The Porsche 928, the top-of-the-line Porsche from the late 90s, was intended to be the heir apparent to the 911, but was never given the spotlight Porsche desired. However, unlike the 911’s full-blown performance and engaging drive, the 928 offered a much subtler, GT-like vibe. Also, Porsche has outdone itself by building the 928 from scratch, which was not initially appreciated because it never looked like a traditional Porsche. The 928 was intended to be a more practical Porsche for families, but it was over-engineered at its core. Although having extra luxury, comfort, and features, it retained the fundamental Porsche dynamics. The most potent of the 928 lineup, the GTS, is up for auction during RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction from August 18-20, 2022, and it could fetch more than a quarter-million dollars when the hammer drops.

Following the wedge-shaped design pioneered by the Italians, Porsche developed the 928 to stand out visually. And while pop-up headlights were familiar in that era, Porsche took a step forward and decided not to conceal them. The strangely shaped rear quarter windows, and the sloping roofline, make the rear look different for a GT car. The 928 GTS we have here is finished in gorgeous Midnight Blue Metallic and features 17-inch alloy wheels, along with revised side mirrors. From the outside, this 27-year-old 928 GTS looks brand-new, and modifications such as the inclusion of the rear spoiler, and factory-approved red brake calipers, make it look modern.

On the inside, the 928 GTS comes with Classic Gray-colored leather upholstered seats, an Alcantara center console, a color-matched dashboard, and a steering wheel. Notable cabin features include upgraded air conditioning, a power sunroof, a remote six-disc CD system, and a CR-1 radio. However, there are a few interior ‘features’ that are not the most intuitive ones found inside a car. For example, to access the door pockets, there is a separate latch that opens up and expands the door pockets. Also, there are two sun visors for the rear passengers, which is a bit weird because it is maybe the world’s only car to feature them. If you want to know more about the interior features and quirks, check Doug DeMuro’s review of the 928 GTS.

The 928 debuted with a unique engine layout, at least in Porsche’s world. For the first time, Porsche built a front-engined car with an all-new water-cooled V-8 engine. And while Porsche’s flat-six engine was powerful enough, the V-8 was no less. In fact, the 1995 928 GTS, the best performer in the bunch, puts out 350 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. Over the years, the engine capacity has increased from 4.5-liter to 5.4-liter with the GTS models.

The 1995 928 GTS’ 5.4-liter naturally aspirated is mated to a five-speed manual transmission and drives the rear wheels only. However, as reported by Donut Media, about 80 percent of the 928s ever sold were equipped with automatic gearboxes. In fact, RM Sotheby’s confirms that this 1995 iteration is among the 26 examples equipped with a manual transmission built for the 1995 model year. This makes it super rare. The GTS model was manufactured from 1992-1995, and about 2,900 examples were built before the whole lineup’s demise. This final iteration of the Porsche’s possible 911 replacement has traveled less than 16,650 miles and could be priced from $225,000-$275,000.