Porsche 944

History

Porsche did not set out to make the fastest, best-handling or most luxurious car with the 944. The aim was a good, high-quality sports coupé that would make buyers of affordable sports cars think: "Why not spend a little more and buy a Porsche?" The 944 grew out of an agreement between Porsche and the Volkswagen Group on affordable sports cars, which had first produced the Porsche 924. The 944 used the 924's body structure but added flared wheel arches and a new Porsche-designed engine, and it was in effect a road-going, detuned version of the 924 GTP race car that appeared at Le Mans in 1981.

The car was a hit: it made Car and Driver's Ten Best list from 1983 to 1985, and the 944 Turbo followed in 1986. In 1985 Porsche gave the 944 a substantial mid-year update, and later versions brought more power, a 16-valve engine, the 944 Turbo and finally the 3.0-litre 944 S2. The 944 was replaced by the Porsche 968 for the 1992 model year. More of the brand's cars are in our Porsche catalogue, and its story is in Porsche's history.

Exterior

The 944 clearly belongs to the Porsche family, yet it differs from the brand's traditional rear-engined cars. It has pop-up headlights, unusual for a Porsche at the time, and a long bonnet, because the engine sits at the front. The frontal design also shows that the engine is water-cooled. The flared wheel arches give it a muscular stance compared with the slimmer 924. Early cars rode on "Cookie Cutter" wheels, later replaced by the "Phone Dial" design.

At the rear, a large glass hatch with a wiper and a small spoiler sits above large tail lights with the number plate between them and a protruding bumper. Alongside the coupé, Porsche built a cabriolet from 1989; the S2 Cabriolet bodies were converted from coupé shells by the American Sunroof Corporation in Heilbronn. The 944 Turbo Cabriolet is particularly rare, with only about 625 built.

Interior

The cabin is pleasant and comfortable. The update of 1985 brought a new dashboard and door panels, along with a larger fuel tank, a flush-mounted windscreen, a more powerful alternator and revised suspension and wheels. The driver's seat could have an electrically adjustable cushion as an option. Large air vents dominate the centre of the dashboard, with climate and audio controls below. The short gear lever falls nicely to hand, and there is a small armrest.

The updated instrument cluster has four round dials: on the left, engine temperature and fuel level; in the centre, the speedometer and rev counter; and on the right, oil pressure and battery charge. Some versions had a sunroof. The rear seats are small and suit children or teenagers best.

Engines and versions

The original engine is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder with a single overhead camshaft and eight valves - roughly half of the V8 used in the Porsche 928. To keep such a large four-cylinder smooth, it uses two counter-rotating balance shafts, a design licensed from Mitsubishi. According to published figures, the original 944 reached 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds, while the most powerful versions needed about 6 seconds. In 1984 Porsche enlarged the oil sump to prevent oil starvation in hard cornering.

Transmission and chassis

Most cars had a five-speed manual gearbox, and a three-speed automatic was available on some models; published figures give a top speed of about 220 km/h for the base car. The gearbox is mounted at the rear as a transaxle connected to the engine by a torque tube, so the 944 achieves nearly ideal weight distribution: 50.7% front and 49.3% rear. The result is excellent balance, good handling, stability and grip. From 1984 aluminium suspension arms improved the handling further, although owners note that they can wear more quickly.

Strengths and weaknesses

Porsche's plan worked: buyers accepted a front-engined Porsche, and the 944 became a big sales success. It stands out for its pleasant cabin, superb balance and handling, and technology that was modern for its time. It is not the fastest Porsche, and the rear seats are small. Today, good examples are increasingly valued by enthusiasts as an accessible way into classic Porsche ownership.