Red 944

Aw, he got tricky.
0-50

ERAU-944

i was 10 days in the making at that point, 6/24/82 for me. my mom must've looked through that magazine in the hostpital, or at least used it to sit on her tummy so she wouldnt spill coffee on herself (or me in there). either way, i'm hooked!

-Michael-

Luis de Prat

Blast from the past but when I see threads about parting running examples of these cars I can't help but wonder what went wrong with the 944.

Todd951968

It may have been because the federal speed limit in the US was 55 mph at the time. So, a 0-60 time would have been politically incorrect. Speedometers in all/most cars only went to 85mph as well. It was the dark ages.

Jim 944S

"Blast from the past but when I see threads about parting running examples of these cars I can't help but wonder what went wrong with the 944."


Snootiness from the V-dubb-loving tail-draggers!


One finds the same foolishness in the Harley "community" regarding Harley's Porsche-designed water-cooler.


Resistance to change, even if for the good!


Jim 1987 944S - 2001 HD Wide-Glide (However, after denoucing "old tech", I have to admit I'd probably give up the P car for an old 3 liter Healey or a Mog)

thirdgenbird

the audi heritage of these cars doesnt bother me at all. the irony is that they (924/944) were porsche engineered from day one. the 356, while an unbelievable machine, WAS a vw at the beginning. to a degree, the same can be said about the 911/912. essentially all vintage road going porsche cars have vw/audi roots with the exception of the 928.

i am a member of a local "german" club that is mostly vw/audi cars. they welcomed me very openly, much like i welcome the heritage of these cars.

whalebird

What went wrong with the 944 was not the 944, but the owner-demography. The good Dr.s salesmanship is intact here, but the 944 does have the indelible mark of Porsche on it regardless of who/ where it was built, and to whom it was sold.
Honestly, I am a snooty 911 guy.
If I ever win the lotto, I am going to find "that" early 944 that is completely trashed(the one we all have seen, or has a LS1 in it)and send it back to Porsche Classic for restoration...just to spite them. Probably send 'em an early 928 as well.

Voith

I think what went wrong was that it was copied widely in japan and because of that it didn't look exclusive any more, so people lost interest in it.

Nobody ever successfully copied 911.

sydneyman

please do! and then it would be even more of a slap in the face to sell it cheap to ME! then i could slap them in the face even more by selling for 150K at barrett jackson!

...right? nah it would still be a 4k car

whalebird

HA you couldn't be more right Sydney.
All kidding aside, a 944, especially a 951 is a VERY expensive car to own for the average guy. The fallout in value on the used market tumbled them right into the scrap yards. Good labor and prices on parts just keep going up while their values drop.
A 911 by comparison is much cheaper to own in the long run. Nothing against the 44s as being neat cars for sure.
I embrace the audi/VW connection. Nothing at all to be ashamed of.

Jadz928

Good luck with that. I was in contact w/them re my #6 928, even sent them a portfolio of pictures.
They have not responded since, nor to my followup emails. Disappointing.

Fintro11

Only thing I don't like so far is the timing belt

rgs944

That is the first time I have seen that. I really like the part about only needing 28HP to cruise at 55. The 944 is a great car for just what it was designed to be. A car that was built in 1982 and can get close to 30 mpg, and still get up to 130. What other car from that era can compete with that?

Luis de Prat

And a great driving car for long trips. Try doing 12 hour driving stints in a 1982 911 for comparison sake.

mclaudio

I am a 911 fan was well. Although I have owned more 911s than any other Porsche models, my top two favorite Porsche models that I've owned are the 914 and 944. What I like the most about these cars is the dynamically balanced handling especially at the limit. With regards to the 911, I still like them (and I still own one as a daily driver), but marketing and perceived prestige certainly did a number on me.

I just did a rainy test day on my Rothmans 944 car at the track. This car's handling is so forgiving and confidence-building that it makes me feel like a more decent driver when I recover the car from slip angles that I normally wouldn't have been able to do in a 911. Also, the corner entry speed that these cars are capable of doing is significantly higher than the 911 counterparts.

In terms of the 944 models leaving an indelible mark in Porsche's history, I recommend folks to visit the Porsche museum in Stuttgart. The 924 Carrera GT Club Sport and 944 Cup car ("Pinkie") are both displayed there next to the 917 collection.