0-60 in 5.5 sec 50-70 in 3.3 250bhp 160mph all for £4995.

[Andy335Touring]

I like 944's, especially if they come with an LS1 V8 engine !

Engine swap kit any one ?

http://www.renegadehybrids.com/944/ls1.html

[Jon_Bmw]

don't throw stones cos im in a 320i house? uv got a 318is? dont make me laugh. you shouldnt be throwing any stones!

Oh no the big 320 debate has arisen! Its a pretty well known fact the the 318is is a faster, more economical and better balanced car. Of course if you brought the 320 for the smooth engine and outrages fuel costs then fair play, not the wisest decision in anyones books though

If someone offered me a 318is or a 320 I would take the 318is everytime and i'm sure 80% of the people on here would do the same, the other 20% are lunatics

Anyway whats this got to do with a porsche 944

How many people can i real in here

[Sidrick]

RE: the 'poor man's Porsche' comment; I quite agree. Front engined, 4 cylinder(the majority being non-turbo) is hardly the makings of a future classic Porsche.

That is of course if we only compare the 944 to other Porsches......

The 944 is a fantastic car to drive(I've only driven the S2 myself), awesome braking, confident handling and great performance. Easily nicer to drive/faster/better all round than any non-M E30 or E36, IMO.

However, to compare the two is simply ridiculous. One being a sportscar, and the other a family saloon.

The parts costs are huge - E30 prices x 3-4 - and since it's now an 'old car' which was never too common in the first place, many parts are now dealer-only.

[e30bmlover]

'dont get any respect on the street'

WTF how sad are you? Who cares what others think

And if 944 = poor mans Porsche then what the hell do you think an E30 says in BMW terms?

'u buy an e30 for the drive and the smile factor'

Yep, but you need to remember the 944 will do exactly the same, it was the basis for the 968cs, which along with the e30 m3 is considered one of the best drivers cars ever.

Dont throw stones when you're in a glass 320i house

throw stones cos im in a 320i house? uv got a 318is? dont make me laugh. you shouldnt be throwing any stones! i only have the 320 because i choose to have it, i could go out tomorrow and get a 318is or a 325i or even (god forbid) an e36m3! if i was going to get a 325i it would be the m50. dont give me that crap. and i dgaf what other people think, they are classic cars now and need to be appreciated be it 316,318,320,323,325.

I'm curious have you actually ever driven a 318is? You seem to dislike them a lot...


I had a look at a couple of 944/924 at the "cheap" end of the price braket. Saw a dark blue 944 for £600 was nice had service history and NO rust. I wish i bought it but I made the mistake of "walking away to think about it" in which time it sold... The rest I saw were not as nice. Standard 944 was going to be cheaper to insure than a 325i for me for some reason...

Parts are a little more expensive, but not that much.

yes my friend i have driven a 318is, a friend where i used to work had one, in my opinion it was a screamer, didnt do it for me. as for petrol prices.... im not the type of bloke that worrys about petrol prices or mpg, i go to the petrol station fill her up and thats it.

[Pilsbury]

I don't know where you are plucking the parts cost figures out of, but, 3 or 4 times what an E30 costs is way wrong. Certain things like brake discs are a lot more expensive than an E30, but, that's because the 944 turbo has proper brakes that work. Normal service parts are not expensive at all, pretty much on a par with most other 4 cylinder turbo cars, or a 6 cylinder car for that matter.
Only a 4 cylinder eh? It's probably one of the smoothest 4 pots made, and is more than a match for a small BMW 6 in refinement. The same basic car and engine (in 16v turbo format) finished 7th in Le Mans in 1981, so, it can't be that bad can it?
A lot of 911 owners bought and still own 944 turbos as they offered the same performance and better handling at a lower cost, a lot of them still own them as well. Real Porsche enthusiasts see the 944 turbo as a classic already, and you seem to be forgetting that all road-going production Porsches before the 911 had 4 cylinder engines that share roots with the VW Beetle.
Go to almost any track day or privateer race series and you will almost certainly see people out in 924s, 944s or 968s.
Not popular? Around 150000 n/a's and over 25000 turbos seems popular enough to me. Of course it's not the 2.3 million+ of the E30.

I'd much rather have a good 944 turbo than spend a load of money on an E30 (as a lot of people here do) that no matter what, is still viewed by 99.99% of people as a cheap, old BMW. Not that I really care about what other people think about my cars, but, the 944 is a much more respected vehicle by those in the know.
It's great that you all think E30's are fantastic, but, there are other (dare I say better as well?) cars out there.
At least you know how good they are to drive though Sidrick. And none of these comments are meant as to incite flaming.

[Sidrick]

I don't know where you are plucking the parts cost figures out of, but, 3 or 4 times what an E30 costs is way wrong. Certain things like brake discs are a lot more expensive than an E30, but, that's because the 944 turbo has proper brakes that work. Normal service parts are not expensive at all, pretty much on a par with most other 4 cylinder turbo cars, or a 6 cylinder car for that matter.
Only a 4 cylinder eh? It's probably one of the smoothest 4 pots made, and is more than a match for a small BMW 6 in refinement. The same basic car and engine (in 16v turbo format) finished 7th in Le Mans in 1981, so, it can't be that bad can it?
A lot of 911 owners bought and still own 944 turbos as they offered the same performance and better handling at a lower cost, a lot of them still own them as well. Real Porsche enthusiasts see the 944 turbo as a classic already, and you seem to be forgetting that all road-going production Porsches before the 911 had 4 cylinder engines that share roots with the VW Beetle.
Go to almost any track day or privateer race series and you will almost certainly see people out in 924s, 944s or 968s.
Not popular? Around 150000 n/a's and over 25000 turbos seems popular enough to me. Of course it's not the 2.3 million+ of the E30.

I'd much rather have a good 944 turbo than spend a load of money on an E30 (as a lot of people here do) that no matter what, is still viewed by 99.99% of people as a cheap, old BMW. Not that I really care about what other people think about my cars, but, the 944 is a much more respected vehicle by those in the know.
It's great that you all think E30's are fantastic, but, there are other (dare I say better as well?) cars out there.
At least you know how good they are to drive though Sidrick. And none of these comments are meant as to incite flaming.

Good points, well made. However, I think you thought I was 'dissing' the 944.

I was merely pointing out that, IMO(and many others), the 944, being front engined and 4 cylinder is not exactly what people would associate/desire with/in a Porsche. (again)Personally, if I were to own anything with a Porsche badge, it's have to be 6-pot, turbo and CERTAINLY rear engined.

As for the parts prices, I plucked them from various places. I'm a partsman at a german specialist garage. Although the brakes are the main difference pricewise between the E30 and the 944, the suspension and steering components are also on different planets. But as you say, service parts are close, if not identical.

What I was trying to say was: The 944 is a stonking car. Fantastic in many aspects. However, it's by no means a flawless car, and infact has numerous drawbacks, mainly the stigma and the costs. And like I say, comparing it to an E30(as we've both been guilty of, is ridiculous)

[Pilsbury]

That's ok then!

[Chris-W]

I just sold my 911 because I was enjoying driving my Renault Clio more.

Driving enjoyment is where you find it! Not in image, parts prices or peer perception

[Sidrick]

I just sold my 911 because I was enjoying driving my Renault Clio more.

Driving enjoyment is where you find it! Not in image, parts prices or peer perception

But seriously, a Clio..........

[mk1chopper]

i hope this clio is a phase 1 16v or williams or a 172/182

[Pilsbury]

I hope it's a 1.1 Night and Day limited edtion.

[straight6]

So.....to sum up!!!

THE PORSCHE 944 S2/TURBO

Are fantatstic cars....servicing cost are the same, i was on the phone with Paragon Porsche and the 3 services they offer are priced almost identical to Munich Ledgends. Performance is outstanding, just think about overtaking.. 3rd gear 50mph behind a lorry, foot down>>>>>>3.3 seconds 70mph and climbing...WoW! that is pin you to the seat stuff, brakes are awsome, on the turbo SE they are lfted from the 928 S4 production line, remember the 928 S4 was a 175mph car with a stonking great V8 with no liners(oooops!)
The bodies dont rust, there are two seats in the back, well kinda hampster size seats, there is a tyre compressor, how cool is that. because the engines are big 4 pots they needed a balancer shaft esspecially on the 3 ltr S2, this makes the big 4 feel silky smooth, the power is delivered to the 225's at the rear via a torque tube, the shifts are solid. I could go on, but wont.

Here is an example from the trader-- 944 S2 3ltr-4cly 30-32mpg
211bhp @6700 RPM

325i Sport 2.5-6 cly 170bhp @6500 RPM 30mpg (maybe)


*multi-photos 1989 BMW 3 SERIES 325i 2dr Saloon, 113,000 miles, Silver 325i sport,service history, all MOTs, full grey leather interior, heated seats, full electrics, Toad alarm system, sound system worth £1000, new tyres and alloy wheels fitted £4475.00


1989 G Reg PORSCHE 944 S2 FH 2+2
2 Doors, Manual, Coupe, Petrol, 114,000 miles, Metallic Blue, 3 Owners. Adjustable seats, Alloy wheels, Cloth upholstery, Colour coding - Body, Electric mirrors, Electric windows, Electric sunroof, Full service history, Metallic paintwork, Power assisted steering. £4995.00

[Chris-W]

I hope it's a 1.1 Night and Day limited edtion.

Uncanny!

[Andyboy]

the amount of looks i get are unbelivable(loads)

Yeah, all pointing at your 320i badge and sniggering. Fool.

But about 944's - I wouldn'y really want a Turbo but a really well maintained 2.7 on F-G plate with a stack of bills is a much nicer place to be than a 325i Sport, 70% of which appear to be rusty buckets of shite.
Just be aware of some servicing costrs - i.e the cambelt and all the rollers. Avoid autos and the 16v engine, it's a bit of a disater zone. The old 8V 2.7 isn't a bad engine. Like any old car you'd need a weekend on it - hoses, V belts etc.

[e36boy]

I challenge you to find a GOOD 944 turbo for £4995, You'll maybe get a alright S2 for that but i doubt very much you'll get TURBO.

[zaust]

Would have a bm over a glorifide vw/audi any day, regardless of speed..
Now a 67 bug with a flat 6 that is a different story..

[Royalratch]

It's not so cool to be so fervently, blindly loyal guys.

Nobody can diss Porsche. They make the bst sports cars in the world period. I wouldn't even line them to BMW's in this case. The 924 and reg 944 are basic but the Turbo, S2 and 968 / 968CS (car of the year that one) are superb cars.

I love E30's but would definitley add a 968 to my stable.

As for everyone looking into the future and saying mad shit like 'it will go wroong, it costs billions to fix' that just is not true. Anything will go wrong if treated like shit. I'm guessing you all work on your cars as will any avid Porsche fan. The brand is up there too.

325i Sports, Mint Cabs and M3's are way overpriced in the UK. It is getting ridiculous and that's a FACT.

[bigkev]

944 POOOR MAN

[bigkev]

E30'rust what rust'

[bigkev]

i dont know about you guys but for me its all about driving something that is different,something that is getting on a bit and the satisfaction you get from knowing that you can use your own hands to keep this thing from rusting away/falling to bits and some people recognise this.i did a track day a week ago and probably 90% of the cars there would have pissed all over the C1 but at the end of that day i had a great time with her and thats what matters so if you can afford it why the fukc not go for a 944.its all about choice at the end of the day

[csl]

At the end of the day both the 944 and the e30 can be veiwed as classic/collectors cars and each have their own strong followings and as always prices are relevant to what us enthusiasts are willing to pay,thats why someone i came across recently paid £8000 for a basic spec. escort mk1 1300L.

[FBF]

porsche weighs in well but get a price to have a new clutch fitted.... ouch!

[Gouki]

i think I'd still stick with an E30 purely for the fact that you have more chance of getting parts. I know you can with a Porsche but I expect it be much more expensive. Unless you get a good example and thats the hard part. Not to mention you'll be lucky to still have the same stock power that it did when it came out of the showroom all those years ago.

[hammoj28]

Stick with an E30. Its a much better and cooler car. There are heaps of faster cars out there! Speed ain't the reason i drive an E30. its cos its so different and individual to what most 19 year old drive. I love the styling, the drive, positiveness and everything about it.

You could go out and spend 3k on an 80's 5.0 mustang gt which does a 13 second quarter mile. But i know fine that i would stil prefer to be driving my 318IS!

[Tom944]

I think the 944 Turbo and de e30 325i are very different cars. De build quality of the 951 is much better than the e30, you can feel this very good while driving but also when working on the car.

As said on the first page, you drive an e30 because it pushes your buttons. You like the car in many different ways, you don't really choose it for the power I think.

The 951 250hp version is a very quick car which you can easily get up to 310hp. Brakes are good, handling is wonderfull. See signature

[Conan]

I recently bought a mint e34 525isport with all the goodies: 200bhp, sports kit, sports suspension, lcd, Leather recaros, aircon, 80,000miles, FBMWSH........all for £2500



Half the price of an equivelent 325sport. I certainly dont feel like ive bought half the car.

Just as quick, more tourqe, quieter and more relaxing on the motorway, but tight and great handling on the twisties.

Something dont stack up?

[pacerpete]

I just bought a very nice '91 535 sport,sterling silver,black recaro leather,cold a/c cruise.lsd ,cd etc etc for £450 !
I like e30s but am the first to admit there are lots of great cars out there for similar or less money but porsches of any sort would not be on my list for BUDGET fun motoring !