1986 Porsche 944 Turbo

Why hasn’t the enthusiast community for classic German cars jumped all over the Porsche 944 Turbo? While this question doesn’t keep me awake at night, I still find it baffling. Take the E36 M3, for example – not only was the U.S. press ablaze when it was launched with a staggering 240 horsepower back in the day, but the enthusiastic base that supports the M models still finds them an awesome deal in the teens. Yet the Porsche 944 Turbo offered all of the performance and handling of the M3 a generation prior, and with some simple tuning they can easily outpace the Munich missiles. Is there a comparable from Audi? Sure, if you could find one of the ’85 Quattros around – or the lone ’86 that was imported – they’re similar in many ways, but you can’t touch them for the price of the 944 Turbo and frankly in terms of performance they’re not a match. Even the unappreciated Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16V seems to have stronger support, and drive one back to back with a sorted 944 Turbo and you’ll wonder why people are willing to pay the same amount for them. Why, then, does most of the world pass them by? Because they’re not a 911? Seems silly to me:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo on eBay

Year: 1986
Model: 944 Turbo
Engine: 2.5 liter turbocharged inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 80,633 mi
Price: $13,995 Buy It Now

Of course; the 944 Turbo is fun; fast; and beautifully styled. In this Porsche 944 a stretch of your right leg will carry you to 150 mph; not many things are more entertaining than driving this car. It is equipped with power windows; power locks; Pioneer premier AM/FM/CD radio with bluetooth; 5 speed transmission; removable sunroof; updated sideview mirrors and much more. Call today and speak to any of our many sale associates who will gladly assist you in anything you may need to become its next proud owner.

In terms of sheer presence, I don’t think there was much from Germany in the 1980s that matches the square meets curves 944 Turbo. The front end view is all business and the flares and sweeping greenhouse are classic. It’s low, wide and mean looking. I particularly like the look of the ’86 model phonedials, as they combined the classic look of Porsche in the early 1980s with the direction Porsche would head in the next five years. This model has some nice updates; the 968 mirrors blend in well and look good. The same can’t be said for the rear spoiler, which looks cheap and out of place – but luckily, the original is included. This car, overall, appears to be in good shape though little is included about its mechanical history. There is one strange bit; I thought it looked pretty familiar and some perusing of Google showed me I was right; the car appears to have been for sale for a while, but the reason that it wasn’t immediately evident was that it previously appeared as a Matte Orange with black wheels. Since there’s no indication from the seller that the car just went through an expensive re-spray, I’d have to guess that perhaps the earlier look was a vinyl wrap – in the linked ad above, you can see the silver still in the door jam. However, the earlier photos also show one of the less-than-attractive center reflector panels which now appears gone. I’m also not a fan of the interior treatment to the dashboard, which looks like those puffy stickers I played with in grade school. In any case, a careful PPI is in order to make sure this car is mechanically sorted. There are some newer cars that could match the 944 Turbo’s performance, it’s true – but in terms of value, presence, build quality, and classic status, the 944 remains the undrafted free agent. They might not always be the best deal, but find a good one and they’ll win the Superbowl for you.

-Carter