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Porsche 944

The Ultimate Model Guide

Full Story / Model Guides / Research & Data / Timeline & Evolution / Performance / Videos & Pics / News

The car was the brainchild of the newly appointed Peter Schutz, the CEO of the Porsche company. He decided to debut the new 944, which was the replacement for the 924, at the 24 Hours Le Mans race of 1981. The project was greenlighted in 1980, in response to dropping sales of the Porsche 924. Although it was basically a 924 with a proper Porsche engine, body styling and trim, the 944 looked like a more grown up car than the 924. Improvements over the out-going 924 were plain to see - beginning with the flared front and rear wheel arches. These became the trademark of the 944, and pulled in the buyers due to the butch stance and powerful presence they gave the car. Other differences were small but significant - on US models, the ugly 924 side reflectors were replaced with smooth, bumper-line examples. A rear spoiler, lining the lift-glass, made the rear-end look more functional and sporty. Drag coefficient was reduced to 0.35 over the 924, and the body panels were zinc-coated in all markets to prevent corrosion.

This Porsche 944 was fitted with the new 2.5 liter four cylinder engine derived from Porsche's V8. There were however many changes made in the transition from half V8 to new inline 4 cylinder. The four cylinder engine had been fitted with dual counter-rotating balance shafts after the original 1904 design by British engineer Frederick Lanchester and improved upon by Japanese car maker Mitsubishi. The 944 engine got improvements over the years, including turbocharging being added to get even more power from the unit for the 944 Turbo models.

The Porsche 944 was Porsche's largest-selling front-engined coupe.The launch of the 944 traded heavily upon the new car being a 'brand new Porsche model', in an attempt to bury the image of all front-engined Porsches not being 'real' Porsches - a fate which had befallen the 924. The car was released for sale to European markets in November 1981, with the UK getting their quota in April 1982, and the USA in May 1982. Sales of the base 944 coupe went through the roof, with a massive 26,800 944s being produced by the end of 1982. To put this figure into context, the entire Porsche company made just 28,000 cars in total in 1981. Before the Boxster and Macan, the 944 was heralded as the savior of Porsche - the massive cash reserves that this model made during the 1980s kept the company afloat (just) during the world recession of the early 1990s.

Several updates and models were released over the life of the 944 and while the 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, this plan didn't not happen. Major revisions planned for a 944 S3 model were eventually rolled into the Porsche 968 instead, which replaced the 944. The Porsche 944 was a successful model and was available as both a coupe and cabriolet in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms. Even today, it is considered the best handling RWD (rear wheel drive) car of all time and if you can get your hands on one you won't be disappointed.

Porsche 944 Basics

Manufacturer: Porsche AG / Production Years: 1982 - 1991 / Production: 173,238 units / Designer: Harm Lagaay / Body style: 2-door coupé, 2-door convertible / Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive / Engines: 2.5 L M44/40 Inline 4, 2.5 L M44/51 Inline 4, M44/52 turbo Inline 4, 2.7 L M44/12 Inline 4, 3.0 L M44/41 Inline 4 / Transmissions: 5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic / Dimensions: Wheelbase: 2,400 mm (94.5 in) / Premiere: Premiere: 1981 September 16, IAA Frankfurt Motor Show press day

Porsche 944 - The Full Story & Timeline

The history, updates and story behind the Porsche 944.

Porsche 944 Model Guides

There were six core (mass produced) production Porsche 944 models over the years. Over the years, performance and looks changed as Porsche improved the core 944 platform. Below we take a look at the production 944 models in detail.

Porsche 944 Coupe (1982 – 1989)

The base Porsche 944 coupe was built between 1982 and 1989, essentially the same platform as the Porsche 924 (there was some overlap as the 924 was produced till 1988). The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944 S3 model were eventually rolled into the Porsche 968 instead, which replaced the 944.
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Porsche 944 Turbo Coupe (1985 – 1991)

It didn’t take Porsche’s engineers long to significantly improve on the base 944’s performance by doing the obvious and adding a turbocharger to the engine. The 944 Turbo entered production in 1985 for the 1986 production year and it made a significant difference to the stock 944’s performance. Power of the new turbocharged engine was 220hp and torque was 243lb/ft, a significant increase over the naturally aspirated standard 944.
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Porsche 944 S Coupe (1987 - 1988)

Porsche 944 S Coupe (1987 – 1988)

In 1987 Porsche debuted the 944 S, the “S” standing for “Super”. This “Super” Porsche 944 was fitted with a more high performance version of the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine. This engine version had dual overhead camshafts to operate the four valves per cylinder and a revised Motronic 2 engine management system with dual knock sensors to best handle the 10.9:1 compression ratio. Power was a comfortably adequate 187hp.
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Porsche 944 S2 Coupe (1989 - 1991)

Porsche 944 S2 Coupe (1989 – 1991)

The covers were lifted off the 944's next-generation model in early 1989, the stunningly contemporary 944 S2. Porsche, as a company, were heading into tough times and were relying on the 944 S2 and the new 911, the 964, to make enough money just to stay afloat. Porsche upped the performance of the 944 S2 thanks to an upgraded engine, a 3.0 liter version of the DOHC double valve four cylinder that was good for solid 208 hp. The 16-valve engine was bored out from 2.5 litres to 3.0 litres.
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Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet (1989 – 1991)

The S2 was also available as a cabriolet, a first for the 944 line. The Cabriolet, engineered by American Sunroof Company, was rumored to be two years late in arriving on the market due to unprecedented chassis flex problems. The finished article, despite being 70 KG heavier than the coupe, displayed no obvious signs of such problems, and its clean lines found a place in many hearts.
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Porsche 944 Turbo Cabriolet (1991)

The last iteration of the 944 Turbo was the 944 Turbo Cabriolet which was the 944 Turbo Cabriolet. This was a 944 Turbo S with a special cabriolet body made by the American Sunroof Company (ASC) of Weinsberg, Germany, who also made the bodies for the 944 S2 Cabriolet. 625 of the 944 Turbo Cabriolet were made with 100 being built with right hand drive and the remaining 525 being left hand drive.
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Porsche 944 Special Edition & Motorsport Model Guides

Several limited and special edition Porsche 944s were made over the life of the model. There were a few race cars made, most importantly the Porsche 944 Turbo Cup cars for the series racing created for the 944. There was also the Celebration model in 1988 and the Turbo S model also from 1988. The final special edition 944 was the S2 SE, UK only special edition, of which only 15 were ever made. See below for all the details.

Porsche 944 GTP (1981)

In 1981 Porsche developed two 944 prototypes to succeed the 924 GTPs which raced the 1980 24 Hours of Le Mans. To coincide with the release of the 944 in fall of 1981, Porsche prepared a GTP version to promote the car before the launch. The GTP was equipped with a special Type 949 cylinder block with dry sump lubrication, KKK K28 turbocharger and an air-to-air intercooler.
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Porsche 944 Turbo Cup (1986 – 1988)

In late 1985 Porsche developed the 944 “Weissach turbo cup race car” to provide amateur enthusiasts with a cost effective entry into motorsports. Porsche initially designed to participate in a single-marque racing series run in conjunction with 1986 German ADAC Supercup races, but soon spread to Italy, Spain, Belgium, Austria , USA, Canada and even Czechoslovakia. The cars were modified extensively for racing duties, including taking out a lot of weight.
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Porsche 944 Callaway (1983)

Porsche 944 Callaway (1983)

In 1983, American tuning company Callaway Cars began offering a turbocharged package for the US-Spec 944 in collaboration with Porsche. The standard 2.5 L inline-four engine was not suitable for forced induction because of the higher compression ratio of 9.5:1 which made the engine prone to failure when subject to forced induction along with the complex Bosch Motronic engine management system.
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Porsche 944 Swiss Special (1984)

Porsche 944 Swiss Special (1984)

The Swiss Special 944 was a very limited edition 944 Special produced in 1984. Only 200 944 Swiss Specials were produced and it was largely a design exercise, with several upgrades to the normal 944. The changes included, Red-colored stickers on the back of "Porsche” “944", Special size teledial rims, Seats , rear bench and door panels in 924 Carrera GT fabric and dashboard plastic parts in black instead of the standard silver.
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Porsche 944 French Special (1984)

In spring of 1984 Rothmans cosmetic edition 944 was made, a batch of 100 numbered cars ordered by the French importer Sonauto (the subsidiary of Porsche AG) to celebrate the victorious Rothmans-sponsored Porsche 956 that had won Le Mans 24 hour race in France in 1982 and in 1983. At the time when the Rothmans 944 was sold, Rothmans-Porsche factory team decided to boycott the 1984 Le Mans race. Only 100 were produced. 
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Porsche 944 Turbo S (1988)

In 1988, Porsche introduced the 944 Turbo S with a more powerful engine (designation number M44/52) rated at a maximum power output of 250 PS (184 kW) at 6,000 rpm and 350 N⋅m (258 lb⋅ft) of torque at 4,000 rpm (the engine in the standard 944 Turbo generated 223 PS (164 kW) and 243 lb⋅ft (329 N⋅m)). This higher output was achieved by using a larger KKK K26-8 turbocharger housing and revised engine mapping to maximize boost for longer.
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Porsche 944 Celebration Edition (1988)

Porsche 944 Celebration Edition (1988)

The Porsche 944 Celebration Edition was a special edition of the 944 base model produced to commemorate the 100,000th 944 built in Neckarsulm, Germany. A total of 930 units were produced in one of two colors: Zermatt Silver and Satin Black Metallic. These celebration models- effectively standard cars brought up to a very high specification, featured black leatherette, the attractive grey or maroon "STUDIO" cloth and silver and grey carpeting. 
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Porsche 944 S2 SE

Porsche 944 S2 SE (1992)

The 944 range officially ended production in July 1991. A dated range and slow sales wrote the obituary for the model, but in the UK, brand-new cars still languished at dealers well into 1993. A UK-only special edition was made in 1992 and it was called the Porsche 944 S2 SE. It was  basically an S2 brought up to full specification, for less than the standard car. Very limited, only 15 were eventually made. Benefits listed include improved acceleration in higher rev range; flatter cornering due to stiffer springs and increased roll resistance...
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Porsche 944 Performance Overview

Below we take a look at the performance and specifications for the core production model Porsche 944s.

Porsche 944 Data, Research & More

Porsche 944 Data, Research & More

Performance and technical specifications data as well as access to Porsche 944 sales brochures and equipment and options codes. You name it, we have it.

Porsche 944 Engine & Transmission

Engine codes and final drive ratios are very exciting reading around here at Stuttcars so we decided to share the excitement with our readers. Need engine and transmission codes for your Porsche 944?

More Porsche 944 Information & Research

The is a lot more Porsche 944 research available. We have detailed Porsche 944 production numbers broken out by year and model. We also have Porsche 944 VIN numbers and ranges and a really cool diagnostics manual that a user created to help you find solutions to problems more easily.

Porsche 944 Sales & Parts Catalogs

Free to download Porsche 944 brochures. We have both sales brochures for the 944 as well as parts catalogs. The sales brochures give you a great look into how Porsche positioned the 944 in its sales materials. The parts catalogs are an invaluable tool for finding the information you need for replacements and DIY work.

Porsche 944 Options & Equipment

All the Porsche 944 equipment and options codes for every year model. We have also included Porsche 944 wheel options and paint color options and color code samples. We broke out these documents by year where possible to make finding what you need easier.

Porsche 944 Specs & Performance (by Year)

Technical specs and performance numbers for every Porsche 944. In-depth detail you won't find anywhere else. From displacement to dimensions and everything in between, we have all the specifications you could ever want for your Porsche 944.

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Porsche 944 Videos

Experience and enjoy the fabulous Porsche 944 in these fun videos we curated from across the internet.

Porsche 944 Model Timelines & Details

This graphic breaks out the Porsche 944 in terms of timelines and how to tell all the models apart. Click on the image to see it in higher definition. We have broken out the models by region, model and engine.

Porsche 944 Model Timeline

Porsche 944 Evolution Over The Years

Porsche 944 Coupe Profile - Large

Porsche 944 (Base)

Porsche re-worked the 924 platform and abandoned the Audi engine, installing in its place a new all-alloy 2.5 litre straight-4 engine that was basically half of the Porsche 928‘s 5.0 litre V8. A four cylinder engine was chosen for fuel efficiency and size, because it had to be fitted from below on the Neckarsulm production line. Porsche introduced the 944 for MY 1982 to great anticipation. In addition to being slightly faster, the 944 was better equipped and more refined than the 924, it had better handling and stopping power and was more comfortable to drive. The car had nearly even front to rear weight distribution and this gave it very balanced, predictable handling at the limits. In mid-1985 the 944 underwent its first significant changes. These included : a new dash and door panels, embedded radio antenna, upgraded alternator, increased oil sump capacity, new front and rear cast alloy control arms and semi-trailing arms, larger fuel tank, optional heated and powered seats, Porsche HiFi sound system, and revisions in the mounting of the transaxle to reduce noise and vibration. For the 1987 model year, the 944 was updated to incorporate anti-lock braking and air bags for increased safety.

Porsche 944 Turbo

For the 1986 model year Porsche introduced the 944 Turbo, known internally as the 951 (952 for right-hand drive models). This had a turbocharged and intercooled version of the standard car’s engine. The turbo was the world’s first car using a ceramic portliner to retain exhaust gas temperature. The Turbo also featured several other changes, such as improved aero, a strengthened gearbox with a different final drive ratio, standard external oil coolers for both the engine and transmission, standard 16 inch wheels and a slightly stiffer suspension to handle the extra weight. Major engine component revisions, more than thirty in all, were made to the 951 to compensate for increased internal loads and heat. In 1988, Porsche introduced the Turbo S option package with a more powerful engine. In 1989 the ‘S’ designation was dropped and all 944 Turbos featured the ‘S’ package as standard.

Porsche 944 Turbo Coupe Profile - Large
Porsche 944 S Coupe Profile - Large

Porsche 944 S

In 1987 Porsche debuted the 944 S, the “S” standing for “Super”. It looked sportier than its non-S version and had substantial modifications to both the interior and the engine and offered more performance to Porsche customers. This “Super” Porsche 944 was fitted with a more high performance version of the naturally aspirated four cylinder engine. The 2.5-liter inline-four engine fitted with 4-valves/cylinder technology. It offered more power and torque than the regular, 2-valves/ cylinder ones. The 2.5 L engine (M44/40) featuring a self-adjusting timing belt tensioner and this marked the first use of four-valves-per-cylinder heads and DOHC in the 944, derived from the 928 S4 featuring a redesigned camshaft drive, a magnesium intake tract/passages, magnesium valve cover, larger capacity oil sump, and revised exhaust system. The revised Motronic 2 engine management system featured dual knock sensors for improved fuel performance for the higher 10.9:1 compression ratio cylinder head.

Porsche 944 S2

In 1989 Porsche 944S2 was introduced, and powered by a 211 PS (155 kW; 208 hp) 3.0 L engine, bore 104mm, stroke 88mm, the largest production 4 cylinder engine of its time. The 944S2 had the same rounded nose and a rear valance found on the Turbo model. This was the first example of the use of an integrated front bumper, where the fender & hood profiles would merge smoothly with the bumper…a design feature that has only now seen widespread adoption on nearly all cars. The S2 was also available as a cabriolet, a first for the 944 line. Performance was quoted as 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds (0–100 km/h 6.8 s), with a top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph) (manual transmission). The 944S2 also received a revised transmission and gearing to better suit the 3.0 liter powerplant.

Porsche 944 S2 Coupe Profile - Large
Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet Profile - Large

Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet

In 1989, Porsche introduced the 944 S2 Cabriolet, the first 944 to feature a convertible body style. The contract to build Porsche’s 944 S2 Cabriolet was awarded to ASC (American Sunroof Company) in Weinsberg, Germany. The S2 Cabriolet was a very complicated build, where 944 coupe bodies were taken off the assembly line at Neckarsulm, Germany and then delivered to ASC in Weinsberg, Germany. At ASC, reinforcement plates are welded in the front end of the car and floor plate area to give the body the amount of torsional strength and crash safety required for the convertible.

Porsche 944 News & Updates

Recent auctions, awesome review videos and all the latest news and posts regarding anything to do with the Porsche 944.

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