable. But I am looking to know from someone firsthand their impressions on these watercoolers. They are about the same price (although 928 S4/GT are going for a bit more..)
As I am looking to drive this car as often as possible in the summertime, I want a reliable, powerful ride. As economical as possible of course, although we are talking about two sports coupes. Best bang for the buck, best originality, best car...? Thanks for your input :)

Answer 1

I've not owned either of these cars, but I have driven examples of both and been around owners of these cars for a number of years... so here's my experience. First off, both are great cars, but for being very similar cars they are also very different.

Driving them on track, the later 928 feels much more powerful than any of the 944/968 series... the power comes on earlier and is predictable. On the downside, the 928 is a car that drives larger than it is, always pushing in the tighter corners (and if setup to get to more neutral, you still find yourself needing to induce oversteer to move it through in some places). Conversely, the 968 is very poised, and with the right setup drives smaller, handling those tight corners with ease, yet still keeping a nice predictable stability in the high speed corners; but ultimately lacking the grunt and top end of the 928's larger engine. However, compared to earlier 944s and 951s, both of these cars feel their weight (something to consider in moving up).

While both cars are reliable, the 928 seems more likely to be a problem child. While Porsche did support racing with the 944/968 series, it was never done for the 928. While many look at this as "so what," in terms of long term ownership, racing often means that parts prone to stress failures were exposed early in the cars life, and often given fixes from the factory, or aftermarket parts. The 928 didn't get this benefit... so while it is a reliable car, I have observed that many examples are not as reliable as some other Porsches. And while parts and labor for both will be costly (reflecting the original prices of these cars when new), there will be less options for the 928.

As for pure style though, the 928GT is (I think) the best looking of the front engine Porsches. And it certainly packs the most performance. It's also the last of the breed - so while it lacked the feedback a racing program can provide, it did at least benefit from the years of use from other 928s, making it a better choice than the S4 or earlier models (though more expensive). The 928 simply feels more "Porsche" to me, which is a plus.

For a weekend/summertime car, aimed for the occasional drive along coastal or mountain roads, the 928GT is a great car (and would be my first choice out of the options presented). However, if you are planning to include track use and AutoX into the equation, the 968 will move up here (and I would add you might want to consider a 951 as well) - though a 928 can work here too. The 928S4 would be the bottom of the three for both scenarios (nice car, but seems more problematic than the others, and simply doesn't measure up that well in other areas).

Answer 2

BOTH are extremely realible cars, but hte Porsche 928 was the world's fastest car of its time they are BLOODY FAST AND PWERFUL, they are literally in thr class of the bugatti or ferrari of their time, but the 968 was a city porsche , fast , but not at all a 928, The only problem with the 928 is even though it is basically also very bulletproof, but when something goes wrong it cost alot because they are supercar parts. if you just want a fun porsche but do care about the price for parts then the 968 might be a better choice for you but if you really do not care about paying a bit more for parts on the 928 they get the 928
any way you go you will love it so enjoy what you decide to buy

Answer 3

Well the 928 S4 is an awesome car but you'd be shocked at even basic maintenance costs. This is easily one of the most expensive cars in the world to maintain, although not in the same league as Ferrari and Rolls. But still, you'll pay $1,200 for a radiator, $2,200 for a clutch job, and $1,600 for a timing belt.

My two cents is that if you see a 928 and it does not have written receipts for a RECENT replacement of the following, don't buy it:

timing belt
water pump
clutch

A 968 would be cheaper to run and cheaper to fix, but alas, it's not the same experience as a 928

Answer 4

a well taken care of 928 will be awesome, and reasonably reliable. Unfortunately, because theyre so unique (parts wise), they arent the most reliable porsches (still not terrible though). Because they were so horrifically expensive when new, parts are VERY expensive for them (low production #s too). If you dont rag on it too much, and you buy an extremely good example, it would be a great car to have. If you buy a poor example, it could very very quickly get heinously expensive.

968s are very fun cars, and incredibly well balanced. If you want something with power though, theyre probably not the best place to look. they will be more reliable and cheaper to fix than a 928 though.

Personally, I would go for the 928. LOVE the look, love the power, great GT car, and a good condition one would have manageable running costs. Theyre just too damned cool.

Answer 5

My pastime and pastime rolvolve round Porsches. The 968 is a more advantageous unique, and superior automobile. i'd not purchase a S2 except it turned right into a 911 S2. My personal opinion is bypass with the 968 and from a mechanic factor of view i'd bypass with the 968 as well. The 944 is farther from being a real Porsche and the 968 is merely no longer contained in the keep as a lot because the 944....there's a reason they dont cause them to anymore. bypass with the 968, looks, stability, and its unique. good success automobile procuring.

Answer 6

I have both and I can tell you if you are looking for
a 968 coupe it will be hard to find a nice low mileage
clean one. If you do it will be expensive. You can
get a very nice 928 1987- 1991 would be less expensive
but parts are major expensive and the computer unit
is hard to find!