Without a doubt, for many years my favorite sleeper deal in the realm of factory Porsche race cars was the 944 Turbo Cup. Constructed for one-make support races around the world, the Turbo Cup model has some really neat features – notably, the inclusion of a healthy amount of magnesium to help lighten the car, plus a bit more boost to motivate it. For some time, 944 Turbo Cups were just downright cheap for a full factory racer, but recently they’ve spiked up in value and are now pretty much out of the reach of most mortals. Of course, if you’re willing to forgo the factory Cup build status and a few of the more pricey magnesium details like the original wheels, you can still find great track or race bargains in the 944 Turbo:
Tag: 944 Turbo
My first experience with a 944 Turbo was very memorable; I was a passenger in a ’89 Turbo at Lime Rock Park with a very experienced instructor. Though I knew he was a good driver, my 13 year old mind couldn’t cope with the way the car gained speed; I was transfixed in fear and exhilaration as the g-forces pulled my legs off the floor over the uphill. When I finally got the chance to drive one a few years later, I figured this performance was instantaneous; seeing a gap in traffic that was just large enough for a French Poodle, I popped the clutch and floored it – grasping the wheel with all my strength for the impending carrier launch that was about to occur. But as my mind played Kenny Loggin’s Danger Zone, a realization slowly crept over me – I was barely moving. I looked in the mirror, fully anticipating the crunch of impact as I was rightly rear-ended by the driver I had just cut off. But as the grill loomed large and I winced in pain, the engine came on boost – suddenly, there was no road ahead of me, only sky. The car launched forward with an enthusiasm I can still feel. I was used to quick acceleration, growing up with a E28 M5 in the family – but this car was different. The all-or-nothing throttle pedal made you feel as if only you knew how to drive the car; it was like a secret that hid supercar performance. Push a little and you’ve got an economy car getting 30 m.p.g on the highway – push a lot and you’re gaining speed in 30 m.p.h. increments:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo on eBay
4 CommentsEveryone wants a perfect car, let’s be honest. But I often feel that I could accept a reasonable amount of flaws to have a car that I felt completely comfortable driving. Make that car a classic Porsche, and you’d still be talking big bucks, right? Well, not so fast – if you look around, you can still get some remarkable deals on 944 Turbos, one of the best driving cars from the 1980s. Present that car in the rare shade of Nautic Blue with tan leather, and you’ve got one heck of an understated looker with performance to back up the badge. Would you drive it?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo on eBay
7 CommentsWell, I hope this will stir some interest, as I think this is a bit of an interesting comparison. What level of performance can you buy for $10,000 (give or take) these days? Surprisingly, there are a lot of options – and those options vary pretty seriously in their execution and packages; there’s a wagon and a sports car, two sedan-based coupes and a hatchback. Engines range from a 2 liter turbo to a V8, with a bit of everything in between. Yet, what appears to be a very strange comparison linked only by price is revealed to be much closer when you look at performance figures:
E36 M3: 240 hp, 0-60 6.0 seconds, 3,200 lbs
944 Turbo: 220 hp, 0-60 5.9 seconds, 2,900 lbs
CLK500: 302 hp, 0-60 5.7 seconds, 3,800 lbs
S4 Avant: 250 hp, 0-60 5.6 seconds, 3,700 lbs
GTi: 200 hp, 0-60 6.6 seconds, 3,200 lbs
The range is much closer than you’d expect – especially when you consider that these figures could easily be equaled in margin of error, driver skill and reaction time. In the twisties, the lower powered cars like the GTi catch up to the higher power CLK and S4. All are, in one way or another, practical choices. Some are destined (or already) classics, while others will likely fade away. So what would be your choice? Let’s start with an M3 we’ve already seen: