If for some time the Porsche 944 is one of the most under appreciated cars in the 1980s German car world, the 924 is even the more red-headed stepchild. But get past the stigma of the 924 as the “poor man’s Porsche”, and the details are quite good. They’re nice looking, aerodynamic coupes that are rear drive for enthusiasts. Like the rest of the Porsche lineup from the late 1970s and 1980s, they had great build quality overall and were solid products. Many of the “big brother” 944 items work on the 924, too – especially true in the later 924S models, so they can be updated and modified just like the 944s. They enjoyed a rich racing history in both naturally aspirated and turbocharged variants, with the first “Carrera GT” being a 924 model. Plus, the 924 was the development model which resulted in the much more prized 944 and 944 Turbo. And within the lineup, there are really some great hidden gems of classic cars that can be had on a budget. Today I have two nice examples of some of the rarer models of the 924; a late run 924 Turbo and a last of the breed 924S Special Edition:
Tag: 924
For some times, I had grandiose plans for a derelict 924S that my father had. Source a 931 bell housing, mate it up to a spare Audi 4.2 V8 I had, slap on a Carrera GT body kit, strip it out and stiffen it up and Viola! Instant track weapon on a budget. I had planned it out pretty well, but the timing just never came together quite right, so eventually it went by the wayside. I’ve since seen a few tribute Carrera GTs pop up and even a GTR over in Europe, and every time it makes me think “what if…”; today is no exception. As I came upon this posting, a sly smile crept across my face and thought about it all over again. Today’s example doesn’t follow the plan I had though; it takes an early European-spec 924 2.0 and swaps on the super-wide GTR panels with some crazy Compomotive wheels:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1981 Porsche 924 GTR Tribute on eBay
Comments closedPablo from flüssig magazine is back to highlight this late model, one of 500 1988 Porsche 924S Special Edition.
I have a thing for women with wide hips.
The cars that I have in my collection reflect this. The 993, 944, and 968; each of them sensually wide at the flanks giving them a sort of feminine muscularity you seldom see on other marques.
I also have a thing for narrow hips on the fairer sex…not taking a preference for one or the other is a testament to the dual personality that’s typical of all Geminis.
You see, even though the wide hips suggest strength, power if you like, the narrow ones speak of nimbleness, agility; a sort of lightness that gives her edge in all things calling for performance. This is precisely why I fell in love with this 924S.
This is not just any old 924S, however; no, no…this one is a very special version of which only 500 were made for the US market and they’re all clothed in black. In fact, very few Porschephiles know that such a version exists, yet here is one that’s got the numbers to prove it. First let me give you a little primer on the S before getting a bit more intimate with SN450529.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1988 Porsche 924S Special Edition on eBay
3 CommentsPablo over at flüssig magazine tipped us off to a rare 924GTP for sale in Germany, a template for what would ultimately become the 944. Sit back and enjoy another history lesson courtesy of our water-cooled Porsche guru.
The ‘P’ stood for prototype…this car was the 944 prototype and secrecy had to be kept for two more weeks; the 924 GTP, chassis 924-006.
Under the hood, the engine was pure Porsche. Their first water-cooled four cylinder engine Typ 944/71 (internal designation Typ 949), derived from half of the 928’s V8 but of completely new design, displacing 2.5 liters (2,479cc). Utilizing dry-sump lubrication and placed into the engine compartment at a 45 degree angle, this large capacity was obtained with huge 100 mm bores and a relatively short 78.9 mm stroke. But there was something a bit different going on above those bores…an all new sixteen valve head coupled with a KKK K28 exhaust driven turbocharger breathing in through an air to air intercooler.
Let’s talk about the cylinder head since it bears special mention here. This was a one-off design by Dipl. Ing. Hans Metzger, and although you might think, “ah, so that’s the one that they used for the 944S!”
And you’d be wrong.