Porsche 944 S2
On top of Nüfenen pass, Switzerland, 2500 meters above the sea level, looking west
Yeh, my car, I know, and an old one actually, but who said we should only post reviews about the supercars and about the latest releases?
Specifications
Engine - I4, 2'990 cc
Power - 211 hp @ 6'200 rpm
Torque - 280 Nm @ 4'100 rpm
Weight - 1340 kg
Fuel Tank - around 65 liters
Max Speed (declared) -
Acceleration (declared), 0-100 km/h -
Fuel economy (out of town / town / mixed) -
Tranny - 5 gears manual
Seats - 2+2
Doors - 3
Lenght / width - 4293 / 1727 mm
Height - 1270 mm
Boot -
Exterior
Again on top of Nüfenen pass, looking east this time
Comon! Many ppl would say this is not a real Porsche (not a 911), an I was among them! You thend to think a Porsche is a 911 and viceversa when actually Porsche had some nic edesign ideas with the front engined series. To be totally honest, the 944 S2 or Turbo are the bet and have a gorgeous shape. And it's actually quite smaller than what it looks. It's also short afterall (it was impressive to see it for the first time side by side with my grandma's Civic which has a damn longer wheelbase!), and those flared rear arches, turbo style, are damn sexy when you catch a glimpse in the rearview mirror. everything is proportioned: much more than in many modern cars! There are maybe "vintage" details like the soft plastic spoiler but all in all, everything fits the car in a great way.
Interior
Simple and in good shape
It's a 1990 car, so don't expect to find many gizmos in there. It's a cozy environment, you sit low and everything is around you. Those seats look damn small and yet they hug you very well! Wheel and pedals are ideally placed. The instruments are sadly not 911 like and the rev counter is placed like it usually is. Actually once inside it I have the sensation of beeing in the Scirocco my dad had when I was a child.
Electric everything (seats, roof, windows), which is welcome. The gearbox is very positive. A bit heavy, but quick and precise. The steering is assisted but so much heavier than a modern car, and there is really so much more reaching your palms! You only notice the "help" at parking speeds.
At the back, like in a 911, you won't slot an adult. Not even a tiny (160 cm) one. He will touch with the head and have no place where to put his/her legs. The boot is not really tall, but hell you can put lot of stuff in there, and lowering the rear seats also help. Very practical loading space.
It's a nice car to sit in: low and pretty compact afterall with plenty of glass all around you and almost no dead angle as long as you'll turn your head enough.
How does it drive?
In the army, ready to pull a tank out of trouble
Oh! brillant! I am biased maybe since I fell in love right away, but the ride is fantastic. This is a seriously well balanced car, rest assured. As you might know, or imagine, weight distribution is optimal with engine at the front and tranny+gearbox at the back. 50-50 or very close to it anyway.
After 200 meters it was like if I drove the previous 100'000 km at the wheel of the S2. It really makes you confident and let you know it won't bite, so it's up to you to extract all the potential from the chassis and engine.
The direct steering is a pleasure. Need just small inputs to generate the steering angle needed and is really connecting you to the front wheels. The grip is damn good, I was impressed by what this chassis and those Bridgestone S02 (almost new) can do :shock: and we are talking about humble 16 inches, 205 front, 225 back! To proprely test the handling the first week-end I had the luck to go up and down a mountain pass toward and back from Lausanne, a road I know like the back of my hand and where I drove various cars. Well, I thought with an "old" car I would have to limit myself and maybe end up packed behind slow traffic. Oh boy no! After three corners it was obvious the S2 is meant for business. The engine with its high torque pulls very strong uphill, not requiring high revs to go quick. The brakes are also damn impressive for an old car (same as the Turbo)! You can really delay the braking point untill the very last moment and when you step on the middle pedal the stopping power is strong! And the car stays flat and poised even if you are already entering the corner. For sure the chassis-brakes-tires combo is honed to perfection.
Since that first WE, I attacked that very same road another 4 or 5 times by now and it seems I could increase the rythm as much as I'd like actually, with the car always following.
It took a while, but I finally got the hang of some conservative powerslide and also understood how much braking and steering angle I need to make it slide while entering the corner. But to do so you must really go beyond limits you won't reach even when pushing strong. It's marvellous because you know you can have some extra fun but when you want to be quick you don't risk to have the back stepping out "by mistake". I only encountered understeer a couple of times, it was wet and I was going downhill.. doesn't help. but it was progressive and easily recoverable.
But as focused as you can be, the way the engine delivers its goods is so that you rarely reach for the redline. Most of the time, already going way too fast considering speed limits, I shift up at 4'000-4'500 rpm when, checking the spec sheet, the max torque is reached, and not 6'000 when max power would come. As said, it's a torquey engine, not a screamer. Still, those extra 2'000 rpm are always there when you need them to overtake some lazy ass
20 minutes of mountain road with no aircon and I am sweating like a cow, tired and with an aching neck. The car don't suffer at all, easy, like if it left the plant the month before. That's why this car is so fun: you need to produce some effort to go quick, like in any other "old" car, and that's so rewading
That's why, since I bought it, I totalize an average of 1000 km per week. It's a smile every time you jump in and even a quick trip to the shopping mall is an event.
Only downside is maybe the muffler note which is not so special. A cargraphic unit will maybe help, I'll see, but now that I got also the 964 I think the money will be injected into it to fix the small probs.
What are the most positive features of the car?
At Münchenwiler castle near Mürten
The constant smile
Practical
Perfect weight distribution
Quick with no fuss (no fuss for the car, but plenty of sensations for the driver)
What are the most negative features of the car?
Obviously still a Porsche when it comes to maintenance.
How do you think this car compares to its direct competition?
Not sure exactly what I should consider as its competition, but back then the S2 was for sure one of the best cars you could take home for its kind of money, sensibly cheaper than the 964 (both to buy and maintain). Sure, also a bit slower, but still damn good!
Today it still scores pretty high even compared to modern sportcars, but is so much cooler and "different". It is also "different" in the Porsche world: in town there are 911 everywhere around here, every generation, but front engined Porsches are rare
Conclusion
At Münchenwiler castle near Mürten
I don't regret a bit to have bought a 1990 car and everybody wanting to access the myth (Porsche) or just the sportcars world should consider the front engined Porsches option.
I was so happy with this '90 car that now beside it sits a '90 964 C4
and I should post a review about it soon