Get-Ad Free Access: Join Today!
As a top-secret project, the Porsche Museum workshop and the Porsche Heritage department worked on a special front-engined sports car from 1981. 40 years ago, starting on May 15, this car competed in the Deutsche Rallye-Meisterschaft (German Rally Championship). Behind the wheel was non other than Walter Röhrl, with Christian Geistdörfer next to him.
These cars were designed by the factory to race in SCCA D Production Championship starting in 1979. The Porsche project number of these race cars was 933. Only 16 were built by the factory. However, if you had the right connections, you "could" buy the parts as a kit from Porsche to convert your street car into a fully race-ready 924.
GTP cars were produced in 1980, three of which were special LeMans race cars. The cars had the 2.0L turbocharged 924 engine with a huge front-mounted intercooler and increased boost to increase output to 320 HP and 285 lbs/ft of torque. The engine used Bosch mechanical fuel injection and with a weight of 2050 pounds had a top speed of 180 mph. It was third in the GTP class, with an 6th place finish overall, and another finished fifth in class and 12th overall.
Porsche 924 Carrera GTR
The Carrera GTR was the ultimate 924 Street/Race Car in 1981. The GTR had larger flares, larger wheels and tires, improved brakes and a whopping 375 horsepower from the 2.0L turbocharged dry-sump engine. At $75,000, the GTR would have cost over $200,000 in today’s money, but what you got was a 180 mph screamer for the street, but in full race trim.
Porsche 924 (1976 - 1986)
The base model Porsche 924 was produced for model years 1976 to 1986. During its production run, VW decided to stop manufacturing the engine blocks used in this version (the 2.0 L 924), forcing Porsche to continue production for model year 1987 with a more powerful engine, calling it the 924S. The base model 924 had a production run of 121,000 vehicles approximately.
After the end of production of the 400 Porsche 924 Carrera GT road sports cars at the beginning of December 1980, a small evolution series of pure competitive cars was launched: the Porsche 924 Carrera GTS. The two-liter engine of the Porsche 924 Carrera GTS turbo-charged with a maximum of 1.0 bar and classified in Group 4 according to the FIA Regulations developed 245 hp (180 kW) at a speed of 6,250 revs./min. and accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds.
Porsche-924-Turbo
Porsche upgraded the performance of its 924 with the introduction of a turbocharged model in 1979. While the lower end of the engine remained unchanged, many improvements were made to the upper end of the engine as well as the drivetrain. On the outside, the car gained alloy wheels, a distinctive NACA duct in its hood, and a rear spoiler. Horsepower increased from the naturally aspirated 125 bhp to 170 bhp in the turbo.
In 1979, Porsche unveiled a concept version of the 924 at the Frankfurt Auto show wearing Carrera badges. One year later, in 1980, Porsche released the 924 Carrera GT, making clear their intention to enter the 924 in competition. By adding an intercooler and increasing compression to 8.5:1, as well as various other little changes, Porsche was able to develop the 924 Turbo into the race car they had wanted, dubbing it the "924 Carrera GT". 406 examples (including prototypes) of the Carrera GT were built to qualify it for Group 4 racing requirements.
Porsche 924S
The decision was made to equip the narrower bodied 924 with a slightly detuned version of the 944's 163 bhp 2.5 litre straight four, upgrading the suspension and adding 5 lug wheels and 944 style brakes, but retaining the 924's early interior. The result was 1986's 150 bhp 924S. Porsche also decided to re-introduce the 924 to the American market with an initial price tag of under $20,000. In 1988, the 924S' final year of production, power increased to 160 hp matching that of the previous year's Le Mans spec cars.