The 944 is a sports car built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It replaced the 924 as Porsche's entry level model, although 924 production continued through 1988. The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944S3 model were eventually rolled into the 968 instead, which replaced the 944. The 944 was a successful model and was available as both a coupe and cabriolet in naturally aspirated and turbocharged forms. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 365 KB) Other versions Originally from en. ... Industrial robots welding a car body in the white section of a production line. ... This article is about the auto company. ... For other uses, see Stuttgart (disambiguation). ... The Porsche 924 was an automobile produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1976 to 1988. ... The 968 was an automobile sold by Porsche AG of Germany from 1992 to 1995 and marketed as the replacement for the Porsche 944. ... Car classification is subjective since many vehicles fall into multiple categories. ... 1963 Jaguar E-Type, a classic sports car 1963 Chevrolet Corvette was based upon European sports cars A sports car is an automobile designed for performance driving. ... Cars can come in a large variety of different body styles. ... 1995 Buick Riviera coupe A coupé (from the French for cut) or coupe is a two or four-seater car with a fixed roof and two doors. ... Saab 900 Convertible 1962 Rambler American 1981 AMC Eagle 4-WD convertible Convertible can also refer to a convertible security A convertible (sometimes called cabriolet in British English) is a car body style with a folding or retracting roof (aka soft top or top in USA, hood in UK). ... In automobile design layout is the place where both the engine and driven wheels are. ... Sketch of FR layout In automobile design, an FR, or front-engine, rear wheel drive means a layout where the engine is in the front of the vehicle and drive wheels at the rear. ... A colored automobile engine The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of fuel and an oxidizer (typically air) occurs in a confined space called a combustion chamber. ... The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ... The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ... The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ... Gearbox redirects here. ... The automatic gear selector in a Ford Five Hundred vehicle An automatic transmission (commonly abbreviated as AT) is an automobile gearbox that can change gear ratios automatically as the vehicle moves, thus freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually (similar but larger devices are also used for railroad... A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift, straight drive, or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in automotive applications. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Kerb (sometimes mis-spelled as curb by Americans) weight is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables (such as motor oil and coolant), a full tank of fuel and not loaded with either passengers or cargo. ... Designers at work in 1961. ... This article is about the auto company. ... 1963 Jaguar E-Type, a classic sports car 1963 Chevrolet Corvette was based upon European sports cars A sports car is an automobile designed for performance driving. ... This article is about the auto company. ... The Porsche 924 was an automobile produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1976 to 1988. ... The 968 was an automobile sold by Porsche AG of Germany from 1992 to 1995 and marketed as the replacement for the Porsche 944. ...

History and model overview

1982-85 Porsche 944

The earlier Porsche 924 had originally been an Audi project, designed under contract for them by Porsche. When Audi abandoned it in favor of their all-wheel-drive Quattro Coupe, Porsche purchased the design as the replacement for the 912E and 914. The vehicle drove and handled well and garnered positive reviews, but was hampered by its weak VW-sourced engine; Porsche introduced a Turbocharged 924 to increase performance, but there were engine-cooling issues and the price was considered high for the time, which hampered sales. Rather than scrap the design entirely and engineer a fresh replacement, Porsche's executives decided to take an evolutionary standpoint on development of the 924, much as they had with generations of the 911; although model numbers would change, the 924 would provide the core basis for its replacement, the new model would be an evolution of the old. The Porsche 924 was an automobile produced by Porsche AG of Germany from 1976 to 1988. ... The Porsche 912 is a sports car automobile manufactured by Porsche GmbH of Germany between 1965 and 1969 as an entry-level model. ... The Porsche 914 was a sports car built and sold collaboratively by Volkswagen and Porsche from 1969 through 1976. ... Porsche 911 in hillclimb The Porsche 911 (pronounced as nine eleven, neun elfer in German) is a sports car made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. ...

Using the 924 as a starting point, Porsche thoroughly re-worked the platform and scrapped the Audi engine, installing in its place a new all-alloy 2.5 litre straight-4 engine based on the 928's 5.0 litre V8, although very few parts were actually interchangeable. Not a natural choice for a luxury sports car, a four cylinder engine was chosen for fuel efficiency and size, because it had to be fitted from below on the Neckarsulm production line. To overcome the unbalanced secondary forces that make other four cylinder engines feel harsh, Porsche included two counter rotating balance shafts running at twice engine speed. Invented in 1904 by British engineer Frederick Lanchester, and further developed and patented in 1975 by Mitsubishi Motors, balance shafts carry eccentric weights which produce inertial forces that balance out the unbalanced secondary forces, making a four cylinder engine feel as smooth as a six cylinder. The engine was factory-rated at 150 bhp (112 kW/152 PS) in its U.S. configuration. Revised bodywork, similar to that of the 924 Turbo and 924 Carrera GT, a fresh interior and upgrades to the braking and suspension systems rounded out the major changes. Porsche introduced the 944 for MY 1982 to great anticipation. In addition to being 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 factory-claimed 0-60 mph time of over 9 seconds was actually rather modest, and seems to presume full clutch engagement at low rpm (i.e. minimal clutch slipping and no wheelspin). In fact a more dramatic acceleration would result from a high-rpm clutch-drop, and the car is more than capable of "burning rubber." Such a launch, however, is virtually guaranteed to damage the differential's ring and pinion (a known weak point in non-turbo and non-S2 transmissions) and should be avoided. The factory-claimed top speed of 130 mph (210 km/h), was also pessimistic Autocar having verified a top speed of 137 mph (220 km/h). The car had almost perfect front to rear weight distribution (50.7%front/49.3%rear) due to the transmission/transaxle being located in the rear of the car, and the engine in the front.^[1] This gave it very balanced, predictable handling at the limits of adhesion. The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ... A colored automobile engine The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of fuel and an oxidizer (typically air) occurs in a confined space called a combustion chamber. ... The Porsche 928 is a grand tourer automobile made by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 model year to 1995 model year, during which time it was one of their most expensive offerings. ... The Liberty V8 aircraft engine clearly shows the configuration A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders. ... Balance shaft in Ford Taunus V4 engine. ... Frederick William Lanchester (October 23, 1868 - March 8, 1946) was an English polymath and engineer who made important contributions to automotive engineering, aerodynamics and co-invented the field of operations research. ... Mitsubishi Motors Corporation ) is the fifth largest automaker in Japan and the thirteenth largest in the world by unit sales. ... The straight-4 or inline-4 is an internal combustion engine with four cylinders aligned in one row. ... The straight-6 (also inline 6, I-6, or I6) is an internal combustion engine with six cylinders aligned in a single row. ... In automotive engineering, the bodywork of an automobile is the structure which protects: The occupants Any other payload The mechanical components. ... This article is about the vehicle component. ... The front suspension components of a Ford Model T. Suspension is the term given to the system of springs, shock absorbers and linkages that connects a vehicle to its wheels. ... The model year of a product is a number used to describe approximately when a product was produced. ... For other uses, see Clutch (disambiguation). ...

In mid-1985 the 944 underwent its first significant changes. A new dash and new door panels, an embedded radio antenna, an upgraded alternator (from a 90 amp to a 115 amp), increased oil sump capacity, new front and rear cast aluminium control arms and semi-trailing arms, a larger fuel tank, optional heated and powered seats, a Porsche HiFi sound system, and revisions in the mounting of the transaxle to reduce noise and vibration all debuted. The "cookie cutter" style wheels used in the early 944s were upgraded to new "phone dial" style wheels. 1985 model year cars incorporating these changes are sometimes referred to as "1985B" or "1985 1/2" cars. For other uses, see Dash (disambiguation). ... Aluminum redirects here. ... A transaxle, in the automotive field, is a component that combines the functionality of the transmission, the differential and the drive axle into one integrated assembly. ...

944 Turbo (951)

In 1985 Porsche introduced the 944 Turbo, a higher-performance variant, known internally as the 951 (952 for right-hand drive models). This had a turbocharged and intercooled version of the standard car's engine that produced 220 hp (217 in the US) at 6000 rpm. The turbo was the world's first car using a ceramic portliner to lower exhaust gas temperatures. The Turbo also featured several other revisions, such as improved aerodynamics, a strengthened gearbox, optional transmission oil cooler, wider wheels, and uprated suspension. Major engine component revisions, more than thirty in all, were made to the 951 to compensate for increased internal loads and heat. Turbo redirects here. ... For the Australian rock group, see Intercooler (band). ... For the Daft Punk song, see Aerodynamic (song). ... A gearbox is an assembly of gears allowing the rotational speed of an input shaft to be changed to a different speed. ... Look up Transmission in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

1987 Porsche 944 Turbo

In 1988 Porsche introduced the 944 Turbo S. The 944 Turbo S had a more powerful engine (designation number M44/52) with 247 hp (compared to the standard 944 Turbo's 217 hp) and 250 lb·ft (339 N·m) torque (versus 243 ft·lbf). This higher output was achieved by using a larger turbo housing on the exhaust side, and a remapped engine computer. In June of 1988, Car and Driver tested the 944 Turbo S and achieved a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds and a quarter mile time of 13.9 seconds at 101 mph (163 km/h). The intake manifold features an additional vacuum port for two total vacuum ports, but intake manifolds can be swapped between S and Non-S cars. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2448x1632, 919 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Porsche 944 Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2448x1632, 919 KB) File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Porsche 944 Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to...

The 944 Turbo S's suspension was the then state of the art "M030" option consisting of upgraded Koni adjustable shocks front and rear, ride height adjustment threaded collars on the front struts, progressive springs, larger rear torsion bars, harder bushings throughout, larger 26.8 mm (1.1 in) sway bars in the front, and chassis stiffening brackets in the front frame rails. The air conditioning dryer lines are routed differently to clear the front frame brace on the drivers side. The 944 Turbo S wheels, known as the Club Sport design, were 16" forged and flat-dished, similar to the contemporary 928. Wheel widths were 7.5 inches (191 mm) in the front, and 9 inches (229 mm) in the rear; sizes of the Z-rated tires were 225/50 in the front and 245/45 in the rear. The front and rear fender edges were rolled to accommodate the larger wheels. The manual transmission (case code designation: AOR) of the 944 Turbo S had hardened first and second gears including synchros, standard external cooler (available on earlier turbos as an option), and a standard limited slip differential with a 40% lockup. The Turbo S front brakes were borrowed from the Porsche 928 S4, with larger 4 piston, fixed calipers and rotors; ABS was also standard. A manual transmission (also known as a stick shift, straight drive, or standard transmission) is a type of transmission used in automotive applications. ...

The 944 Turbo S interior featured full power seats for both driver and passenger in "Burgundy plaid"(Silver Rose edition only) as well as a 10 speaker sound system and equalizer + amp as standard features.

In 1989 the 'S' designation was dropped from the 944 Turbo S, and all 944 Turbos featured the 'S' package as standard. The regular 944's displacement was increased to 2.7 L.

944 S

In 1986, the naturally-aspirated 944 S ("Super") variant was introduced. The 944S had a more powerful (188 bhp) version of the 2.5 litre engine with twin overhead camshafts and 16 valve heads. This marked the first use of four valve per cylinder heads in the 944 series. Performance was quoted as 0 - 100 kph (62 mph) in 7.9 seconds and 143 mph top speed. A naturally-aspirated engine (NA - aspiration meaning breathing) refers to an internal combustion engine (normally petrol or diesel powered) that is neither turbocharged nor supercharged. ... // These water valves are operated by handles. ... The cylinder head from a GMC van. ...

Also in 1987, dual air-bags and an anti-lock brake system were introduced as options on the base model. Wheel offset was increased from 23 mm (0.9 in) to 52 mm (2.0 in) to provide clearance for the optional ABS brakes.

944 S2

In 1989 944S2 was introduced, and powered by a 208 hp (155 kW) 3.0 L engine. The 944S2 had the same rounded nose and a rear valance found on the Turbo model. The S2 was also available as a cabriolet, a first for the 944 line. Performance was quoted as 0-60 mph in 6.7 seconds, with a top speed of 152 mph (manual transmission). A cabriolet was a light, two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage with a folding calash top, seating two persons facing forwards, one of whom was the driver. ...

944 Turbo Cabriolet

In February 1991 Porsche released the 944 Turbo Cabriolet, which combined the Turbo S's 250 hp (186 kW) engine with the cabriolet body. Porsche initially announced that 500 would be made; ultimately 625 were built, 100 of which were right-hand drive for the United Kingdom market. None were imported to the US. Saab 900 Convertible 1962 Rambler American 1981 AMC Eagle 4-WD convertible Convertible can also refer to a convertible security A convertible (sometimes called cabriolet in British English) is a car body style with a folding or retracting roof (aka soft top or top in USA, hood in UK). ...

End of the line

In early 1990, Porsche engineers began working on what they had intended to be the third evolution of the 944, the S3. Once invested into the development process, they realized that so many parts were being changed that they had produced an almost entirely new vehicle. Porsche consequently shifted development from the 944 S3 to the car that would replace the 944 entirely, the 968. The 944's final year of production was 1991; in 1992 the 968 debuted. The 968 was sold alongside the 928 through 1995, when both models were discontinued. The 968 was an automobile sold by Porsche AG of Germany from 1992 to 1995 and marketed as the replacement for the Porsche 944. ... The Porsche 928 is a grand tourer automobile made by Porsche AG of Germany from 1978 model year to 1995 model year, during which time it was one of their most expensive offerings. ...

Awards

The 944 was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list from 1983 through 1985, and the Turbo made the list for 1986. Cover of Car and Driver from age of psychedelic lettering Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. ... Main article: Car and Driver Car and Driver magazine annually nominates a list of what it considers the Ten Best cars and Five Best trucks. ...

In 1984, Car and Driver named the 944 the "Best Handling Production Car in America." Cover of Car and Driver from age of psychedelic lettering Car and Driver is an American automotive enthusiast magazine. ...

Production

In total 163,192 944s were produced between 1982 and 1991.

944

A total of 113,070 944s were made between 1982 and 1989, with 56,921 being exported to the United States.

944 Turbo (951)

A total of 25,107 944 Turbos were made, with 14,235 being exported to the United States.

* - Includes 1000 Turbo S
† - Includes 625 Turbo Cabriolet. A different source, Jerry Sloniger's article in the October 1991 issue of Excellence, indicates that the factory built 525, of which 255 were exported to markets outside Germany.

"SP" designates a sport package option.

944S

A total of 12,936 944S's were made in 1987 and 1988, with 8,688 being exported to the United States.

944S2

A total of around 9,620 944S2s were made between 1989-1991, with 1,929 being exported to the United States. An additional 5640 944S2 cabriolets were produced in these years, with 2,402 being exported to the United States.

944S2 Cabriolet

944 Special Editions

Maintenance

The 944 uses a rubber timing belt to connect the camshaft and crankshaft along with a balance shaft belt that synchronizes the two balance shafts to the crankshaft. It is recommended that these belts are replaced every 45k miles on 944 models. Due to the interference design of the 944 engine, a timing belt failure typically results in the valves colliding with the pistons. The water pump on a 944 is driven off the timing belt, and should be inspected at the time of a timing belt replacement. Some recommend replacing it every other timing belt change as a precautionary measure. ^[2]

The recommended timing belt interval is:
2000mi. - Inspect and retension timing and balance shaft belts.
15000mi. - Inspect and retension timing and balance shaft belts.
30000mi. - Inspect and retension timing and balance shaft belts.
45000mi. - Replace timing and balance shaft belts. Inspect rollers and replace if necessary.

References

1. ^ Car and Driver, Dec. 1985 issue, http://www.europeancarweb.com/projectcars/0310ec_1986_porsche_944_turbo_specifcations/index.html
2. ^ http://www.clarks-garage.com/shop-manual/eng-04.htm

• Wood, J (1997). Porsche: The Legend. Parragon. ISBN 0-7525-2072-5.
• Stuever, Hank. "Real Men Cant Hold a Match to Jake Ryan of 'Sixteen Candles.' Washington Post, February 14, 2004.
• Car and Driver, Dec. 1985 Issue

External links

• Clark's Garage (technical reference) (clarks-garage.com)
• The 944 FAQ
• Pelican Parts Porsche 944 Forum
• Pelican Parts Porsche 944 Turbo and Turbo S Forum
• Rennlist Porsche 944 & 944 S2 Forum
• Rennlist Porsche 944 Turbo and Turbo S Forum
• 951 RacerX (technical reference)
• 944 World (pioneering 944 enthusiast Web site) (944-world.com)
• The 944 Turbo Resource by Jon Milani (historical resource)
• Porsche 944 model information at the official Porsche website (porsche.com)
• 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup at official Porsche website (porsche.com)
• 944 Cup Racing
• 944-SPEC Racing
• Australian 944 Racing
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