SG Archives: Porsche 944 Turbo

 SG Archives: Porsche 944 Turbo

Singapore - 24/8/23 - The Porsche 944 is an oddball Porsche if you read back in Porsche's lineage. Noted as "front-engine heresy", the beginnings of the front-engine Porsche sports car, the 924 and up, was seen as a shocking twist to what Porsche offered to customers at the time; from rear-engine Porsche, to front-engine rear-drive sports car. 

The origins of the Porsche 924 can be traced back to a contract commissioned by Volkswagen in 1972. Under the project code EA 425, Porsche's role was to design plus tune the car, whilst Volkswagen would supply their parts bin to assist with the project, not including their hard requirements, of course.

Porsche 924. Credit: Porsche UK

Whilst the contract never materialized into what it should have been, Volkswagen, after terminating the contract, offered Porsche to buy back the original design and help build it via their Audi plant.

Imported Porsche 924. Source: Satay by the bay 2022 meet

All is history past that offer. Porsche bought back the design, with no body panels from the initial EA 425 project being used in preparation for the new Porsche. It would be labeled as an entry-level model to the Porsche lineup.

Whilst touted as one of the best handling sports cars of its day, much of the 924's shortcomings would be improved on when the 944 was released. 

Porsche 944. Credit: Porsche

Among the new body panels, a replacement Porsche motor replaced the soon-to-be fully-supplied Audi 2.0L, a less Volkswagen-derived interior was underway, to say less of the 944 Turbo that would be touted as fastest car sold in America when it debut.

This Singapore-bound 944 is a Turbo, and is one of the last few 944's still in the land since day one. I believe there still is one red 944 cabriolet, one greenish 944 still roaming the country (As of 2023). There may be more, but from the top of my head I can only recall these three.

This car is for sale at the time of writing, so in the event should you be interested in owning this rare piece of Porsche history, you can have a look here.

 

(Photos taken in January 2022)

Currently, 944's can be imported into the country to be registered under the classic scheme. There has been at least one new unit already registered, so the populations of these front-engine Porsche's can slowly rise, but here's hoping these original scheme units last as long as they can.

~Efini