Techno Duck

I used to feel the same way about the looks of the 968, that it didnt look as 'aggressive' as the 944/951 type body.

However after seeing what the 968 looks like lowered slightly and with a front splitter, i completely changed my mind and love the way it looks.

GeneralTso

Thanks for the input!



Jeff

ahsan127

Maybe i'm biased caus i currently have both a 91 s2 and a 89 turbo S. I never did like the overall design of the 968...believe me, I tried, but just couldnt make myself to turn around. The 44's overall looks more aggressive and meaner. If it was down to a NA 944 and a 968, I would get a 951.

...just my $0.02.

FRporscheman

The 968 is nicer, stonger, finer, and firmer than a 944. But I still think nothing beats an original 944 on a backroad. The 944 was more fun for me, but I wouldn't go back. Maybe I'll just have both.

porcho heat

That goes for drivetrain, interior and exterior... 968 door handles, mirrors, and Turbo RS wing all help the looks of a 944... 968 CS steering wheel/rear seat cubby... etc. etc.

When my '83 is finally done it'll be a mix and mash of 944, 944S, 944S2, 951, 968 and quality aftermarket parts,

Dave in Chicago

Find the individual car and deal that makes you happy. They're both Porsches, tons of fun to drive, and have unique charms. I loved my '88 NA and still miss that car. The look of the two cars is really quite different and I am still torn from time to time. I could happily live with either.

As I got more serious about track duty... that became a different story. Forget the looks. Key step-ups:

- 236 hp vs 158 hp
- 4-piston Brembos all around vs single piston calipers
- ABS vs non-ABS (or at least pretty rare on a late model NA)
- 6-speed G50 vs 5-speed (okay, pinion bearings can be an issue, but otherwise quite stout)
- Projection headlamps vs pop-in units (the headlamps are really quite good on the 968)
- 10-speaker vs ??? (although I was fortunate to have 10-speaker in my NA too)

Of all the above items, I needed more hp (ability to rotate car with throttle) and more brake. A key also was the notion of F-stock (LOTS of folks to run with) versus I-stock (typically a pretty small class to run in). That really pushed me.

Otherwise, I would probably have saved my $$ and still be driving the NA. Miss that car sometimes... almost as much as my '65 Mustang.

Team944S2

Dave, Comparing the '88 944 to '92 968 isn't apples to apples. '91 944S2 vs. '92 968 is a much narrower gap. The argument that the cars are heavier than the 944 isn't as evident with 968 that are near the low legal race weight limit and driven well by the likes of Grisby, Childs, or Poeltl. Either one sounds like a great Porsche to own. Probably boils down to $$.

mick944

I had 4 variations of 944's(and loved each one) but the 968 is just a more polished,superior vehicle in every way.In my opinion,the 968 takes all of the things that were good with the 944 setup to the next level.With the exception of my 86 turbo(which at the time was conceivably the most bang you could get for the price)my 968 has all of that(without the hassle of the turbo).I do agree that the body style of the 944 is ageless and still looks great today but the 968 has many different looks(depending on the angle)(from the side definitely you see its 944 roots,front veiw either 928 or 993, back has a little S4,from above some 959 thrown in.I love to get that"I know its a Porsche but what model?".or is it new?"

Yummybud924

obviously the 968 is better, it's newer and remade 944. the 968 is like how the the 944 was improved over the 924 with the audi engine.

I also like the desing of the 968 better than teh 944, the 944 looks nice, more classic 80s design, the 968 is more 90s design and it looks great. I've seen a couple at the porsche shop and it's a very nice looking car.

I'd like to get a 968 one day and turbocharge it.......

The na 968 is a great car but compared to modern sports cars it's nothing amazing. I think that's why porsche ended the 4cyl sports cars, most people don't find a 4 banger porsche that exciting unless it's turbocharged.....

is the 3.0 l 4 cyl engine in the 968 the largest 4 cyl built? what is the advantage of having a large 4cyl over a 3.0 v6.

Yummybud924

968s are super rare here, I've only seen like 2 listed for sale in like 5 years and the price was around 25k cdn. For that amoung of money you can get a late 928 S4 which is faster and nicer to me.

bjzorn

Having Driven both and currently owning a S2 I actually like both I like the bump in Horsepower of the 968 and the 6 speed tranny, however I like the looks of my S2 better. and this isn't a vaild point for me since my S2 is modified and I have reduced ALOT of weight in my car. But the 968 felt heavier to me. However the 968 is a Blast to drive and I wouldn't mind owning a 968 Cab one day in addition to my S2 coupe.

Brandon J

FRporscheman

Yummybud, dude, why do you keep posting twice in a row? Every time I see you post, it's always 2 consecutive posts. That's a cheap way to rack up the post count.

______


Another point to consider: switching from a 944/951 to a 968 is generally accepted to be an "upgrade". Sure one car may have more potential, more appeal, or make more sense to an individual, but the cold fact is a stock 968 is the best stock 4-banger Porsche from the perspective of technology and package. If you have a 400hp 951 or a 2300lb 944, then of course you are the exception.... Not looking to start a debate, I'm just saying the average driver looking to get a waterpumper would probably be the most impressed by a 968.

That said, if my engine ever blows, I'm getting a 951 engine

Dave in Chicago

Hey there Chris - I agree. The S2/968 could arguably be the same car. And I'll not forget the 951's which PCA places in the same class (except for Turbo S) relative to power-to-weight. All great cars with their own slightly differing personalities.

But when you start to factor in the $$$ side... for a street only car... I'd have been pretty happy pocketing the difference and keeping the '88 NA

By the way, I like the new color scheme.

fpena944

I read in one of my Porsche books that the development of a V-6 would have been a lot more costly than just taking half of the 928 engine. That is why we have 4-cylinder engines in our vehicles. And yes, 3.0 liters is tops for a production engine. It was also the highest output NA 4-cylinder until I think the S2000 came out.

Darryl92Cab

I can sum up the difference between the 944NA and the 968 in one word - VARIOCAM. Like a previous post, comparing the S2/968 is a more "apples to apples" but assuming you like the styling of both cars - the 944 with it's classic 80's looks and the 968 with more refined lines in true Porsche family style - they are two distinctly different cars. I drive the 944 much more as a daily driver and everytime I get in the 968, I get big Porsche Perma-Grin and think "man, is this thing fast". Both cars are bone stock. More HP, more torque, more gears. 'Nuff said.

It all boils down to budget and looks. Having both is a hoot! The best part is all of the parts that are interchangable among all of the front engined water pumpers.

- Darryl