Porsche 944 Turbo - travel qualities in the shadow of the rear-engined Boxer

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Porsche 944 Turbo - travel qualities in the shadow of the rear-engined Boxer

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Created on July 29, 2015

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Bruno von Rotz

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Bruno von Rotz

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - a pleasant touring car, a real Granturismo

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the pipes are to be understood symbolically, thanks to the turbo, the 944 now produced 220 hp

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the front and rear had been redesigned for the Turbo

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the silhouette largely corresponded to the weaker 944 standard model

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the additional rear spoiler also improved the aerodynamics

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - two-seater with additional rear seats

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - visually timeless

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - remained inexpensive compared to the 911

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - highest performance level of the 944 series

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - from today's point of view, the mounted tires are narrow

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - you can see the good aerodynamics on it

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - front view practically identical to the later S2

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - powerful rear view

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the widenings, which have been available since the 924 Carrera GT, give the car a stocky appearance

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - looks good even with the pop-up headlights open

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - "Zermatt silver" paint finish

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the interior could also be ordered in different colors

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - sporty and dignified atmosphere inside

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - leather naturally cost extra

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the cockpit was visually oriented upwards

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - Steering wheel with impact absorber

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - Steering wheel with safety baffle

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - carpeted trunk under the glass flap

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - in-line four-cylinder with two overhead camshafts

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - longitudinally mounted in-line four-cylinder engine

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - beautiful engine construction

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - in the foreground the cover over the turbocharger by kkk

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the Turbo was given a new, more aerodynamic snout

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the new, somewhat more sensitive front of the turbo was later also available on the S2

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - Rims in telephone styling

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - Folding headlights were en vogue in the eighties

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - unfissured front for better aerodynamics

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - wears the Porsche badge proudly on its chest

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - Turn signals in the flanks

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - generously glazed

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - Rear-view mirror in body color

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - rear-view mirrors adjustable from the inside

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - of course the rear-view mirror can be adjusted from the inside

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - the door handles also bear Porsche lettering

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - Turbo of the third generation

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Porsche 924 (1976) - originally developed for Volkswagen and gradually became a genuine Porsche

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Porsche 924 Turbo (1979) - the drag coefficient was around 0.36

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Porsche 924 GTP (1981) - built for Le Mans in 1981, it anticipated essential elements of the 944

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Porsche 924 GTP (1981) - built for Le Mans 1981 - 410 hp and 300 km/h top speed

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Porsche 924 GTP (1981) at the special exhibition in the Porsche Museum: All 16 Porsche Le Mans overall winners are available as 1/43 scale model cars in the Porsche Museum store.

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Porsche 944 Coupé (1982) - the Fuchs wheels cost extra

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Porsche 944 Coupé (1982) - with narrow wheels

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Porsche 944 Turbo S (1988) - the look was later also adopted for the "normal" model

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1985) - at full speed

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1985) - Studio shot from the side

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1985) - studio shot from the front

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1989) - the Turbo model set the design for the S2

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Porsche 944 S2 (1989) - 1989 model program with 944, 944 S2 and Turbo

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1985) - Interior of the fast version

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1985) - View into the engine compartment

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1985) - world premiere - the five-speed gearbox is blocked at the rear with the differential - Geneva Motor Show 1985

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1985) - View through the car (see-through drawing)

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - Advertising - a new dimension of pure driving pleasure

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Porsche 944 Turbo Cabrio (1991) - elegant open-top driving

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - a successful sports car

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - aerodynamic, cw 0.33

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - easy to drive, no effort required thanks to standard power steering

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - appeared three years after the first 944

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - introduced in 1985

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Porsche 944 Turbo (1986) - beautiful curves, modern shape

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Summary

The Porsche 924 and 944 models were always somewhat overshadowed by the iconic 911, but in 1985 the Zuffenhausen-based manufacturer set about creating a convincing alternative to the 911. The Porsche 944 Turbo with 220 hp could do many things better than the original 911, but also cost the same. This vehicle report looks back at the history of the 944 Turbo and shows an early example in many pictures, supplemented by historical photographs and a sound sample.

This article contains the following chapters

From the 924 to the 944
Successful racing with prototypes
From the race track to the road
Welcomed with open arms
Showdown between brothers
Strengthening
Granturismo par excellence
Waiting for the upswing
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

The Porsche 911 became an icon early on, and even the manufacturer could hardly shake it with attractive alternatives. But time and again, vehicles were presented that were actually much better than the 911. In 1985, the 944 Turbo set out to overthrow the old man from his throne, but was unsuccessful despite good facilities. As early as 1976, Porsche presented a successor to the VW-Porsche 914 in the form of the 924 model. With a four-cylinder front engine and a transmission blocked at the rear axle (transaxle), the modern sports car offered contemporary driving dynamics; only the 125 hp prevented it from having big days. This was remedied in 1978 with the 924 Turbo, which now had around 170 hp, but the 924 was still not considered a real Porsche.

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