Porsche 944

Porsche 944
Overview
Manufacturer	Porsche
Production	1982–1991
Designer	Porsche
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupe 2-door convertible
Layout	FR layout
Powertrain
Engine	2.5 L I4 2.7 L I4 3.0 L I4
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2400 mm (94 in)
Length	4290 mm (169 in)
Curb weight	1330 kg (2932 lb)
Chronology
Predecessor	Porsche 924
Successor	Porsche 968

The 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It replaced the 924 as Porsche's entry level model, although 924 production continued through 1988. The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944S3 model were eventually rolled into the 968 instead, which replaced the 944. The 944 was a huge success and was available as both a coupe and cabriolet in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms.

History and model overview

1984 Porsche 944

Porsche's earlier 924 had originally been an Audi project, designed under contract for them by Porsche. When Audi abandoned ship in favor of their all-wheel-drive Quattro Coupe, Porsche purchased the design as the replacement for the 912E and 914. The vehicle drove and handled well and garnered good press, but was hampered by its weak VW-sourced engine; Porsche introduced a Turbocharged 924 to help performance, but there were engine-cooling issues and the price was considered high for the time, which hampered sales. Rather than scrap the design entirely and engineer a fresh replacement, Porsche's executives decided to take an evolutionary standpoint on development of the 924, much as they had with generations of the 911; although model numbers would change, the 924 would provide the core basis for its replacement, the new model would be an evolution of the old.

Using the 924 as a starting point, Porsche thoroughly re-worked the platform and scrapped the Volkswagen engine, installing in its place a new 2.5 litre straight-4 engine based on the 928's 5.0 litre V8, although very few parts were actually interchangeable. The engine was factory-rated at 144 bhp in its U.S. configuration. Revised bodywork, similar to that of the 924 Turbo and 924 Carrera GT, a fresh interior and upgrades to the braking and suspension systems rounded out the major changes. Porsche introduced the 944 for the 1982 model year to great anticipation. In addition to being faster, the 944 was more luxurious and more refined than the 924, it had better handling and stopping power and was more comfortable to drive. The factory-claimed 0-60 mph time of over 9 seconds was actually rather modest, and seems to presume full clutch engagement at low rpm (i.e. minimal clutch slipping and no wheelspin). In fact a more dramatic acceleration would result from a high-rpm clutch-drop, and the car is more than capable of "burning rubber." The factory-claimed top speed of 130 mph, on the other hand, seems a bit optimistic based on most driver experiences.

In mid-1985 the 944 underwent its first significant changes. A new dash and new door panels, an embedded radio antenna, an upgraded alternator (from a 90 amp to a 115 amp), increased oil sump capacity, new front and rear cast aluminum control arms and semi-trailing arms, a larger fuel tank, optional heated and powered seats, a Porsche HiFi sound system, and revisions in the mounting of the transaxle to reduce noise and vibration all debuted. The "cookie cutter" style wheels used in the early 944s were upgraded to new "phone dial" style wheels. 1985 model year cars incorporating these changes are sometimes referred to as "1985B" or "1985 1/2" cars.

944 Turbo (951)

In 1985 Porsche introduced the 944 Turbo, a higher-performance variant, known internally as the 951 (952 for right-hand drive models). This had a turbocharged and intercooled version of the standard car's engine that produced 220 hp (217 in the US) at 6000 rpm. The turbo was the world's first car using a ceramic portliner to lower temperatures inside the engine. The Turbo also featured several other revisions, such as improved aerodynamics, a strengthened gearbox, wider wheels, and uprated suspension. Major engine component revisions, more than thirty in all, were made to the 951 to compensate for increased internal loads and heat.

1987 Porsche 944 Turbo

In 1987, the naturally-aspirated 944S ("Super") variant was introduced. The 944S had a more powerful engine (190 bhp), which marked the first use of four valve per cylinder heads in the 944 series. Also in 1987, dual air-bags and an anti-lock brake system were introduced as options on the base model. Wheel offset was increased from Template:Auto mm to 52 mm to provide clearance for the optional ABS brakes.

In 1988 Porsche introduced the 944 Turbo S. The 944 Turbo S had a more powerful engine with 247 hp (compared to the standard 944 Turbo's 220 or 217 hp) and Template:Auto ft.lbf torque (versus 243 ft·lbf). This higher output was achieved by using a larger turbo housing on the exhaust side, and a remapped engine computer. In June of 1988, Car and Driver tested the 944 Turbo S and achieved a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds and a quarter mile time of 13.9 seconds at 101 mph (163 km/h).

The 944 Turbo S's suspension was significantly upgraded with Koni adjustable shocks front and rear, ride height adjustment threaded collars on the front struts, progressive springs, larger rear torsion bars, harder bushings throughout, and larger sway bars front and rear. The 944 Turbo S wheels, known as the Club Sport design, were 16" forged and flat-dished, similar to the contemporary 928. Wheel widths were 7.5 inches (191 mm) in the front, and 9 inches (229 mm) in the rear; sizes of the Z-rated tires were 225/50 in the front and 245/45 in the rear. The transmission of the 944 Turbo S had hardened first and second gears including synchros, an external cooler to deal with the extra power, and a standard limited slip differential with a 40% lockup. The Turbo S front brakes were borrowed from the Porsche 928 S4, with larger calipers and rotors; ABS was also standard.

In 1989 the 'S' designation was dropped from the 944 Turbo S, and all 944 Turbos featured the 'S' package as standard. The regular 944's displacement was increased to 2.7 L.

944 S2

In 1989 944S2 was introduced, and powered by a Template:Auto hp 3.0 L engine. The 944S2 had the same rounded nose and a rear valance found on the Turbo model. The S2 was also available as a cabriolet, a first for the 944 line.

944 cabriolet

In February 1991 Porsche released the 944 Turbo Cabriolet, which combined the Turbo S's Template:Auto hp engine with the cabriolet body. Porsche initially announced that 500 would be made; ultimately 625 were built, 100 of which were right-hand drive for the United Kingdom market. None were imported to the US.

End of the line

In early 1990, Porsche engineers began working on what they had intended to be the third evolution of the 944, the S3. Once invested into the development process, they realized that so many parts were being changed that they had produced an almost entirely new vehicle. Porsche consequently shifted development from the 944 S3 to the car that would replace the 944 entirely, the 968. The 944's final year of production was 1991; in 1992 the 968 debuted. The 968 was sold alongside the 928 through 1995, when both models were discontinued.

Awards

The 944 was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list from 1983 through 1985, and the Turbo made the list for 1986.

In 1984, Car and Driver named the 944 the "Best Handling Production Car in America."

Production

In total 163,192 944s were produced between 1982 and 1991.

944

A total of 113,070 944s were made between 1982 and 1989, with 56,921 being exported to the United States.

Model Year	Production	Rest of World	US	Notes
1982	3921	3921
1983	14633	9127	5506
1984	26539	9921	16618
1985	23720	17553	6167
1986	17010	6109	10901
1987	10689	2343	8346
1988	5965	2226	3731	8 to Aus.
1989	10593	4941	5652
Totals	113070	56141	56921

944 Turbo (951)

A total of 25,107 944 Turbos were made, with 14,235 being exported to the United States.

Model Year	Production	Rest of World	US	Notes
1985	178	178
1986	10273	2760	7513
1987	4955	1546 + 188 SP	3210 + 11 SP
1988	4097 *	1875 + 94 SP	1874 + 98 SP	in addition, 126 SP Can., 30 SP Aus.
1989	4103	1333	1385	1385 Can
1990	1251	1107	144
1991	875 †	875
Totals	25107	9331	14235	30 Aus, 1511 Can

* - Includes 1000 Turbo S
† - Includes 625 Turbo Cabriolet. A different source, Jerry Sloniger's article in the October 1991 issue of Excellence, indicates that the factory built 525, of which 255 were exported to markets outside Germany.

"SP" designates a sport package option.

944S

A total of 12,936 944S's were made in 1987 and 1988, with 8,688 being exported to the United States.

Model Year	Production	Rest of World	US	Notes
1987	5862	2635	3127	100 SP
1988	7074	1305	5562	20 Aus, 188 SP Can
Totals	12936	4040	8688	20 Aus, 188 Can

944S2

A total of at least 6,439 944S2s were made between 1989-1991, with 1,929 being exported to the United States. An additional 5640 944S2 cabriolets were produced in these years, with 2,402 being exported to the United States.

Model Year	Production	Rest of World	US	Notes
1989	?	?	970
1990	3321	2872	449
1991	3118	2608	510
Totals			1929

944S2 Cabriolet

Model Year	Production	Rest of World	US	Notes
1989	?	?	16
1990	3938	2114	1824
1991	1702	1140	562
Totals			2402

944 Special Editions

Model Year	Type	Production	Notes
1981	944 GTP/R Le Mans	1
1986-1989	944 Turbo Cup	150	or more

References

• Wood, J (1997). Porsche: The Legend. Parragon. ISBN 0-7525-2072-5.
• Stuever, Hank. "Real Men Cant Hold a Match to Jake Ryan of 'Sixteen Candles.' Washington Post, February 14, 2004.
• Obin Jess. "Porsche at the Movies." http://obin_jess.tripod.com/porschemovies.html

External links

• 944 World, one of the first 944 enthusiast websites.(944-world.com)
• Porsche 944 model information at the official Porsche website (porsche.com)
• 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup at official Porsche website (porsche.com)
• 944 Cup Racing
• 944-Spec Racing
• Australian 944 Racing
• The 944 FAQ
• Clark's Garage (944 enthusiast site) (clarks-garage.com)
• Porsche 944 Repair Reference (note: explicit content)
• [1] (951 RacerX)