At a time where the average ticket into the Porsche 911 world costs around 30 grand, many enthusiasts who have to work for a living start looking at viable alternatives.
Porsche's Other Turbo:
1986 Porsche 944
Turbo Coupe
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The 944 certainly qualifies with flying colors. Built from 1982 until 1991, and thus now 25 to 34 years old, the model has finally achieved the status of a classic.
In its most powerful form, as a 944 turbo, built from 1985 onward, it is so fast that it will walk away from a contemporary 911 Carrera!
The 1986 Porsche 944 turbo featured here, VIN *WP0AA0954GN152859*, is a lifelong Texas/California car and comes with a clean NMVTIS history report. It is curently licensed through June of 2017.
We purchased this fine Porsche in Santa Barbara from a professional poker player who always took very good care of his pride and joy. Just recently, he had local specialist Schneider Autohaus inspect the car; all it needed was a right axle shaft assembly, which was promptly replaced.
Motorvation comes from a counterbalanced 2.5-liter inline four, which develops 217 horsepower at 600rpm -- 10 more horses than the 3.2-liter Carrera had to offer -- thanks to its turbocharger and intercooler.
The engine is healthy as the proverbial ox. It starts on the button and, thanks to a bullet-proof Bosch fuel injection, falls immediately into a smooth idle, hot or cold.
Porsche's body is smooth as silk. Alpine White (L90E) paint is beautifully preserved, with just some touchups and a few signs of age and use to report.
Most desirable on any Porsche and now silly expensive: genuine, forged Fuchs alloy wheels, here still with factory anodizing present. Expensive Michelin tires on all four corners were installed on New Year's Eve, less than 3,000 miles ago.
Unique to the Porsche 944 is the steel sunroof, which can be removed entirely, just like the 911 Targa top, if so desired. The original Porsche storage cover for the top is included with the sale.
Porsche's dashboard layout follows closely that of its sibling, the 911, where form follows function. Like most California Porsches of this vintage, there's some small hairline splits atop the dash.
Cockpit features four large round instruments, containing no less than seven separate gauges, all of which work perfectly.
Driver and passenger enjoy leather-clad power seats.
Rear seats individually fold forward with the push of a button, and provide space for two additional passengers, or a furry friend or two.
The 944 features a very versatile hatchback design. With the rear seat backs folded forward, even large and odd-shaped items can be transported in a hurry.
Trunk is clad in velour carpeting. Valuables can be protected from prying eyes by means of a sun shade.
Stripped of its clothes, the trunk is healthy and beautifully preserved. There are no signs of corrosion anywhere. Inflatable factory spare and factory tool kit are included.
Outright spectacular is the 944's undercarriage. Showing nothing but beautiful factory finishes, it looks like the undercarriage of a pampered three-year-old car.
Let's drive!
Those who claimed that front engined Porsches lack the allure of their rear-engine counterparts must not have driven a 944 turbo. Due to the transaxle setup -- the 944 turbo has the same Type 915 transmission as the 911 Carrera -- weight balance is near perfect, and thus handling is neutral to a point you might not be able to explore on public roads.
Power delivery is smooth as silk, from idle all the way to redline. Once the turbocharger spools up, things happen in a hurry, almost on par with a 930, but less scary. Zero-to-sixty takes a mere 5.9 seconds, and if you keep the pedal to the metal, you'll find out how expensive a speeding ticket for 160mph can be!
An exceptionally well-built car by anyone's standard, many 944s were used without compassion, to a point of no return. Those who have survived the ravages of time are now desirable collector's items.
If there's one Porsche you should add to your stable and enjoy while its value goes up, it could very well be a finely preserved, all-original 944 turbo!
Addendum:
We sold this Porsche in Summer of 2016.
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