The Porsche 944 Is an Undervalued Fun Sports Car 

used to be undervalued at least…

For the second consecutive 944 video, Doug failed to mention that the sunroof is easily removable and designed to fit snugly in the trunk.

My dad bought new 944 in 1982 from Riyadh, drove it to Finland (Saudi-Arabia - Syria - Jordania - Turkey - Greece - Jugoslavia - Austria - Germany - Denmark - Sweden - Finland) and sold it in 1989, after years he really missed that car a lot.. I found it 2020 and bought it back, never gonna sell it. I will keep it till I'm old (now 32y). Sadly my dad is not seeing our 944 anymore, but I did it.

Growing up in the 80s, this was the car my friends and I really wanted. I think mainly because of all the exotic sports cars out there, this one seemed the most attainable.

I’ve been thinking about getting one of these for a while now, this definitely helped me make the choice. Only problem is that this video is gonna raise the value of the car 😂

Doug breaking tradition of not showing himself climbing into the back seat. 😢

The way they feel sturdy, solid, substantial in that 80’s German sense, yet still drives like a very light car which it is for a GT car. The way the doors thunk shut, the German car smell, the bolt action feel of the shifter, and the smoothness of the engine are what I most appreciate about these cars. And man they still can get the looks.

This was a trip down memory lane Doug! My dad had a black 944. My brother and I, at 4 and 5, spent lots of time cruising around town and short road trips to the oregon coast with him. The 944 informed my early love of quick acceleration onto the freeway through cloverleaf on ramps. I don’t have a Porsche yet but working my butt off to recapture this Porsche magic.

Correction, The Porsche 944 WAS an undervalued sports car

Hopefully this video doesn’t inflate 944 prices too bad. Us 944 owners are very humble about our cars being an incredible value. Sure we love that our car is worth more, but that also means other people won’t have the same opportunity to experience the 944

I'm one of those weirdos who owns more than one vintage Porsche. I have a 1986 944 that I have owned for more than 20 years. Earlier this year I decided to sell the car because I was not driving it. Car is beautiful, has always been garaged, and needs nothing, but to prep it for sale I put new tires on it. I had a blast driving it home from the tire shop, and soon started taking it out "for one last drive" before listing it for sale. Driving it has caused me to fall in love with the car all over again. Now I am driving it daily and enjoying the hell out of it. It's just loads of fun. It may not be "fast" by modern standards but it definitely goes fast (hauls ass on the interstate!), handles like a dream, and gets a positive response wherever it goes. I've decided I can't sell it -- I'm keeping this car!

I bought my base 1985/1 944 just before covid for 8k and it is just amazing. 100k ODO from the original owner, all working features, with all maintenance records. Drives like a dream. I pretty much daily it bone stock with a few minor repairs but an absolute blast! IMO some of the best styling of the era. PS. It's fully stocked with great cassettes to get the vibe right. Great review Doug!

Nice one for sure Doug! The 944 was one of the best cars I've ever owned. Bought it back in 2005 from a co-worker (the original owner) who had it pigeon-holed in his garage with 114K miles on the clock. After the birth of his second child (circa 5 years) he stopped driving it completely and his wife didn't drive it because it was a manual. He was fine with it languishing in the garage as a memento of his bachelor days...but his wife REALLY wanted that parking spot, so it only a matter of time. I think it took me about 8 months to finally get him to part with it. All we needed to do to get it started was to flush the fuel system, change the oil and replace the battery. Car fired RIGHT up. I eventually changed the spark plugs, wires, tires, etc and the car ran FLAWLESSLY for another 15k miles. All the fun came to an end when a careless driver ran a stop sign and T-boned me. I really enjoyed the handling and even though it had like 145-150HP, it was fun to drive. I've owned a couple of 911s (930/02 vintage) but for me personally, I preferred the 944 driving experience...or maybe it was just that particular one? I would like to find a Turbo SE one day...

I club raced a 944 and later a 968 for 20 years, and the cars are so much fun to drive. I won a fair amount of races in my class with them, and the handling is just so predictable and steady, all with great reliability. While I love my current 991.2 GT3, I still smile whenever I see one of these

A correction: The 944S2 was 3.0L and had many differences when compared to the S, most notably the larger engine, Turbo nose and rear end treatments, wheels too. In the 968 that same 3.0L engine as in the S2 was used, with a different intake system to liberate more power. I had a red 944S2 with parchment leather interior, aged 21, in the mid-90s. Wonderful car that I had a great time in for several years. I wish I still had it to this day.

It is not mentioned enought that the Porsche 944 had the platform of the 924 launched in 1976 with a front engine but importantly a rear gearbox, to even up weight distribution and give the car excellent handling, indeed much better than the tail, heavy 911. Porsche/Audi decided on this layout after seeing Alfa Romeo who came out with the Alfetta, again front engined and rear transaxle/gearbox in 1972 and which outhandled anything in its class and beyond also. Indeed there was a battles between the Porsche 944 and Alfetta GTV6 in Road and Track in period.

Very nice car. You forgot to mention that the sun roof can be removed and that the rare seat can be folded, so you have more cargo space. The car is "slow" for modern standards but, at the time, when a segment c car had less than 100cv and a b segment was around 50 cv, having 163 or 190 cv was a lot.

Well done Doug its gonna go up in value now😂

They keep get better looking every year, not sure how that happens but I like it more every year.

I'll preface what I have to say by telling you guys that I own Comeau Racing Enterprises, Inc., a shop in San Diego that ONLY works on 944 types. Nothing but 944's for 20 years now. I've had my finger on the pulse of the 944 market that whole time. While I don't doubt that Doug will bring even more attention to these cool, fun as hell Porsches, they have already been steadily rising in value for at least the last 5 years. So let's not "blame" (LOL) Doug for increased values. Everything he said was accurate ( a nice change from the many myths about the model seen elsewhere) except for the cars being slow part. Plenty fast enough to be super fun, but I guess that's relative? The good news for you guys wanting a 944 type is that if you buy one now, you can still expect a nice future investment value. Make sure you buy smart though and actually GET what you expect. Don't be scared by higher mileage cars either. What matters is the CURRENT condition of all the systems. A 90K mile car on original parts might seem great, but it's due for a water pump and a clutch right NOW. We have customers with over 200K miles on the clock. The highest is one with over 400K! These are robust cars if maintained. Whether you get a sub-$5K fixer-upper ( it's the journey), or you get a +$20K beauty ( it's the destination) you're going to be getting many smiles per mile. Cheers!

Loving this recent string of modern classics in your reviews Doug! It's a welcome change from the modern cars for those of us who are deeper in the hobby.

The mentioned Trip Odometer button is notorious among us 944 owners. If you press the button while the car is moving, it's incredibly likely that it'll break the Odometer and trip meter. Like I could guarantee that if I do that it'll break.

You can replace the incandescent light in the key with a 5mm LED for a perfect fit. You then replace the coin cell battery with two of a specific model that are the same diameter but half the thickness. Stacking them boosts the voltage to 3V for the LED. The LED is way brighter. The park brake was down on the left, like some exotic cars. Also, the climate controls had separate levers for opening the defrost and floor (the dash vents all had individual shutoffs), so you could find the perfect balance of air out of all 3 locations.

Fun fact; the door handles are shared with different Audi/VW products of the time (Audi coupe, VW Golf) The ones with the “Porsche” script are actually more rare and hard to get in Europe. The earlier cars didn’t have them.

Doug is the kinda person who would tell his waitress to check out cars and bids

The 944 is a wonderful car, even the sound of the door closing is satisfying. Love mine, hope I never have to get rid of it.

I had an 85' as a senior in high school. Black with those black italian wheels. Those backseats could fit a few high school girls. Left a nice oil spot on my parents driveway.

Thanks Doug. Purchased a 1986 Alpine White 944, NA, 5-speed for our 16yr old son when he made Eagle Scout. Manual so he’d learn to drive and not be able to text at the same time. Also 150hp so he won’t be burning up the pavement at the same time. Fantastic and solid car! Enjoy your reviews!

Cant wait to see the part three review in 8 months…

one of the best things about this car is that it definitely FEELS fast. you are incredibly low to the ground and you can visibly see and physically feel the back of the car dip down multiple inches while accelerating and it just feels so right 16:26

I owned a 1986 944. I once took a 4 hour trip with 4 adults, two of which were over 6' tall, one in the back seat. I also ran a small landscape business with it, carrying all my tools including rakes, shovels, etc. in the large cargo area. It was a beast.

I've had a 944 and a 944 Turbo. These are amazing cars. The door sound is the best but I think the turbo is 10x better than the N/A.

The 944 is still common at PCA track days. In the early 80s, the 944 was my goal while in college. By the time I graduated, it cost $30K and I only made $15K a year. I was able to save up for a $13K Dodge Daytona Turbo. The 944 then the 968 always stayed above what I could afford.

My favorite landscape truck I ever borrowed for a season was an 86 944 base model 🤎🤘 Facts: you can fit 150 feet of poly, enough shovels and picks and rakes for two folks, a wheel barrow, and every fitting and head needed for the install, inside the lil buggers 😂 Correction: I had the wheelbarrow strapped to the trunk lid, upside down and backwards, so the handles stuck out just above the sunroof... Also had one heck of a Highway Patrolman's mustache at the time 😏 Best. Summer. Ever. ✨

I've always had a soft spot for the styling. Say what you will, but I love the split bumper extensions, telephone-dial rims, and the "I-beam" steering wheel. Wedges were all the rage with the supercars, but the 944 slantnose is plenty of classic 80's aesthetic on a budget. Well, semi-budget, but you get my drift.

Heck yeah. I had an 86 for a couple years and I loved it. The best part was even all these years later it still looked great! Very stylish, and it had a big old cargo area too. As a musician I loved it because I could actually carry my gear in it. Too bad they are so expensive now. I’d love to have another.

A friend of mine had a base model 85 944 back around 04 when i was a teen. It was all moldy and mildewy smelling, and was beige on brown interior, with rust and dents. He'd tell girls he had a porsche when trying to show off and they'd be like "where is it" 😂

One of these was a daily driver for me for 6 years and I loved it... I should look into a Cayman or Boxster to get that fun back. One thing Doug didn't mention is the solid metal sunroof can also unlock, then retract the lifting arms and store the roof in the back for a semi-targa feel.

I had two different 944 and then a 951 (the turbo). Loved them all especially the turbo. Doug, as always your "flair" was great, however one thing I think was important you left out...the transmission was mounted in the rear. Additionally the 951 was the bane of the 911 of the same decades and the 951 turbo was faster than the 911 turbo up to about 90mph. Again, thanks for your videos.

Doug - thank you for this review. I lost my uncle in December 2021, and he used to have a red 944 when I was a kid. This video brought back some nice memories ;)

My father had a 944-S2 when I was a child. Thought it was soooo cool. Back seats were hilarious as my younger siblings barely fit, but otherwise a fantastic machine.

Great, another car I can scratch off the 'can afford soon' list. Thanks doug!

Love this! My very first car was a red on black 1987 944S with the 928 package (928 style wheels, suspension tweak...) I absolutely loved that car, one of my favorites! It did have some interesting quirks. Starting with the REMOVABLE sunroof that fits neatly in the trunk... I was often asked why my car had a deadbolt lock - the alarm key. Super reliable, easy to work on, parts are (were) cheap and readily available. It made a novice driver feel confident too. Fantastic driving dynamics and perfect weight distribution. 10/10 recommend.

Had one of the turbos in my early twenties when they first came out and floored it between 140mph to 155mph down the autobahn every day to work, great fun

Had an 87 S just like that one. A very comfortable, beautifully designed, incredible handling car. You really had to wring it out to get that 190HP, but it was there, and it sounded amazing. Looks way sexier in person than on camera. Pretty reliable if you change the timing belt when the manual says to.

Glad I bought mine pre Doug-tax 😂

40k timing belt replacement interval. Make sure it’s done before you buy or factor that into the price. Even if the mileage isn’t requiring it, if the car has sat for a few years, you’ll still need it.

My first car was a 944. LOVED it. Put plexiglass in the rear, carbon / fiberglass hood, big brake kit, did some mild power adders, it was a fun car to start learning how to auto cross in. I drove mine a lot in Los Angeles crest highway. Just fun.

Doug missed my favorite quirk of all, the fuse tester built into the top of one of the relays in the fuse box! I love that on my car and have actually used it.

Two 944 reviews and Doug hasn’t removed the roof panel…that’s the best feature after the poppies to me. Gotta do one more 944 review I guess, my ‘83 with steering rack and the early-style dash (much better looking) is avail 😊

What a great breakdown of the history. Thanks for doing the legwork for us, Doug!

I had a 1986 944 back in 86, just an awesome car all around , handled like a dream ( the 944 had a 50/50 balance front and back) . It was very quick and fast enough. Drove it 130,000 trouble free miles. Just a joy , really miss it.

I have an ‘88 944 as my semi daily driver. It’s such a well balanced car.

I read many magazine reviews of 944's in the 80's and he pretty much nailed it. SLOW, like 0-60 in 9 seconds slow....but amazing handling that more than compensates. I was usually compared to the Corvette or the 2nd gen RX-7 which was almost a copy of the 944, but with a rotary engine.

Hi Doug - worked in the Middle East in the 80s and used to drive one of these. Absolutely loved it. Some very long straight roads allowed flat out on the roads - think I got 145 mph. Scary when heat hazes limited how far you could see.

My brother has one of these. It was his first car. I remember sitting in the back seats whenever we went somewhere with a extra passenger, and I just love how they drive

My best friend had a regular ‘88 944 in high school. I can definitely agree with the backseats being tiny-nearly unusable in my opinion. 4 of us crammed into that car and I was folded up like a crushed taco in the back seat lol Looking back on it, it was a slow small car but at the time it seemed like the fastest car in the world, it sounded great and the smell… I can still smell that Porsche smell to this day

I had a 944S just like this. I would not suggest buying unless you are comfortable doing most of the maintenance yourself. Otherwise the maintenance costs just don't match the performance. These are gorgeous cars, and the design is so perfectly 80's in the best way. In the end, I decided the upkeep wasn't worth the work and money for a car that was so slow. I think the turbo model is the sweet spot, but that puts you in the 20k range these days. I'm glad others are keeping these beauties going but I just couldn't justify it anymore.

My first manual car was a gold 1983 944. I learned to drive stick driving it 4 hours back home. Loved that car.

Seeing the thumbnail of this video made my day. The 944 has been my favorite car forever so I’m glad to see it getting the recognition it deserves

Bought a base model 944 about 2 years ago for $8,000. I felt at first that I overpaid, but now I don’t think that’s the case.

I had a 86 turbo. Loved the way the doors sounded when you closed them. The 80s turbo lag was fun when it finally kicked in. The previous owner had switched the bumpers to euro spec(no black rubber) and did a few other things. It looked great and was really fun to drive. Until you had to take it to a random german car mechanic. There was always either a really cheap part that was complicated to get to which meant a lot of labor time. Or a really easy thing to get to that was expensive because they didn't make them anymore. These are cheap because of the cost to keep them running well is high compared to what you payed for the car in the first place.

I am so happy to see Doug DeMuro cover this car! The 944 is one of the few Porsche designs I ever liked ( the other is the Carrera GT ). This car seemed a nicer design than the 924, though less "modern " ( even today ). It was always... disheartening that Porsche snobs generally looked down on the 944. Thanks for the review, Doug!

I bought my Wife that exact model and color combo in 1998 for her Birthday. We owned it for 2 years, and I still miss that car.

Wow, thanks, Doug, I was just looking into buying one of these locally, and now that this video has been made, seems like my decision needs to come sooner than expected otherwise I'm screwed. Good to see another great video by you!

Interesting that you have this car to review soon after the RX7 GSL SE. As they were often compared against each other back in the 80s. The RX7 had faster acceleration and a higher top speed than the 944. But the 944 had better handling and breaking. The RX7 was about $6000 cheaper than Porsche. I had the pleasure of owning 2 first Gen RX7s and had no regrets.

I’m so happy you did a video on the 944. I have had my ‘86 944 for just over 5 years and I love it so much. I bought it for my first car and I plan to keep it forever.

I guy at my high school had one of these and I’ve always thought it was so cool. Would definitely love to own one some day.

Amazing review Doug, you really conveyed the fun to drive a slow car fast ethos. I believe you want something like this that prioritizes handling/responsiveness for the street. Watching this brought me back to your original 944 video and playing Forza Horizon 3. I enjoyed this during my lunch break.

I've never owned one of these, but I've driven them. Basically it's a 21st century driving experience (very BRZ-ish) combined with a 1970s interior experience. Definitely puts a smile on your face.

Brings back so many memories for me. In the early nineties I had a 1986 944 in Guards Red with a black pinstripe interior, and it was a great car! It was such a magnet for boy racers in their uprated Ford XR's or Capris who wanted a race off the traffic lights and it always left them behind once you got over about 40mph, I remember seeing their annoyed faces in the rear view mirror 😁

Thank you for sharing this fantastic tribute!

I’m broke but I’ve driven a couple of them it’s still the only Porsche I want I think it’s beautiful and fun

I wish Doug would review cars that he hasn't already reviewed several times. I feel like he's doing it just to advertise cars&bids. Of course he can do whatever he likes, but I'm not really a big fan of it.

Tiff Needell a well known ex Porsche race driver from the 80s was invited to speak at a Porsche Club Ireland dinner in Co.Mayo in 2022 - When asked what the best driving Porsche was he said without doubt it was the 944 Turbo - The "Not a real Porsche" brigade quietly vomited under the tables at the thought of their prize Beetles being tarnished in such a fashion ! How dare he say that 😅

I remember growing up in New York. most ppl had an after market alarm. Key hole was usually mounted on front left fender. I don’t miss loud alarms going off all night when someone bumped into your car trying to park or maybe trying to break in. 😂

I daily drive a 944 for 2 years now and it puts a smile on my face every time. It's surprisingly practical with the huge trunk and generally easy to own. Spare parts are fairly easy to come by and maintenance need is minimal. Rust is basically a non-issue on this car, which is pretty rare for cars that old. It drives like a dream and I really love it.

NOOO YOU'RE MAKING IT MORE EXPENSIVE!!!

As always. A very nice presentation. The best car youtuber

I just picked up a beautiful 83 early model 944 for under 3k 6 months ago. If you were thinking of buying one, here's a couple of things I wish I'd known before, and I wanted to pass it down to anyone curious. Check your timing belt before or after your purchase. also check the carfax if the odometer matches. get a prepurchase inspection too if you can. not many shops specialize in watercooled 80s prosches but there are still some shops left. find out what type of maintenance youll need to give yourselves a peace of mind. if you change your timing belt, just go ahead and replace your waterpump and thermostat too. if your temp guage is always pretty high, sometimes it's a coolant problem or a the temp guage itself. Doug really explained the 944 really well. The handling is phenomenal on corners. A well-oiled 944 is rewarding so don't skimp out on maintenance or you'll end up having to do a rebuild. Whether you buy one fully looked after or restoring a project, it's gonna be a fun daily or sunday cars and coffee car on a budget.

It was undervalued 2 hours ago…..

Finally he learned how to adjust the passenger mirror 😂

One of these was in the movie "Sixteen Candles"...both my uncle and aunt had 944s as well...my aunt had a brown automatic, and my uncle had a yellow automatic that he let me drive on occasion. Loved the square steering wheel as opposed to the 3 spoke...

Remember when Doug used to sit in the rear seats of every car he reviewed?

My girlfriend’s 944S does 0-60 in about 6.9 seconds. That’s pretty quick for the 80’s. However, that only applies to the cooler months. Now that it’s almost summer, the 0-60 is like 9 seconds. (Yeah, I think there’s something wrong with it)

I had one, the '89 2.7L version, it was loads of fun to drive. It got to the point where it needed new bearings, clutch, A/C, tires, etc. - just decided to get rid of it. That was 2012. Looking at the prices now I wish I'd held onto it.

I loved the way the manual transmission felt. At the time the centering springs was pretty stiff for the time and it was a lot of fun to drive.

Well there goes my chance of owning one of these for cheap.😂

Bought my first 944 (a '91 S2) 12 years ago, totalled it, bought something else (Z3 Coupé) to replace it but ultimately had to have one again. In my fourth year of owning an '88 S now. Unfortunately I didn’t have the funds back then to go buy an S2 again (all 944s have gotten quite expensive over here in Germany since I bought my first one), but the S started to grow on me 😉

Caaaars and bids got me everything keep it up

I 100% agree, I leaned to drive in my parents 1989 944S2. It was one of my favorite cars. Mom smashed it up, about 20 years ago.

It’s the only Porsche I want

Noooo! Stop reviewing all the affordable fun cars! It makes them too expensive. 😂

My dad had a silver 944 he raced it on track all the time. He passed it over to me because I had just got my licence and my first car was an Eagle Talon but it kept breaking down and so I sold it and took the 944! It was so much fun. I got a new smaller sportier steering wheel. The original wheel was big and I never liked the look but that was the only not original thing ever done to it, only issue I ever had was the hatch would open at random times so I had to replace the latch but yea, it was a absolute blast!

I ordered a black 85 1/2 from the factory. Porsche first introduced those cookie cutter wheels with the 85 1/2. I was 22 years young then, and the 944 was a hot car. I drove the hell out of it, and it never gave me a problem. I miss those days 😊

This dreaded day has finally arrived, RIP 944 deals. 💔

Scarface made this car popular

What was not mentioned - a real feature of the day - is this was the first 944 with 16 valves (ventiler is mentioned on the side of the car and engine bay to indicate this) and it resulted in a peaky engine. That coupled with long gearing for German autobahns made it sluggish at low RPM. It really only all came together with the s2 in much changed 3.0L form that the 16v engine really worked well. All Turbos remained 8v. That said great to see this much attention being drawn to a highly underrated sports car with Doug’s recent review of the excellent 944 Turbo as well.

I bought a 1987 Porsche 944S, Alpine white with black interior, in 1993 when I lived in San Diego. It was a lot of fun to drive with a nice 5-speed transmission. I put a short shifter kit in it and upgraded the wheels to 16" phone dial wheels from the 944 Turbo. The biggest weak point of this car, in my opinion, was the fragile cam timing belt, which would break much too early. I would recommend changing the belt after no more than 24k miles, unless you like having bent valves. Another problem is the deterioration of the right-side engine mount. It would degrade over time due to heat from the exhaust manifold and would then leak and collapse. I wrapped the header pipes with thermal tape to take care of that problem. Replace the water pump with the beefier one from the turbo model if you're having work done on the front of the engine. In San Diego I would recommend either Dieter's in downtown San Diego or Black Forest in Kearney Mesa for service. With a top end rebuild and a slight boost in compression, I was able to max out the car at about 147 or 148 mph on the I-15 at night. The engine doesn't come alive until about 4500 rpm.

Great car for a LS V8 swap!