2022’s BEST BUYS
UP TO
£50k
944 TURBO CABRIOLET
D
espite those in the know recognising the 924 as being an excellent Porsche with great handling characteristics, the model faced criticism from purists concerned about the marque diversifying into engine temperature management of the distinctly non-air-cooled variety. Add the 924’s origins as a joint venture between Porsche and Volkswagen and, before long, accusations of the frontengined, water-cooled model being anything but a ‘proper Porsche’ were thrown around, criticism then company CEO, Ernst Fuhrmann, was keen to dispel through a series of high-profile 924 race and rally entries, some of which you’ll read about later in this magazine.
Owing to it being a purely Porsche product, the 944, launched in 1982, succeeded where the 924 failed — it was welcomed with open arms and would go on to become the brand’s most successful product, selling in huge numbers until discontinuation almost a decade later. Here was a Stuttgartcrested sports coupe launched with a robust 2.5-litre inline-four — essentially a developed 928 V8 cylinder bank — from Zuffenhausen’s own stable. The car boasted wide rear quarters (heavily influenced by the shape of the 924 Carrera GT, a model wearing giant wheel arch extensions long before anyone had heard of Rocket Bunny, RAUH-Welt Begriff or Liberty Walk), superior handling and, in true Porsche fashion, was the subject of a continuous development
programme resulting in various coupé and drop-tops equipped with a choice of naturally aspirated or forced induction powerplants. In 1991, Porsche unveiled the 944 Turbo Cabriolet. By then, the boosted hard-top variant of the 944 was chucking out 250bhp and had been treated to suspension, brake and transmission upgrades formerly the reserve of those taking advantage of main dealer cost options. The turbocharged al fresco 944 inherited the same kit from the off. Of the 625 examples made, none were imported Stateside and only 100 were configured with right-hand drive, making the model a rare sight in the period and even more so now (just sixty-two examples are listed at howmanyleft.co.uk, and half of those declared SORN). The 944 Turbo Cabriolet’s
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