PORSCHE

944 Turbo

A total of around 25,000 PORSCHE 944 Turbo have been produced on earth in Germany between 1985 and 1991. The Porsche 944 Turbo, known inside Zuffenhausen by its factory code 951, was launched in January 1985 as the forced-induction flagship of the transaxle 944 family. Where the naturally aspirated 944 had already proved that a front-engine, rear-transaxle Porsche could out-handle a 911, the Porsche 944 Turbo added a KKK turbocharger to the 2.5-litre inline-four to produce 220 hp, enough for a 152 mph top speed and a 0-60 mph time in the low six seconds. The first year saw only 178 cars built and none reached North America, which makes early Porsche 944 Turbo examples genuinely scarce today. The engineering ran deeper than a bolted-on turbo: the 951 received a strengthened block, a redesigned intercooler, ceramic exhaust port liners, four-piston brakes lifted from the 928 S, and a front bumper reshaped for cooling that gave the Porsche 944 Turbo its instantly recognisable flush nose. In 1988 Porsche released the 944 Turbo S, a limited run of 1,000 cars with 250 hp, an M030 suspension package, a limited-slip differential and Club Sport-derived hardware; its output became standard on the 1989 Porsche 944 Turbo. A cabriolet joined for the final 1991 model year. In total just over 25,000 Porsche 944 Turbo cars were built out of more than 163,000 944s of all types, and the model has spent the last decade climbing steadily out of bargain territory as collectors rediscover the near-perfect 50:50 weight distribution and the honest, mechanical feel of Porsche's 1980s transaxle era. Upgrades & evolutions during the Porsche 944 Turbo production: PORSCHE - 944 Turbo (951, 220 hp, 178 cars in year one) : 1985 - 1988 PORSCHE - 944 Turbo S (250 hp, M030, 1,000 units) : 1988 - 1988 PORSCHE - 944 Turbo (250 hp standard) : 1989 - 1991 PORSCHE - 944 Turbo Cabriolet (final model year) : 1991 - 1991 Average quotation for the Porsche 944 Turbo: cheapest US$12,000, average US$28,389, most expensive US$90,000 (listings and auction results, 2021 and 2026). CLASSIC.COM average for the 944 Turbo is US$28,389; the Turbo Cabriolet averages US$27,118. Turbo S cars sit at the top of the range.