Porsche history · 1982–1991
Porsche 944: History, Specs & What to Know
By CarWhere Research · Updated
The Porsche 944 is a front-engine, rear-transaxle sports car developed from the 924 Carrera and premiered at the 1981 Frankfurt show. Porsche built 163,302 through 1991, its best-selling sports car up to that point. Versions ran from the 163 PS 2.5-liter launch car to the 211 PS S2 and the 250 PS Turbo.
The 944 took the 924's body shell, gave it the flared fenders of the 924 Carrera GT and replaced the Audi-sourced engine with a four-cylinder built by Porsche. Demand was immediate: Porsche says it took 30,000 orders in the first year, and in 1983 the 944 made up about 51% of everything the company built.
Over nine years the line split into naturally aspirated cars — the 944, the 16-valve 944 S and the 3.0-liter S2 — and the 944 Turbo. Porsche Cars North America also dates to 1986 the 944's place as the first car sold in the US with driver and passenger airbags as standard. Its successor, the 968, kept the layout and much of the body.
944 history: what changed, year by year
- 1981 — World premiere at the Frankfurt IAA with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder rated at 163 PS (120 kW).[1]
- 1982 — Introduced as a new model based on the 924, with a modified body and a Porsche-built engine.[2]
- 1983 — The 944 accounts for about 51% of Porsche's total production.[1]
- 1985 — The 944 Turbo is officially introduced.[1]
- 1986 — The 16-valve 944 S (190 PS) arrives, along with the 944 Turbo Cup race car (220 PS, 192 built).[1]
- 1988 — The 3.0-liter 944 S2 (211 PS) and the 944 Turbo S, limited to 1,000 cars with a 261 km/h top speed.[1]
- 1989 — The Turbo S engine (250 PS) becomes standard in the 944 Turbo, and the first 944 Cabriolet, based on the S2, goes on sale.[1]
- 1991 — The 944 Turbo Cabriolet (528 built) arrives, and the last 944 is built.[1]
How many 944s were made?
| Model / variant | Years | Units | What the figure counts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 944 | to 1991 | 163,302[1] | total built |
| 944 | to 1991 | 6,980[1] | total built |
| 944 | — | 528[1] | total built |
| 944 | — | 1,000[1] | production run |
| 944 | — | 192[1] | total built |
More model-by-model totals: Porsche production numbers.
944 variants and engines
| Variant | Years | Engine | Power | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 944 | 1982–1988 | 2.5 L inline-4, 8 valves | 163 PS[1],[3] | US rating 143 hp, later 147 hp. |
| 944 S | 1986–1988 | 2.5 L DOHC 16-valve inline-4 | 190 PS[1],[3] | US rating 188 hp. |
| 944 Turbo | 1985–1991 | 2.5 L turbocharged inline-4 | 250 PS from 1989[1],[3] | Earlier US cars rated 217 hp. |
| 944 Turbo S | 1988 | 2.5 L turbocharged inline-4 | 250 PS[1] | 1,000 built; 261 km/h top speed. |
| 944 S2 (Coupe and Cabriolet) | 1989–1991 | 3.0 L DOHC 16-valve inline-4 | 211 PS[1],[3] | US rating 208 hp. |
| 944 Turbo Cup | 1986 | 2.5 L turbocharged inline-4 | 220 PS[1] | Race car; 192 built, 272 kg lighter. |
Full trim-by-trim figures (US hp, torque, 0–60, weight, launch MSRP): Porsche 944 specs.
944 engine and drivetrain facts
- Front-mounted engine with the gearbox at the rear axle — the transaxle layout Porsche introduced with the 924 in 1976.[1],[2]
- Unlike the 924's Audi-sourced engine, the 944's four-cylinder was built by Porsche.[2]
- Displacement grew from 2.5 liters to 2.7 liters in the 1989 base car and to 3.0 liters in the S2; the 968 later used a 3.0-liter four with 240 PS.[1],[3]
- The 944 Turbo Cup race car was 272 kg lighter than the road car.[1]
What to check before you buy a 944
- Belt service: the four-cylinder uses a toothed timing belt plus a balance-shaft belt. Ask for dated invoices showing both belts and their tensioners were replaced, ideally with the water pump.
- Identify the variant from paperwork, not badges. Turbo, Turbo S and S2 cars carry a premium, and badges are easy to add; the factory record or original option sticker settles it.
- Rarity claims are checkable: Porsche built 1,000 Turbo S cars, 528 Turbo Cabriolets and 6,980 S2-based Cabriolets.[1]
- Every 944 is now more than 30 years old. Budget for a pre-purchase inspection by a specialist who knows transaxle Porsches, including a compression or leak-down test and a check of the clutch and torque tube.
How to verify a 944's factory options
Every 944 sold in the US carries a 17-character VIN, so its factory record can be checked from the VIN. The original option sticker, usually in the maintenance booklet, lists the M-codes if it survives. If build data for an older car is not available, Porsche's Certificate of Authenticity is the factory's own record.
See exactly how this 944 left the factory.
The CarWhere build sheet decodes a US-market Porsche VIN into the factory paint, interior and option codes recorded for it. $9.99. Build data is thinner for older cars, so the free availability check shows whether it exists for your VIN before you pay.
Porsche 944 FAQ
How many Porsche 944s were made?
Porsche built 163,302 944s from 1982 to 1991, including 6,980 S2-based Cabriolets, 528 Turbo Cabriolets and 1,000 Turbo S cars. It was the highest-selling Porsche sports car up to that point.
What years was the Porsche 944 made?
Porsche premiered the 944 at the 1981 Frankfurt show, introduced it in 1982 and built the last one in 1991. In the US it was sold from the 1983 model year.
How much horsepower does a Porsche 944 have?
The launch car made 163 PS (US rating 143 hp). The 944 S made 190 PS, the 3.0-liter S2 211 PS, and the 944 Turbo 250 PS from 1989; earlier US Turbos were rated 217 hp.
Does the Porsche 944 have an Audi engine?
No. The 924 used an Audi-sourced four-cylinder, but the 944 used a four-cylinder engine built by Porsche.
What replaced the Porsche 944?
The 968, which premiered at the 1991 Frankfurt show with a 3.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 240 PS and a six-speed manual. Porsche built 11,248 through 1995.
Related Porsche history
Specs, production and buying research
Sources
Production counts, power outputs and dates on this page come from the sources below. Where sources disagree, the page says so or uses Porsche's own figure.
- Time lapse: Porsche's transaxle models — Porsche Newsroom
- Porsche Historical Background: 1948-2025 — Porsche Cars North America (Porsche Newsroom)
- Porsche 944 specs (US-market figures, each sourced on the page) — CarWhere Research
Independent reference published by CarWhere — not affiliated with or endorsed by Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG. Porsche, 911, Carrera, Targa and Boxster are trademarks of their owner.