Porsche 944 Turbo Turbo S (951)
The Porsche 944 Turbo, internally designated 951, was Porsche's answer to the growing demand for a sports car that combined the accessible layout of a front-engine design with genuine supercar performance. When the Turbo S variant arrived in 1988, it raised the bar further with 250 horsepower, larger turbocharger, and enhanced chassis components that made it quicker than the contemporary 911 Carrera to sixty miles per hour.
The 2.5-liter inline-four engine was no ordinary four-cylinder. Derived from half of the 928's V8, it used a balance shaft system to eliminate the secondary vibrations inherent in large four-cylinder engines. The turbocharger, a KKK K26 unit, provided boost pressure of up to 0.85 bar, fed through an air-to-air intercooler. The Turbo S added a larger turbocharger with modified internals, higher boost pressure, and a revised engine management system that extracted an additional 30 horsepower over the standard Turbo.
What made the 944 Turbo special was its chassis. The transaxle layout — engine in front, gearbox at the rear — created near-perfect weight distribution that gave the car an uncanny ability to change direction. The steering was beautifully weighted and communicative, the brakes progressive and powerful, and the overall handling balance neutral in a way that few of its contemporaries could match. Porsche's own test drivers were known to prefer the 944 Turbo's dynamics to the 911's.
The Turbo S pushed the formula further with stiffer springs and dampers, revised anti-roll bars, and the 928 S4's larger brakes with ABS. The result was a car that could exploit its 250 horsepower with absolute precision, placing power exactly where the driver wanted it. On track, the 944 Turbo S was genuinely quick, capable of embarrassing far more expensive machinery through superior balance and consistency.
Visually, the 944 Turbo was distinguished from the naturally aspirated model by its wider front fenders accommodating the intercooler, a discreet rear spoiler, and wider wheels. The Turbo S added forged alloy wheels in a distinctive design. The interior was well-appointed with supportive sport seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and clear instrumentation that prioritized function over decoration.
The 944 Turbo represents an important chapter in Porsche history — the moment when the transaxle cars stopped being seen as junior Porsches and earned respect as genuinely exceptional sports cars in their own right. Today, values are rising as enthusiasts discover that the 944 Turbo offers perhaps the best value proposition in the used Porsche market: genuine factory performance, excellent build quality, and driving dynamics that remain impressive four decades later.
The timing belt is the critical maintenance item — failure destroys the engine. Ensure it has been replaced at the correct intervals (every 4 years or 48,000 miles). Check for cracked dashboards — a very common and expensive-to-repair issue. Inspect the turbocharger for shaft play and listen for whine. The transaxle torque tube bearings can wear, causing vibration. Check for balance shaft bearing wear. Power steering rack leaks are common. Verify pop-up headlight operation. Rust is less common but check sills and rear wheel arches.
The 944 Turbo was produced from 1986 to 1991. The standard Turbo produced 220 hp initially, later increased to 247 hp. The Turbo S (1988 only in some markets, with 250 hp) featured the larger turbo and enhanced chassis. A Turbo Cabriolet was also offered. Total 944 Turbo production across all variants was approximately 12,936 units.