The world of sports cars from Porsche’s transaxle family of products is a curious one, populated by vehicles ranging from complete basket cases to concours condition award winners. Of course, you could say the same about air-cooled 911s, but even the tattiest SC, Carrera 3.2 or 964 is going to set you back more than a mint-condition, same-age 944 Turbo.
The old adage buy the best you can afford applies whatever Porsche you’re thinking about acquiring, but where most classic 911 owners are unlikely to get their hands dirty, the 944 Turbo’s conventional layout (engine at the front) and relatively easy access to the model’s vital organs make it much more of an inviting prospect for a home mechanic. Add the lower cost of servicing, repair and general maintenance when compared to ownership of a same-age 911, and it quickly becomes apparent how a 944 Turbo in need of a little work can be a safe place to park your cash. And you thought seeing your name on the logbook of a Porsche wearing a Turbo badge was out of reach when working with a modest budget?!
Having said all this, in recent years, the 944 Turbo has found a new following among a generation of owners who hold the model in high regard. Rightly so, but increased demand means bargain 944 Turbos are becoming increasingly hard to come by. On a positive note, increased value means owners are spending decent money on the upkeep of their cars, but if you’re pondering whether now is the time to buy a 944 Turbo, our advice is to do so before it’s too late.
M44 TURBO ENGINE: PART I
Looking back, it seems inevitable the 944 Turbo would come into being, but turbocharging was still relatively new to the automotive world when the Turbo came to market in 1985, just three years after 944 model launch. Porsche was, however, at the forefront of automotive turbocharging development, having already proven the technology’s usefulness in its earlier race and road cars. The latter story started with the 930, a suitably exotic range-topper for the 911 line-up. Turbocharging quickly trickled down to the 944’s predecessor, the 924. The 924 Turbo and 924 Carrera GT homologation special lead to moderate motorsport success, but also helped establish the genre in the road car marketplace, which is why Porsche was confident its development of a turbocharged version of the 2.5-litre M44 engine would reap reward.
Given the market success of the 924 Turbo, it was
