It was in the summer of 1981 at the Le Mans 24-hour race in France that the first 2.5 liter four-cylinder from the new generation lined up at the start of the world’s toughest long-distance event. The car which Walter Rhrl and J?rgen Barth, up against vastly more powerful competition, drove to chalk up 7th place in the overall standings was known under its cover name as the Porsche 924 GTP. In reality it was the first trial racing version of what was to be the 944 Turbo series. It proved to be one of the most reliable cars in the line up and consequently took the prize for having the shortest time standing in the pits. This meant that it was able to lap some of the more powerful race cars that spent a long time in the pits undergoing repairs.

Three years later a 944 Turbo pilot-production car lined up at the start of the 24-hour race in Nelson Lodges in Ohio/USA. Cars entered in this race had to comply with the stringent American highway traffic registration regulations, which also required exhaust-gas catalysts to be fitted. These catalytic converters were part of the 944 Turbo’s development right from the start. It was also the first model that achieved identical outputs with and without a fitted catalytic converter.

In the transaxle-model series the Porsche 944 Turbo is situated between the 944 with naturally aspirated engine and the Porsche 928 S. In terms of price it compared with the Porsche 911 Carrera, although it was not a direct competitor to the classic rear-engined Porsche. It appealed to drivers who not only valued the economy and driving culture of the Porsche 944, but who also wanted more in terms of greater driving performance and convenience.

The fast four-cylinder engine with water-cooled turbo technology not only received lots of praise, it also chalked up several motorsport successes. Experts celebrated its debut as the fastest car with catalytic converter in the world, the cleanest in the world and others simply summed it up so: Porsche technology of the finest

The 944 Turbo differed from the basic model visually through its aerodynamically optimised front end, black door-sill trims at the sides and the colour-coded rear-end diffuser. — Porsche

In Detail

type	Series Production Car
built at	Germany
engine	M44/51 Inline 4
position	Front, Longitudinal
aspiration	Turbocharged
valvetrain	SOHC 2 Valves / Cyl
displacement	2479 cc / 151.3 in³
bore	100.1 mm / 3.94 in
stroke	79.0 mm / 3.11 in
compression	8.0:1
power	164.1 kw / 220 bhp @ 6000 rpm
specific output	88.75 bhp per litre
bhp/weight	155.7 bhp per tonne
torque	242 nm / 178.5 ft lbs @ 3500 rpm
driven wheels	Front Engine / RWD
front brakes	Vented Discs /w Vacuum Assist
rear brakes	Vented Discs /w Vacuum Assist
curb weight	1413 kg / 3115 lbs
wheelbase	2400 mm / 94.5 in
front track	1478 mm / 58.2 in
rear track	1450 mm / 57.1 in
length	4230 mm / 166.5 in
width	1735 mm / 68.3 in
height	1275 mm / 50.2 in
transmission	5-Speed Manual
top speed	~245 kph / 152.2 mph
0 – 60 mph	~5.5 seconds
0 – 1/4 mile	~13.5 seconds

Auction Sales History

1986 Porsche 944 Turbo – sold for $33,000 1,870 original miles. First year production of the 944 Turbo. Incredible original condition. Clean CarFax. Electric factory sunroof. Air conditioning. Chrome Porsche alloy wheels. Sony CD player. Partial leather. Heated seat left. Central locking system. Cruise control. Sport shock absorbers. Protective side moldings. California smog certified August 2012.
Auction Source: 2012 Daytime

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