Imagine a car that out performed every stock Porsche built in 1989 in acceleration, braking, cornering, top speed, and FUEL ECONOMY. Imagine a car capable of getting 29 miles per gallon and going 162 miles per hour. Imagine a $50,000 car that you could buy for under $15,000. Now wake up and see that the car exist. It's a 1989 944 Turbo (or 1988 944 Turbo S). Here's the run down. The 944 Turbo S was a limited production Porsche built to the specifications of Porsche's European Cup car and offered for sale in the U.S. in 1988. In 1989 all 944 Turbos imported to the states were built to "S" specifications but did not carry the "S" designation (a lucky soul might find a 1989 Turbo that someone sells not knowing it is built to "S" specifications). 1989 was also the last year the 944 Turbo was exported to the U.S. (though non-turbo 944's came in through 1991). If you find a 1990 or 91 944 turbo it is either a grey market (personally imported)car or a non-factory turbo.
The car had upgrades from the regular 944 turbo and many changes from the non-turbo 944. Significant changes included 247 HP versus 220 in the regular turbo. Larger brakes, larger sway bars, limited slip differential and ABS (optional on non-"S" turbos). For the 1989 model year the 944 turbo boasted the best performance of any Porsche model (yes even better than the 911 turbo) doing the 1/4 mile in about 13 seconds, 60 MPH in 5.5 seconds and with a top speed of 162 versus 155 for the 911 turbo.
The 944 turbo is a forgiving car to drive, but is capable of enormous speed which can spell trouble for drivers who don't respect their limits. It can also be an expensive car to own, even though they have a good record as durable automobiles. The turbo S is very complex with lots of plumbing and electronic engine management systems. You can spend thousands on the car to get it to 100% when it is performing at what initially appears to be flawless levels (I drove a car that seemed very sound to me and the inspection turned up a "small" engine management problem that was apparent only under "spirited" driving. The owner paid $3400 to fix that problem and the car was worth no more than his original price after the fact.
The key for most buyers is to get the car inspected by a mechanic who knows 944's (I encountered a dealer mechanic who had never actually been underneath one). A 944 turbo that is cheap to buy could be expensive to own. Typical issues in good running cars are oil leaks, clutches, and timing belts. The clutch can be checked through a port visible from under the car, but will not always give obvious signs of needing replacement. The belts should be replaced every 4 years or 40,000 miles at a cost of between $1000 - $1400. A broken belt can mean a $10,000 repair bill.
All of this may sound like a negative review of the 944 turbo - but its not. This car will approach supercar performance levels. Indeed it is a popular car for club racing. For the money they are hard to beat. They are very fast, corner very well, and stop very quickly. But the newest ones are 17 years old and repairs are expensive. The payoff is driving an incredible car that shouldn't lose much value if you maintain it because only 2,103 S spec turbos came to the U.S. You won't find turbo S cars on every corner. However, they don't look different from a regular turbo which number nearly 12,000 imported state side. The S is the ultimate 944. You can drive it like the good doctor and putter along getting 29 mpg. If you put your foot in it, even Mr. Hyde would smile at the performance. The drawback is it could also murder your budget if you break it.
Amount Paid (US$): 9000
Condition: Used
Model Year: 1989
Model and Options: turbo s with m030 package