The 944 Turbo (951)
The Turbo from model year 1986: what sets it apart from the naturally aspirated cars and how it evolved until 1991.
In short: The 944 Turbo – internally 951, 952 in right-hand drive – arrived for model year 1986. It has an exhaust turbocharger with a water-cooled bearing housing, an intercooler and an internally strengthened engine.
What makes the Turbo
The Turbo was the first Porsche production car with ceramic exhaust port liners and had forged pistons. It also had sodium-filled valves, thicker cylinder walls, a larger oil pump and an external oil cooler. The turbocharger sits on the side of the engine away from the exhaust and is cooled by water circulated by an electric pump.
Development
- 1985/86: presented in Geneva in March 1985; first about 176 cars for Europe, from 1986 for the USA.
- 1987: driver and passenger airbags standard in North America, ABS standard, low oil level warning.
- 1988: the Turbo S with a stronger engine (separate article).
- 1989–1991: the Turbo adopts the Turbo S engine.
Buying and care
Beyond the family’s weak points, the Turbo adds the boost system, turbo water pump, wastegate and intercooler. See the Turbo articles in the knowledge base.
Technical values
Only work with the workshop manual and the correct tools. Do not use unverified values without checking them – wrong tension values can destroy the engine.
| Value | Figure | Condition | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turbo up to 1988: engine / charger | M44/51 with KKK K26-6 | – | unverified | [2] |
| Turbo up to 1988: power | 220 hp (DIN) at 5800 rpm | Other figure: 217 hp (SAE) for 1985 | unverified | [3] |
| Turbo: compression ratio | 8.0 : 1 | – | unverified | [3] |
| Turbo: displacement / bore × stroke | 2479 cc / 100 × 78.9 mm | – | unverified | [3] |
| Turbo up to 1988: torque | 330 Nm at 3500 rpm | – | unverified | [4] |
| Turbo up to 1988: 0–100 km/h | 6.3 s | – | unverified | [4] |
| Turbo up to 1988: top speed | 245 km/h | – | unverified | [4] |
| Turbo up to 1988: kerb weight | 1280 kg, from 1987 1350 kg | Standard (DIN or EU) not stated | unverified | [4] |
Sources
- Secondary source Porsche 944 (Abschnitt «Production»)
Secondary source. Production tables per model year, no book citation; totals are partly inconsistent.
- Secondary source 944 Turbo (951) FAQ
Secondary source on the Turbo: charger, boost, wastegate, model years. Some figures quoted from the workshop manual, unverified here.
- Secondary source 944 specification tables
Data tables 944, Turbo, S, S2 (1983–1991).
- Secondary source Porsche 944
Secondary source. Covers special series (Turbo S, Celebration Edition) among others. «Technische Daten» table with torque, 0–100 km/h, top speed and kerb weight, without its own reference.