The 944 family at a glance

In short: The 944 arrived for the 1982 model year and was built until 1991. All versions share the transaxle layout: engine at the front, gearbox at the rear axle, joined by a torque tube.

The versions

• 944 – the naturally aspirated four-cylinder with two valves per cylinder, first as a 2.5 litre, from early 1989 as a 2.7 litre.
• 944 S – model years 1987 and 1988, with a four-valve head and twin overhead camshafts.
• 944 S2 – from 1989 with the four-valve engine enlarged to 3.0 litres, plus Turbo-style front and rear aprons.
• 944 Turbo (951) – from model year 1986 with an exhaust turbocharger and intercooler.
• 944 Turbo S – a special series in 1988 with a stronger engine; from 1989 the Turbo adopted that engine.
• Cabriolet – as the S2 Cabriolet from 1989 and as the Turbo Cabriolet in 1991, with the body converted by ASC in Heilbronn.

Shared engineering

The engine is an alloy four-cylinder that is essentially half of the 928’s V8, with few shared parts. Two counter-rotating balance shafts smooth out the vibration typical of a large four-cylinder. Thanks to the transaxle layout the weight is almost evenly split between the axles (about 50.7 % front).

How do I tell the models apart?

The VIN shows the type (944 family or Turbo) but not whether a car is a 944, S or S2. Engine number and the vehicle data label help here – and so does the 944.world decoder.

Power figures for each model are in the model articles. Figures differ depending on measuring standard and market (Europe or USA).