Potomac-Greg

.... a so-called Audi product, then why is so much of the basic architecture of the 944 so inherently Porsche?

> Why the rear torsion bars (when there is clearly room for springs)?

> Why the rear transaxle and torque tube?

You have to assume that when a car maker sets out to make something, they usually rummage around their own parts bins; and if they use new stuff, it's of the same DNA as their existing stuff. The DNA seems very Porsche to me.

944obscene

While the 924 was taken on by Porsche (Audi and VW wouldn't make it), the 944 was simply an evolution with new parts and advanced design. I believe the body was based off of the 924 Carrera GT. Actually, I think the 944 used a few things from the 924 CGT. One of the few things I know of that isn't a Porsche part is the trans. Its an Audi piece.

tifosiman

You should read up on your history. The 944 chapters in the "Excellence Was Expected" books are very informative and shed a lot of insight on development over the years, both on things that made it into production and things that did not.

J Silverman

The only part of this car that is a porsche part is the motor and the body. Everything else is from the VW parts bin. Even the rear torsion bars are VW parts. A lot of what porsche did with the car was to keep the CG low (torsion bars) and to maintain a 50-50 weight balance (rear transaxle)

Car leaks like a sieve? check.
Need to keep a full complement of tools int he car just in case? check.

Sounds like a VW to me!!

yellowline

A trait of Porsche cars is good handling. Both Jim Pasha and Car and Driver said that the the 4-cyl cars supposedly outdo the 911 and 928 of the day in that respect. Even my uncle's S2 feels a little Panzer-like compared to the early cars.

Brakes are off the 924 Carrera.

The early headlight switch has a 944 part # and no VW equivalent. I tried to look before I paid $50 for a pretty POS design switch.

Potomac-Greg

It's a $500 book! I need that money to buy more VW parts!

Although all the good fluid leaks are on the engine, so maybe Porsche didn't make that?

John Brown

Porsche always was involved too in the design of VW. Same designer; same general dna.

Obviously, Porsche like torsion bars at one end or the other and for valid reasons.

The rear trans is Porsche being frugal as always. Too frugal as they were too cheap to ever get rid of the bell housing which enclosed the Audi clutch but sure takes up space needlessly in a 944!

Connecting the engine and trans with a solid driveshaft housing and then using a very small diameter drive shaft was simply a design choice and not a bad one give the goals and raw material at the time.

I love porsche

its actually a $150 book, and well worth it at that

sbyrne

Or spend a little less on Peter Morgan's book, "The Porsche 924/944 Book" - $37.95 from Motorbooks Intnl.

Mamooguy

I finally just caved in and ordered the book a few minutes ago. Tifosiman's reference was the final straw!

Reimu

For $150 book it better add information to itself as time progresses.

bad_monkey

Ah, that book is called Wikipedia - but unfortunately the 944 page is a little low on info. Maybe that could be fixed up.

Also, and just slightly OT if someone could me a link to a list of non-porsche part numbers for early 944 switches etc I'd be eternally grateful. New centre console switches and cigarette lighter are what I'm looking for specifically...

Voith

cayenne is a VW with a porsche engine.
944 is genuine porsche, and there is nothing vwish about it.

and if I'm wrong, than 911 is nothing but a heavily modded vw bug.

DMB14

People need to deal with the fact that VW and Porsche have very close ties. I know everyone wants to think of Porsche as far superior to VW and completely unrelated, but that ain't the truth.

The 911 evolved from the Beetle. The 356 was basically a sport version of the Beetle. The 911 was the successor to the 356. Thems the facts. A lot of people point at the 924, 944, 914, 928 and say they are not true Porsches. Well they are just as "thoroughbred" as the 911 is.

Yummybud924

yeah it is a porsche, a "budget porsche", obviously the 944 na isn't the best performance car evenw in the 80s. it's what the boxster is now, good car but nothing amazing lol.