The Porsche faithful have never forgiven former engineer and board chairman Ernst Fuhrmann for perverting the brand's sports car purity with the 928. But, like the Cayenne and the Panamera, the 928 is a worthy Porsche family member that did its duty--keeping the company alive and kicking through turbulent times.

The 928 was conceived in 1971 as the car that would define Porsche's future. Stuttgart's fear was that mounting U.S. legislation might soon throttle its beloved 911. As the Nader era gained momentum, there was a real possibility that the high-strung, air-cooled, rear-engine Porsche might be declared verboten at the flick of a bureaucrat's pen. Forgive Fuhrmann for not knowing that the 911 was cruising placidly toward immortality...(Continued)