Everything you need to know about the Porsche 944
- The Porsche 944 was released in 1982
- It had a distinctive hatchback design
- These days the car is considered an icon
Published by Claire Reid
Edited by Kate Bain
With its pop-up headlights and curving lines, the Porsche 944 was a real head-turner back when it was released during the 1980s.
The Porsche 944 was launched in 1982, and it didn’t take long to win itself an army of fans.
In fact, the 944 was the marque’s most successful ever model, until the Boxster was released and claimed the title.
Although production of the 944 drew to a close more than 30 years ago – the vehicle remains a highly desirable model.
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Inside the Porsche 944
Porsche launched the original 944 vehicle in 1982, and it was soon followed by several other variants, including the 944S, the 944 Turbo, and the 944 Turbo S.
As you’d expect for the luxury carmaker, the interior of the 944 was finished to a high standard for the original model.
In 1985, the Porsche 944 underwent numerous changes, which included several upgrades to the interior, like a new dashboard and door panels, optional heated and powered seats, and a Porsche HiFi sound system, which would have been a pretty slick offering back in the mid-1980s.
The car also had airbags, which came as standard on the 944 Turbo model and were available as extras on all other variants.
Although the hatchback was sold as a four-seater, the ones in the back didn’t exactly offer tons of room.
But the rear seat backrests could be folded down to expand the space offered in the hatchback’s trunk, making the already decent-sized space even more roomy.
How about the exterior?
Designed by lead designer, Anatole Lapine, the Porsche 944 was made to turn heads.
While the hatchback was based on the 924, the 944 had a much more distinctive body shape with curving lines and an aggressive nose.
The car’s front spoiler was painted to match the rest of the paintwork and featured widened, slightly angular wings.
Oh, and let’s not forget those characteristic pop-up headlamps.
The car underwent a facelift in 1989 and was given a bulkier bodyshell, and the rear diffuser and spoiler seen on the 944 Turbo.
How did the 944 perform?
Porsche decided to ditch the V8 from the 924 and replace it with a 2.5-litre, four-cylinder inline unit instead.
The marque put the new engine to the test by entering it into the 1981 24 Hours of Le Mans race, where it was billed as a Porsche 924 GTP.
The car came in seventh place, having completed the 24 hours with 21 fuel pit stops and zero technical issues.
The original 944 engine produced 161 horsepower and could do 0-60mph (0-97km/h) in less than nine seconds.
Later variants of the car had different engines, with the most powerful being the second-generation 944 Turbo, which produced up to 247hp and could do 0-60mph (0-97km/h) in 5.9 seconds.
An impressive engine and speed for its time.
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Claire Reid is a journalist who hails from the UK but is now living in New Zealand. She began her career after graduating with a degree in Journalism from Liverpool John Moore’s University and has more than a decade of experience, writing for both local newspapers and national news sites. Claire covers a wide variety of topics, with a special focus on cars, technology, planes, cryptocurrency, and luxury.
