Porsche is best recognized for Porsche 911. Constantly evolving and following trends, it is considered, even now, to be the ultimate sports coupe.
The 911 is like a Swiss Army knife. You can use it anytime, anywhere, and in any weather.
While the Porsche 911 has managed to retain its status as the company’s most important model, there has been no shortage of attempts to replace it.
Porsche engineers, hungry for change, we’re constantly coming up with new concepts that could, in theory, replace the iconic 911. Still, as always, Porsche buyers had the final say.
The most ambitious attempt
The Porsche 928, launched at the end of the 1970s. A luxury grand tourer originally indented to replace icon 911. Porsche 928 combined power and comfort of luxury saloon, but also offered dynamic abilities of the Porsche 911.
The ultra-conservative Porsche community greeted the new 928 with genuine excitement. The odd design and intelligent engineering solutions were surprising. As is the four-wheel steering system and the aluminum engine block. It was unique for Porsche cars.
Naturally, this modern coupé attracted much attention from people, who liked to modify cars in their spare time. One of them was the founder of the Buchmann company, Rainer Buchmann.
He established workshops in Germany that specialized in developing various sorts of automobiles. For example, one of the most significant cars born in the Buchmann company was an S-Class coupe with a folding metal roof.
Forget much more modern Mercedes-Benz SLK or even SL roadster. Rainer Buchmann’s studio was the first to design a dramatic-looking metal folding roof that could be raised or lowered in a matter of moments.
Targa roof for Porsche 928
After an innovative S-Class roadster project, Rainer Buchmann concentrated on his new task – a one-of-the-kind Porsche 928 Targa.
The Porsche 928 Targa was no ordinary Buchmann project. Instead of the usual plan of quickly replacing body parts, the company’s employees made many more significant changes.
Engineers removed all the unnecessary parts behind the front pillars and replaced them by a structure designed by Buchmann engineers, which provided an ideal basis for the Targa roof.
The Buchmann specialists who developed the new version of the 928 Targa also carried out several severe tests to check the rigidity of the car’s structure and the tightness of the roof. These tests were conducted to create a sibling, which could be on par with the Porsche 928 coupes that rolled out the factory.
Rumor has it that Buchmann’s concept had been praised by Porsche engineers, who, like many others, were initially wary of such a conversion.
Buchmann launched the 928 Targa by inviting the enthusiast community to become a customer of the German-based company. To have a Porsche 928 Targa, customers needed to pay 35,000 Deutschmarks and bring a donor car.
