It is difficult to see how long the United Kingdom can remain Porsche’s biggest market after
Germany and the United States. Price rises of almost one-third have taken the Porsche range
beyond merely extravagant to almost fanciful.

It is hard to justify £48,935 for the latest 928S when a Jaguar XJS costs £26,300. A Mercedes-Benz 500SEC is only £42,420 and a Ferrari Mondial, admittedly not one of the classic twelve-cylindcr cars but a pretty dramatic-looking V8, seems a snip at £41,250.

It might be easier if the 928 (a modest £20.500 when it was voted car of the year in 1978)
had a more distinctive character. Unfortunatcly with automatic transmission, it has neither the
verve of a super-sports car nor the roominess of a useful touring car. It might be more exciting with the manual gearbox, but only 30 of the 306 buyers of the 928s sold here last year asked for it. the others seemingly preferring luxury and style to speed.

Porsche tries to make a virtue of the 928's rotund shape. “We are not slaves to fashion…, it
says. Just so. But it was hardly a handsome car in 1978 and is hardly handsome now. Familiarity has lent it a sort of gnarled asperity, but it has neither the grace of the smaller 924 nor the classic proportions of the rear-engined 911. It is not even especially aerodynamic.

It is just as well that the front-engined 928 does not handle like the classic rear-engined 911. Instead, it has the traction of a racing car and immense cornering power, the practical limit lies well beyond that required of a road car. It rides bumps smoothly but not quietly.

Thumps and the firm smack of the tyres on cats’ eyes can be heard as well as felt. Like any worthwhile piece of sporting kit, it has a quality of balance that distinguishes the merely good from the great, and with a top speed edging up to 170mph you need all the sensitivity and feedback you can get.

The 928 lacks the taut precision of the lightweight Lotus Esprit - 10 years old and still one of the best-handling road cars in the world. The Porsche is a heavy complicated car weighing 31cwt (1.575kg). The 5-litre V8 engine is made in aluminium yet it remains proportionately a
large lump of inertia to tug this way and that on a winding road.

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The steering is power-assisted (everything on the 928 seems to be power-assisted) and light as a feather, but when I½ tons is hurtling along at Porsche speeds, it takes a lot of road grip to head it off in another direction. By saloon-car standards, the handling and roadholding of the 928 may appear superb, it is in relation to its competition that it is flawed.

Fuel consumption matters even with cars getting on for £50,000 if only to assess range
between fuel stops. At 18mpg, commendable for a car that can go so fast, that means 300 miles or so between filling stations.

Given that 928 buyers are choosing luxury not speed, finish and equipment are vital. The
seats adjust electrically, and the driver's is equipped with a memory, which returns it to any
of three pre-set positions to suit regular users. Plenty of cars do that, the Porsche automatically adjusts the door mirrors as well.

Air conditioning, anti-lock brakes and a heavy-duty screen-wash to clear the squashed flies
that accumulate during high-speed driving are standard equipment. There is only a modest luggage boot under the hatchback. Suitcases need to be stacked on what passes for the
rear seats, useless for full-sized people except in emergencies.

Porsche engineering quality is almost beyond reproach. The fit and finish of the body panels, the materials used inside, the clean, smooth castings and the tidy engine bay are eloquent testimony to the precision with which this immensely complex car is made It goes some way towards justifying the intimidating price. Whether it goes far enough depends on an evaluation of the name and reputation of Porsche against other cars which do the job almost, but not quite, so well.