Porsche 928 S4 CS/SE (1988-1989)

Porsche 928 S4 CS/SE (1988-1989)

The 928 Clubsport & Sport Equipment

The regular Porsche 928 is a fine grand tourer but not as sharp to drive on a track as its 911 sibling. The 928 Club Sport introduced in 1988 set out to change that by reducing weight and making the 928 more engaging to drive.

The Clubsport was up to 100 kg (220 lb) lighter and was the toned-down version of the 1987 factory prototype which had a lightened body. In 1987, the factory made five white lightweight S4 models with a manual transmission for racecar drivers. The Special Equipment (SE) was a more complete version of the CS, in which some accessories lost in the CS are added back again. Porsche did install an LSD, forged alloys, and a stiffer suspension to make the 928 CS a great track car. A very collectible car.

The 928 Clubsport

The Porsche 928 Clubsport was a lightened version of the 928 S4 designed for road and track use, and was available in continental Europe and the USA. Porsche had been experimenting with such a car as far back as 1983 and had built prototypes, but it wasn’t until 1988 that the Clubsport went on sale. It kicked off the program in 1987, a year before customer deliveries started, by giving five to its works drivers, including Derek Bell.

Porsche produced a limited run of 17 CS 928s and the main focus was a crash diet to lose weight. The weight was reduced from 1640kg to 1450kg by way of removing much of the sound-deadening material, fitting a simpler wiring loom, and removing much of the electrical equipment, such as electric seat adjustment (although the power windows remained). In short, the car was stripped of much of its luxuries.

The 928 Clubsport got the S4’s 5.0-litre V8, with modifications including higher lift cams and a revised ECU, increasing the rev limit to 6775 rpm and pushing power from the stock 320hp to 330hp. Power was 330 bhp at 6200 rpm, while torque remained unchanged but peaked at a higher 4100 rpm. Power was sent to a limited-slip rear end through a  5-speed manual gearbox. The suspension was uprated with 10 percent stiffer front springs and all-round Boge sports dampers. The wheels were forged alloys; 8-inches wide at the front, and 9-inches out back.

The idle speed was raised to 775 rpm and the rev limiter to 6775 rpm.  A sports exhaust system with twin tailpipes was fitted. The power was fed through a five-speed manual gearbox with a shorter gearlever, though to a limited-slip differential with a 2.73:1 final drive.

The 928 Clubsport was indentified by a large ‘CS’ decal on the front left wing.

The 928 Sports Equipment (SE)

The limited-edition SE manual arrived in 1988 followed, a year later, by the equally rare 325bhp GT manual. 1988 saw further development in the story of Porsche’s 928 with the launch of the SE featuring a more powerful uprated 5.0-litre V8 with 320bhp, but more importantly, the introduction of a 5-speed manual gearbox for those who wanted a more sporty driving experience. The SE specification also included twin exhausts, uprated engine and ECU, sports suspension and limited-slip-differential – the ultimate 928 had arrived! Clearly the 928 S4 SE proved itself as a well-rounded car that was easy to live with offering luxury, comfort and performance as it was 24 years later that a decision was made to part with the car. Only 42 Sport Equipment 928s were eventually to arrive in the UK.

Closely related to the predecessor 1987 Clubsport model (left-hand drive only), the 928 SE was offered in limited colors of Grand Prix White, Guards Red, Black, and Silver Metallic. In addition, cars were fitted with lightweight forged alloy wheels, sunroof delete, and a special exhaust system. A limited-slip differential, a close-ratio five-speed manual transmission, sport suspension, and a specially tuned 320 hp, 32-valve engine with higher-profile camshafts were also included. Electrically height-adjustable sport seats in black leather with special black/red pinstripe cloth inlays and red piping add to the unique vehicle. Porsche claimed 0–100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, a significant improvement over the stock car’s 5.9-second time.