Numbers first, because with the Porsche 989 they are the story: 3.6-4.2L V8, 300 -. Porsche built from 1988, in the age of turbocharging and the first electronic engine management. Its designer of record is Harm Lagaay / Ulrich Bez.
Where it came from
The Porsche 989 is a 4-door performance-oriented touring sedan developed by Porsche between 1988 and 1991. The car was never produced, as development was halted in late 1991, and cancelled shortly after in January 1992.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits 3.6-4.2L V8; it is rated at 300 -. Kerb weight is 1572 kg. Power-to-weight lands near 191 horsepower per tonne, which is quick by any era's standard, the kind of figure a hot hatch or a sports saloon posts. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. The wheelbase is 2826 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Lexus LS, the Ferrari F40, the Dodge Viper. Nearby in the Porsche catalogue sit the Porsche P1 and the Porsche Type 12.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Porsche 989 has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.