The 944S & 944S2: 1986-1991By 1986 the standard 924 was gone as was the 924 Turbo, and the demise of the 924S was all but certain. The 944, however, was basking in kudos. The recent upgrades to the normally aspirated model were being heralded and sales of the Turbo were gaining speed. Yet Porsche recognized there was a market gap between the two.
To fill this void, Stuttgart inserted the 944S. The most significant, or rather the only difference between the "S" and the standard 944 worth mentioning was that the 2.5-liter motor was capped with a twin-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder head. Except for a bit of machining to increase the inlet ports, the head was identical to that used on the 928S's 5-liter V8 powerplant.
Horsepower grew to 190 bhp at 6000 rpm, up nearly 30 horses over the standard model while torque increased to 170 lb-ft at 4300 rpm. To handle the added power, the transmission was adopted from the 944 Turbo.
The only disclosures that a particular 944 was a twin-cam S was the nomenclature under the rear spoiler and the nearly invisible "16 Ventiler" (16 Valves) badge incorporated into the side molding just forward the doors.
Receiving only a lukewarm reception from both the motoring public and the automotive press, the 944S quickly evolved into the 944S2 in 1989.
Smartly, Porsche revised the 944 in both prowess and style. The major boost for the S2 was Porsche's enlargement of the 2.5-liter four-cylinder to a full 3 liters while retaining the twin-overhead-cam layout. This elevated the power and torque to 211 bhp at 5880 rpm and 206 lb-ft at 4000, respectively. This increase was accomplished by enlarging the bore and stroke, changes that required the use of the aluminum engine block already used by the European 2.7-liter 944.
To get power to the wheels, the stronger five-speed gearbox of the S was used but with a taller final-drive ratio. A limited-slip differential was still an option, but there was to be no automatic transmission for the 3.0-liter 944.
Stylistically, the S2 was embellished with the sculptured polyurethane front bumper of the Turbo. This smoother nose cone, along with the power increase, gave the S2 a top end of 150 mph, a mere 10 miles off the 944 Turbo's and 911 Carrera's high-speed potentials.
The S2 could be had with the optional sports suspension including 30mm front and 20mm rear anti-roll bars. To stop the high-horsepowered 944, the car was furnished with the large four-piston calipers and ventilated disc brake system of Porsche's top-of-the-line 928S4. Wrapped around the stoppers were Porsche's "CS Design" 7x16- and 8x16-in. pressure-cast alloy wheels.
Perhaps one of the most elegant models of the 944 lineage was the S2 Cabriolet. This was precursor of the 944 Turbo Cabriolet, but unlike the Turbo Cab, the S2 Cab was built for 2 years. More than 5,500 cars were produced, a relatively low number for a 944, but certainly not as exclusive as the soft-top Turbo. Still, this is one of the most sought after 944s in today's market.
After only 9 years in production-a short stint for a Porsche, the 944 was discontinued. In terms of sales, the model was an outstanding success and while it did not replace the 911, it must be admired for its styling, performance and for possibly saving the German manufacturer from either a corporate merger or hostile takeover.