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Tag: 944

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1989 Porsche 944S2

Published May 8, 2014 by Carter

Pining over visions of just-out-of-budget E30 M3s? I recently covered a low mileage 1988 944 Turbo S, a phenomenal alternative to the E30 that’s – if anything – better built, more capable and faster. In my mind, thought the iconic M3 screams boy racer meets Park Avenue, the 944 – especially in Turbo/S2 guise – looks just as much the part. They’re also quite a bit cheaper right now, but likely not for long – Turbo values have steadily been on the rise, especially for good examples. And while there are plenty of enthusiasts who have daily driven 944 Turbos, you have to admit that they’re the best part of 30 year old technology that you’ll have to sink some money into. For everyday driving, a better option for most people would be to look at the slightly less complicated and only slightly less powerful twin-cam version of the 944; the magnificent 944S2:

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Motorsport Mondays: Budget Racers – BMW M3 and Porsche 944

Published May 5, 2014 by Carter

Okay, so most people don’t seem to get into the race cars I’ve been posting. That’s okay; I get that owning a race car is a bit of a luxury and doesn’t make sense for 99.9% of the population; they’re compromised vehicles that are expensive to maintain and generally spend a tremendous amount of time doing exactly nothing. Think of it then as a 401K, then; but instead of a crazy year end bonus to some CEO you’ll never meet, you get to once in a while take it out to the track. What better way to achieve this than with an affordable track/race car?

Many times when instructing students at the track, I’m asked what they should do to the car; often times the answer is that it’s better to look at a track car if you’re serious about going to the track. Two of the best and most affordable options are the Porsche 944 and BMW M3; sporting offerings in their original configuration from two sporting manufacturers, they offered near perfect balance, good aftermarket parts availability, plenty of competition if you want to go racing at the next level and – best of all – you can do it all on a budget. Let’s start with the M3:

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1988 Porsche 944 Turbo S with 39,000 miles

Published May 4, 2014 by Carter

Like earlier’s M Roadster post, if you’ve missed out on the E30 market and are looking for a collectable classic, another car with serious potential over the coming few years is the 944 Turbo. Lagging (no pun intended) behind some of its contemporaries in increasing values, most decent 944 Turbos can still be had for under $15,000, and very good examples can be found up to around $20,000. However, if you want the best of the bunch, you’ll save your lunch money for the 1988 Turbo S, or the S-spec 1989 Turbo. I’ve written many times about how these are performance bargains, much as they were back in the day when they were new. However, if you’ve been watching the trend, these turbos have certainly been on the uptick over the recent few years, following cars like the E30, 911, Quattro, M5 and M6 upwards. Today’s example is one of the more desirable 88 Turbo S cars; presented in Maraschino Red Metallic, it’s in stunning original condition with very low miles:

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1989 Porsche 944S2

Published April 20, 2014 by Carter

Although the appeal of the budget speed of the 944 Turbo is certainly large, the actual driving experience around town can sometime be a bit lacking and the expense of 25 year old turbocharged technology can be a turnoff. Luckily, Porsche offered its own solution with the 944S2. Well covered on these pages, the S2 offers early Turbo levels of performance from its 3.0 16V motor, with no turbo lag. I’ve said it was perhaps the best all-arounder Porsche has ever built, and I think overall that’s a realistic look at the S2; if all-out speed wasn’t your goal, the S2 offers practicality, lower ownership costs and enough power to take advantage of one of the best handling chassis ever made. Take a look at this 1989 example:

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1989 Porsche 944 Turbo

Published April 18, 2014 by Carter

While yesterday I hinted that the E46 M3 might be the next 944 Turbo, let’s not forget that the original 944 Turbo is still alive and kicking. While generally speaking the 1988 Silver Rose Turbo S cars seem to be the most valuable of the street cars, the 1989 Turbos came in “S” specification, complete with the M030 suspension, more power and those special wheels. I’m lucky enough to have spent a fair amount of time in one of these; my father bought a 1989 just like this, but with white sport seats. It’s an amazing car, capable of effortless acceleration, swallowing huge trips in a single gulp, and yet gets good mileage and is comfortable. It’s one of those strange “fish story” cars; it just shouldn’t be as good as it is, and yet it is still largely overlooked as a performance value. While clean examples of the performance bargains in the 1980s and 1990s have steadily been on the rise, the 944 Turbo remains attainable. Today’s 1989 example is one of the better ones:

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