Porsche 928 revival on Panamera platform rumored anew

Take a look at Porsche's lineup and you'll notice one great big gaping hole. There are sportscars of every flavor – hardtops and convertibles ranging from the Boxster to the Cayman and nearly every conceivable iteration of the iconic 911 the inventive minds in Stuttgart can think up – along with two differently sized crossovers and one high-performance sedan.

So, what's the problem? There isn't a single grand touring coupe in the mix.

As such, it's not surprising that rumors of a Porsche 928 revival have been spreading like wildfire across the dry plains of the internet over the last several years. The logical reasoning sees Porsche shortening its Panamera platform and ejecting the rear seat to make such a grand touring coupe, which would leave the manufacturer with a front-engine, rear-wheel-drive machine in the tradition of its old 928.

According to the Brits at Autocar, such a beast could be christened, rather imaginatively, 929 and be ready for the market as early as 2014, coinciding with the launch of the second-generation Panamera. For those not keeping track, it's widely thought that same platform could spawn a new coupe to join the Bentley Continental, and if that's the case, development costs could be split between Bentley and Porsche, which both operate under the massive Volkswagen umbrella of influence.

Just as interestingly, rumor has it that, in addition to compacting it for a coupe, Porsche has ideas of lengthening the Panamera platform and is also considering a shooting brake.