Model History

The 944 was Porsche's mid-range sports car positioned between the 924 and 911. It used a water-cooled four-cylinder engine mounted at the front with the gearbox mounted at the rear to provide better weight distribution; this resulted in one of the best handling cars to come out of the 1980s.

The aim of the 944 was to provide a luxurious long distance cruiser as well as an exciting and powerful road car. Its body was based on the 924 Carrera GT, and like the 924 it had a sloping glass hatchback for a more practical luggage storage area. The sunroof was a popular option as it was a removable metal panel meaning a near Targa-like open road experience.

The 944 was introduced for sale in 1982 and production ran for 10 years. It came in either a 2+2 coupe body or as an attractive cabriolet. There were several models made but it's the S2 that is featured here.

The S2's engine capacity was raised to 3-litres making it the largest four-cylinder engine in the world at the time, providing an impressive 208hp and 207lb of torque. It was Porsche's official replacement to the 220hp Turbo and used many of that car's chassis components. These included its stronger trans-axle, drive-shafts, brakes, wheels, and tyres. It looked just like a Turbo too; the wrap-around front bumper smoothed its snout, simple and attractive alloys filled the flared arches, and the under slung rear wing firmed up its tail styling.

When launched its main competition came from the Audi Quattro and Lotus Esprit Turbo. The S2 out-accelerated the Quattro in 0-60 and 1/4 mile sprints and was just a smidgen behind the Esprit, but its main trump card was its flexibility. In 4th gear every 20mph increment from 10-100mph took less than 7 seconds. No turbocharged car of the time could match this consistency nor deliver the sort of effortless and decisive progress. This smooth power delivery gave the S2 the throttle sensitivity for some predictable and very entertaining cornering.

Equipment

Stone Grey Metallic paintwork, Black leatherette and pinstripe cloth upholstery, 5-speed manual transmission, Electric sunroof with removeable panel, Electrically-adjustable seats, Cloth door panel inserts, Panasonic cassette radio, Digital clock, Top tinted windscreen, ABS, Alarm system, Immobiliser, Sunroof storage bag, Porsche Certificate of Production, Original sales brochure.

Exterior

This 944 S2 presents in wonderful original condition. The metallic grey paintwork has a lustful shine with only very minor imperfections to report, including some light stone chips to the rear arches and lower half of the front bumper. The car has clearly been cherished and kept out of the sun as all the black plastic trims and rubber seals remain in first rate condition. All the lights are moisture and crack-free, and the car still retains its original dealer-supplied number plates and window stickers.

VIEWINGS WELCOME BY APPOINTMENT ONLY /// ADDITIONAL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

Interior

The interior of this S2 is one of the best we’ve seen. The upholstery is completely wear-free with no marking to the leatherette bolsters, pinstripe cloth seat centres, or door cards. The steering wheel and gear knob still retain their original textured finish to the leather and there are no unsightly scratches or ring marks to note. The dashboard and centre console look like new and everything works just as it should including the Panasonic cassette player and digital clock. The boot area is also very tidy and contains the storage bag for the removable sunroof panel. The only upgrade over standard is a discreetly fitted immobiliser.

ENGINE & TRANSMISSION

The S2’s 3-litre 16v powerplant is as smooth as ever and the manual gearbox still feels really tight, all perfectly in line with the low mileage of just 70k. The engine bay presents in superb original condition with no signs of any damage, corrosion, or previous poor repair.

The accompanying paperwork shows the car to have been well maintained throughout its life with services carried out at the following mileages: 2,601 – 10,999 – 21,514 – 24,740 – 32,581 – 31,770 – 38,271 – 46,142 – 60,365 – 63,576 – 65,282 – and most recently at 66,228 miles in August 2021. This major service was carried out at Porsche Centre Brooklands and included a timing belt change and full mechanical shake down, with any worn items requiring attention being replaced, the invoice for this work totalling more than £4,600.

WHEELS, TYRES & BRAKES

The original 16-inch alloys are all in immaculate condition with no curb marking or corrosion to speak of. They are shod in Yokohama tyres all round, each one with ample tread remaining. The brakes have also been checked and are in fine working order with very minimal wear; new discs and pads were fitted all round in May 2020 at 65,018 miles.

The 944 also benefits from some recent underside mechanical work carried out at Porsche Centre Brooklands together with the last service. This work included two new front wishbones, four-wheel alignment, a new front-to-rear brake line, offside front brake flexi hose, and a brake fluid change – costing circa £2,950.

History File

This fantastic low mileage 944 S2 was first registered in August 1989. It has now driven just 70k miles from new in the hands of 7 registered keepers. The car is accompanied by a great History File complete with the original Porsche document wallet, handbooks, dealer-supplied service booklet, original sales brochure, Porsche Certificate of Production, and raft of invoices dating back to 1991.

The last service was only recently carried out in August 2021 at 66,228 miles. This was done at Porsche Centre Brooklands and consisted of a major service, cambelt change, and full mechanical shake down, the invoice for this totalling an eye-watering £4,622.89. Prior to that, in June 2021, the alternator was also replaced. All in all, a particularly fine example and a car we know well having sold it twice before.

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