There was much disquiet among die hard Porsche fans when the Company launched the 924 Coupe in 1976. Porsche may have needed this inexpensive 2+2 sporster, but it went down badly with informed enthusiasts who knew it started life as VW/Audi car, had a VW van derived engine under the bonnet and also incorporated plenty of bits from a range of other VW car, including the Beetle. In 1979, Porsche launched the much improved 924 Turbo which had the chassis and the pace to make it count as real Porsche, or so they thought. The model still wasn’t selling, so Porsche reinvented the 924 with a very clear clever re-styling, effectively just flaring the front and rear wings, and a new four cylinder engine which was half of the 928’s V8. Finally, with the 944, Porsche made a success out of the project, which was still built by Audi. The powerful 944 Turbo arrived in late 1984, with both the horsepower and the price tag to match the 22 years old but classic 911 Carrera. Despite the suitable changes to the 944’s fine styling, the Turbo was much changed, particularly under the skin.
The suspension was heavily modified and the engine’s electronic management system much more sophisticated than the non Turbo. Inside, Porsche’s chief stylist Tony Lapine had finally expunged the remaining 924 genes by designing a completely new dashboard and interior for the car. In the final judgment, the 944 Turbo was a better car than the current 911. It required less effort to drive hard and was a much better day to day supercar. It would take 911 another five years to catch up, but if you had a 944 turbo you weren’t going to be worried by the wait.
What kind of rims are on the black 944?