dykaar

The parts bin nature arose from the source of the project: Audi. The 924 was originally designed for Audi by Porsche and even after they backed out and Porsche took over it was the Audi neckarsulm factory. The 924 engine was an Audi, and it wasn't until the 944 that the cam cover said Porsche.

As for demographics, I'm afraid I WAS one of those 20-something engineers who bought a new 944 in 1983, and a new 951 in 1986. I was never interested in a 911: You can't make a racehorse out of a pig, but can make a very, very fast pig. The last thing I cared about was status, and no one considered a 944 to be a "real" porsche.

As long as all the people who buy automatics stay there, I won't feel threatened. Once I got promoted to the "A" run group, there weren't any of them around anyway.

I'm just sayin.


Regards,

doug
Waterloo, Ontario Canada, eh


86 951 (http://www.pcaucr.org/index.php/visu...egory&catid=61)
01 E320 (W210) 4matic Wagon (http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...body-do-2.html)
00 540i-6 (http:// http://www.trillium-bmwclub.ca/forum...sp?postid=1916)
94 855 turbo Wagon (sold in 09)
85 535i-5 (sold in 07)
76 300D (sold in 92)
83 944 (sold in 86)
I apparently only buy cars designated by numbers

hacker-pschorr

Dear Lord......you are like that guy at the scene of a crash complaining about a broken finger while others have head wounds.

944Ross

The S2's might have been the pinnacle of 944's but were not the clean-sheet design needed to go forward, and we see posts regularly on here of the consequences.

It's also amazing that Porsche got away with only a fascia change in almost 10 yrs with the single body style. Back then, most jap cars were on a 3-yr styling cycle. Even absent the tighter crash standards, they were living on borrowed time.

Rogue_Ant

Yep - so then you should stop pointing out the broken finger to begin with

If you don't like that I disagreed with a point that you made, then get over it.

Marcquito

944CS

I have to disagree with the crash standard argument...we occasionally see 944's on this board that have had really bad accidents, and almost always the driver compartment is still well intact.

It's a number of things but mainly the Boxster is the reason. At a time when Porsche was digging itself out of near bankruptcy, the 968 line was due for a complete re-design. Why do this when Porsche could introduce a more "proper" entry level car (flat six) that would share components with the upcoming 911, thus saving the company on development and production costs.

rgs944

I think "M758" and "ninefiftyone" have two of the best post's so far. There are some other good ones but those two stand out for me. It is just too bad we never got the chance to see a 968 Turbo sold to the masses. Just the NA version of the 968 has very similiar 0-60 and 1/4 times as the early 951. Just think what a 968Turbo with a few mods could do. Probably sub 4 sec. 0-60, and it would still get 27 miles to the gallon. Don't know of too many cars ever made that could have competed with that.

dykaar

The "problem" with a 968 turbo is that it would have been faster than the 911, or maybe the 911 turbo. Thats a marketing no no.


Regards,

doug
Waterloo, Ontario Canada, eh


86 951 (http://www.pcaucr.org/index.php/visu...egory&catid=61)
01 E320 (W210) 4matic Wagon (http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...body-do-2.html)
00 540i-6 (http:// http://www.trillium-bmwclub.ca/forum...sp?postid=1916)
94 855 turbo Wagon (sold in 09)
85 535i-5 (sold in 07)
76 300D (sold in 92)
83 944 (sold in 86)
I apparently only buy cars designated by numbers

V2Rocket

Anyways, IIRC the 968T was like 325HP, and the 964 Turbo was....320...later 360...

yellowline

I wouldn't drop the kind of money Porsche wanted on a four cylinder car, no matter what it could do. Note that you really can't find a four cylinder car for $60,000 in today's dollars. The Exige is after a special customer and doesn't count. That's a purpose-built car and very unlike a 944.

When it became clear in the 90s that we weren't about to have a gas crisis or expensive gas, four cylinders were no longer a selling point.

niche

I have to disagree... I believe the it was one of the most beautiful cars Mazda ever made!

dykaar

Abssatively. I always wondered why they didn't slice the 928 engine the other way to make a V6.


Regards,

doug
Waterloo, Ontario Canada, eh


86 951 (http://www.pcaucr.org/index.php/visu...egory&catid=61)
01 E320 (W210) 4matic Wagon (http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...body-do-2.html)
00 540i-6 (http:// http://www.trillium-bmwclub.ca/forum...sp?postid=1916)
94 855 turbo Wagon (sold in 09)
85 535i-5 (sold in 07)
76 300D (sold in 92)
83 944 (sold in 86)
I apparently only buy cars designated by numbers

JustinL

Interesting discussion. I've heard that panel gaps were another big reason to let go of the 968. The mid 90s was when all the other manufacturers were getting very good at tightening up the chassis and this just couldn't be done to the 924 tub that was essentially unchanged from the 70s. So we have new crash standards and an antique suspension and tub. To go forward with the 968, a complete redesign would have been needed. The market wanted roadsters (miata, z3,etc.) and Porsche had a great flat 6 engine they could use in theirs. Maybe they thought about putting it in the front, but the obvious place was where it ended up in the Boxster.

Doug Re: V6 - too wide for the 944 chassis.

dykaar

OK, so the Panamera is?


Regards,

doug
Waterloo, Ontario Canada, eh


86 951 (http://www.pcaucr.org/index.php/visu...egory&catid=61)
01 E320 (W210) 4matic Wagon (http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w210...body-do-2.html)
00 540i-6 (http:// http://www.trillium-bmwclub.ca/forum...sp?postid=1916)
94 855 turbo Wagon (sold in 09)
85 535i-5 (sold in 07)
76 300D (sold in 92)
83 944 (sold in 86)
I apparently only buy cars designated by numbers

racer

Lets also not forget that the 944 traced its roots back to the 1976 924.. which had been in development since what, 1972? So.. here it was, 20+ years later (1995). i think the car had a good run.

Also recall that Porsche in the early 1990s was nearly BOUGHT up. They fought hard.. they brought in Toyota folks (just in time production experts etc) to revolutionize how Porsche was doing business.

It was reported that, when the Toyota guys got a tour they said "where is the factory.. all we see are warehouses".. because Porsche was not lean.. and therefore in trouble.

While the 924/44/68 helped porsche, the time was simply over for the design. Time for something "new" like a redone 914 (ie boxster).. and sharing parts with the 911 replacement made BOTH ventures economically feasible.

While Weidiking (sp) may have gone mad at the end (trying to buy VW) he DID redo how Porsche as a manufacturer does its business.