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Porsche 944 History
INTRODUCTION
The Porsche 944 and all its derivatives were the mainstays of Porsche production throughout the 80’s. The 944 launched into the United Kingdom in May of 1982 and immediately answered all of the criticisms aimed at its predecessor the much-maligned 924.
Exquisite looks, excellent fuel economy, advanced engineering, peerless build quality, towering performance and near perfect neutral handling courtesy of 50/50 weight distribution meant that the 944 quickly became top of every sportscar enthusiasts shopping list. By the end of its production run in 1991 the 944 had evolved into a more than capable supercar and is today still capable of embarrassing more modern machinery.
From the entry level 944 through the Turbo, 944S and finally the S2, there is a Porsche 944 to suit everyone, happy reading!
944 (1982-1985)
Exterior - with its generously flared front and rear wings, deep front air dam, tailored-in waist, large black elastomer rear spoiler and pop-up headlights the 944 had a purposeful and some say aggressive stance. There is no doubt that the 944 became the iconic look for sportscars through the eighties, the Mazda RX7, Toyota Supra and Mitsubishi Starion where just a few who tried but ultimately failed to replicate the 944s winning formula.
It is testament to the talent of Porsches engineers and designers that with such a wide frontal area the drag coefficient was a credible 0.35, although up by 0.02 on its predecessor the 924, this was a small price to pay for the aesthetic improvement the design bought.
From 1984 an electrically operated tilt only sunroof became a popular option for 944 buyers, an added advantage was that the sunroof could be completely removed and stored in the boot, this gave drivers almost Targa type levels of driving enjoyment.Early 944 dash and seats pics
Interior - the early 944 models utilised the dashboard layout of the 1982 924 but with yellow on black detailing and numbering. Although pretty much identical to the 924 dashboard layout, considerable advancements were made to ventilation throughput.
The three-spoke steering wheel was styled on the current offering within the 911 and offered unobscured vision of all the major instrumentation.
The high back seats offered as an option within the Porsche range became standard fare for all 944s, most popular seat trim options were Berber cloth, pinstripe cloth or leather which was available as a special order. In 1984 Porsche introduced the much-vaunted Porsche logo cloth, available in black, brown, grey or beige (linen) it very quickly became a must have option.
Wheels - launch models of the 944 were shown with the expensive but highly desirable traditional Porsche Fuchs 7J x 15 alloy wheels fitted with 185/70VR15 tyres. In addition to this there were two other wheel options, namely, 15inch forged alloy rims fitted with 215/60VR15 tyres or 16” versions with 205/55VR16 tyres. These wheels were commonly known as “Cookie Cutters” and today are often colour coded by owners.
944 (1985-1989)
Front, side and rear view of late 944 and engine bay shot
Exterior - for the mid-1985 upgrade the exterior remained largely unchanged, the one significant change was the move to a flush mounted windscreen with integrated aerial to replace the previous recessed arrangement. This cleaned up the car lines considerably.
There was also the hidden benefit of improved anti-corrosion treatment, so successful was this application that Porsche extended its anti-corrosion warranty period from 7 up to 10 years.
Porsche also introduced a graduated tint for the windscreen and heated windscreen washer nozzles as an option and finally re-engineered the wiper mechanism so that the wipers parked on the left.Late 944 dash and seat pics
Interior - 1985 was a benchmark year for the 944, contrary to the exterior the interior had a complete redesign. The new oval dash, first seen on the 944 Turbo was an instant hit with buyers. The instrumentation virtually mirrored the Turbo’s exactly, with of course the only omission being the boost gauge.
To increase driver comfort the seat was lowered to release much needed legroom under the new 4-spoke “lozenge” style steering wheel.Late 944 with Teledials
Wheels - as part of the 1985 upgrade Porsche introduced the 7J x 15 Telephone Dial wheels with 195/65VR15. In 1987 the same wheels were offered as 16” versions, alternatively customers could specify the forged disc style wheels, these were available in a platinum or standard silver finish. The telephone dial style wheels are generally unloved and often changed for wheels with more aesthetic appeal (see Enhancements section)
944S (1986-1989)
Exterior - the 944S presents something of a conundrum, theoretically the prospect of a 16-valve version of the standard engine was mouth watering. Timing more than anything contributed to the 944S disappointing sales, at the time of its launch Porsche was under serious competition from the Japanese manufacturers couple this with unfavourable exchange rates and the writing was on the wall.
The 944S was to the untrained eye or a Porsche aficionado visually exactly the same as the 8-valve version. However, those in the know would have spotted the discreet but stylish 944S badge on the rear panel and the 16 Ventiler stencilled rubbing strips just ahead of the front doors. From 1988 identification of the 944S became easier as it was given the rear underbody valance from the 944 Turbo.Pic of dash and seats from Club Sport version.
Interior - there were no differences between the 944S interior and the standard 944s’ interior until 1989 when it received the interior trim from the 944 Turbo.
One option that 944S owners did have was a limited club sport version, this variation deleted electrical operations that were deemed unnecessary. Out went the electric windows, out went the air conditioning, out went the electric seats, out went the underbody soundproofing and in came bucket seats, six point safety harnesses and a roll cage.
Wheels - there were no changes to wheel availability over the standard 8-valve model.
944 Turbo (1985-1991)
General - available originally as a 220bhp or from 1989 a 250bhp version the 944 Turbo was very much the flagship of the 944 range. Supercar performance on a par with 911s of 150+mph coupled with mind numbing acceleration throughout the entire gear range combined to make the Turbo the model to have for the racing enthusiasts.
Exterior - the Turbos’ bodystyle differed quite dramatically from the original 944 and 944S, a new sleek one piece front bumper with integral lights, indicators and headlamp washers took the place of the original 2 piece unit. The pleasing shape and profile hid advanced bumper technology that was first utilised on the 928.
Colour coded sill extensions were added to further visually lower the car and enhance its already aggressive look. The Turbo is instantly recognisable as it has an absence of unnecessary trim, the whole Turbo concept is built around flush fitting components wherever possible, even the headlamp and windscreen washer jets are low-profile.
The Turbo kept the 944 parcel shelf style rear elastomer spoiler until its final year of production when a “bridge “ spoiler became standard equipment. A 2-piece underbody rear spoiler completed the aerodynamic look, whilst a simple italicised Turbo script badge proclaimed its intent to all.
Interior -With its elegant swooping curves the new layout seemed to “cocoon the driver” thus further enhances the feeling of mankind and machine as one. The instrumentation now had white or red markings contrasting effectively with black backgrounds. Additional instrumentation included the obligatory boost gauge inset to the revcounter.
Larger air vents further improved ventilation by a staggering 35% over the previous early design model. New dashboard features were a digital clock, internal air recirculation control and optional air conditioning. Porsche also took the opportunity to tidy up the electric window and mirror controls by sighting them within new slimline door cards.
Seats were Recaro sports items with an extended range of material coverings available, with electric adjustment and optional heating.
Central locking was available for all models with air conditioning an early option that soon became standard equipment. In 1988 a ten speaker stereo upgrade became available, this can be identified by external grills on the rear inner quarter panels as opposed to drilled holes of the standard system.
Wheels - launch models of the 220bhp version were fitted with 7J and 8J Telephone Dial style wheels with 205/55VR16 and 225/50VR16 tyres. For the 1989 model buyers were given 928 style CS design wheels and for the following year Design 90 seven spoke cast wheels.
944S2 (1989-1991)
Exterior - the S2 adopted the flush finished, clean look of the Turbo with no major changes. 1991 bought the addition of the rear bridge spoiler as previously seen on the Turbo.
Interior - there were no huge differences between the interior of the S2 and the Turbo. The most noticeable absence was of course the lack of a boost gauge.
Wheels - the S2 carried on along the Turbo route with CS Design wheels for the launch year and Design 90 for 1990/91.
Engine - no article on the S2 can be written without mentioning the fabulous engine, 211bhp with torque of 280Nm. These figures result in a top speed of very nearly 150 mph with seemingly endless torque throughout the rev range. Many Porsche owners believe that the S2 struck the perfect compromise between the slightly lazy power delivery of the 944 Lux and the manic all or nothing thrust of the Turbo. What is beyond reproach is that the S2 is “sneaky” fast and incredibly easy to drive.
944S2 Cabriolet
General - the cabriolet shared its engine, running gear and platform with the S2, it is worthy of a special mention purely on behalf of its stunning looks. The contract to convert standard coupe bodyshells was given to The American Sunroof Company.
Strengthening the bodyshell was the first priority for ASC, stiffer and wider sills, additional cross member sections, stronger door pillars and a steeply raked windscreen were the result of over 2 years development. A conventional boot replaced the coupes hatchback.
The finished article was a vision in design, never before has an after factory conversion looked so good, compare the 944 Cabriolet to an 80’s BMW Bauer conversion, the 944 took cabriolet styling to a different level.
It is slightly cramped inside compared to the coupe, however, standard air conditioning and electric operation of the soft-top kept the technophobes happy. Fire up the glorious S2 engine, fold down the soft-top and head for your favourite stretch of black stuff.
Acknowledgements
Thanks must go out to the following people for providing photographs:
Neil MacMillan - Early 944
Howard Gaines - Fuchs Wheel
Nik Mendel - S
Steve Bright - Turbo
Paul Smith - S2 Coupe
Richard Todd - S2 Cabriolet
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