944 Turbo vs. Japanese

[SilentDiablo]

I think their 0-60 is wrong too on the Porsche 944 Turbo. Unless that peticular one is below a 1986 model. I'm nearly positive anyway. On the contrary though, I can't even believe they're comparing those cars to the Porsche turbo. Makes me chuckle.

[asiann1nja]

they got really inaccurate numbers. 300zx 0-60 in 8.9? Thats way to slow. That N/A numbers.

[darkeyce02]

im stuck between a 944 turbo or a ducati monster...ive had a 944 n/a, but i wnt to save gas and have a lot of fun at the same time so i thought about a motorcycle. such a hard choice...for me atleast lol

[the1stonyxriddle]

@darkeyce02 Its tough... but for me, I would have to say sitting in the seat of a porsche 944 doesnt ever get old. Of course I am biased because Ive owned several motorcycles but only one 944. Id say get the porsche though. Bikes get cheaper every month. The time to buy a 944 is whenever you can.



[sths0609]

Sorry, but out of the four, I'd take a Conquest any day.

[gav240z]

Almost considered a 944, but opted for a FD RX-7. The FC is a great car, but the FD was even better and IMO better than the Porsche also.

The rotary is an amazing motor that has to be driven to be appreciated. Not cheap to run though. Never liked the 300zx was too fat and too heavy. The early 240z was far better than the later Z series.

A friend had a Starion was a funny car but styling dated fast. Not that fast and never liked 80's Mitsuibishi's.

[hamronD73]

I may be biased, but good god if japan thought any of those cars were appealing to look at, they were wrong, ugly heaps, im sorry. There is no substitute for a Porsche, especially with the Turbo badge.

[zestydude87]

@hamronD73 Amen! i just bought a 86 944 turbo and its like nothing ive ever driven.

[htc4000]

ill take the RX-7 over everything thanks

[leschampagnes1]

@htc4000 and your rx-7 will be getting fixed every month lol

[4ivIV]

Mitsubishi bought the balance shaft patent from a German company, It was not invented in the land of the Rising Sun.

[AF401]

I own a 1984 Mitsubishi Starion

[moelll]

where's the ford mustang SVO in all this? i know that the SVO was more than capable to tango with those cars

[hamronD73]

@moelll ... no, never say a mustang can compete with a 944 turbo, sorry dude

[digimon916]

porsche are the shit (i mean that in a good way). no other company really looks like them and theyre just crazy good in the handling department. every "new" sports car ends of looking like lambos and ferraris mashed together, but porsches are unique in style.

[paulhunter123]

@digimon916 porsche are pure to themseleves no imitations

[Cory00yeah]

if you seriously prefer jap over a german car your a dumb ass.

[blink182iscool4ever]

Although i like European cars and Japanese cars ALOT more than american cars. They just dont stand up to the quality and overall of japanese cars.

[caudice]

944 turbo = most fun car i have ever driven. i test drove one for about 5 mintues and i have to have one now

[stupidplants]

@caudice

is there really THAT big of difference between 944 turbo and 944 N/A?

[caudice]

@stupidplants lol yes there is a huge difference. 944 N/A are ridiculously slow and turbos are pretty damn quick

[stupidplants]

@caudice

wanted an answer from someone who actually OWNS one or the other, or both.

just wondering cuz for a N/A 944 in my area in decent condition its like 800-1200 but you cant touch a turbo for under 10k

[caudice]

@stupidplants 944s handle very well but the N/A ones do 0-60 in like 9 seconds. and they wont be the most reliable car ever but for 800-1200 they will be a pretty good car to throw around a track. and where im from you can get a turbo for around 8-9k in good condition

[perpelle]

@caudice

The N/A has been clocked at between 7.6 - 8.4 seconds.

Kinda big difference to your 9.

[hamronD73]

@caudice not true caudice the 944 s2 is only .5 of a second slower than the turbo:)

[80SCARFANS]

where is the Supra?

[kevinl23]

supra didn't come out till 1986.5

[teedzy]

this is fucking magic ,brilliant post

[kyledude120]

I got a 87' 944 N/A and Porsche is such better quality then any Japanese car, no comparison

[aspade01]

wow, its so weird to see the cars new. "The new RX-7"... I wasn't even born yet.

[bladespawn420]

i love looking at all the clean new engine bays!!

[threezerol944t]

why is the audio so quiet?

[natekingofkings]

yeah, i dont believe that those jap cars would out manuver the porsche i own one and there is no way.

[andbudzi]

it is unbelievable how Japanies copied 944 and greatly overrated their cars ... probobly 25% overrated on power.

That is how they got to the top - copying others and lying - they dont invent anything - they are best at putting ides of others to produce something.

Supra engine is GM block with forged internals

[carguy12345678910]

ya that is true they need to compete with other cars to stay in Business like this year the Japanese made the Nissan GTR to compete with the Porsche Gt-2

[420witchdoctor]

I love all three of these cars. The Starion is way cool! :D

[NKLIOAI]

if u take the price and what u get of it mazda wins

[douger0500]

price back then. I'm picking up two 944's for a thousand dollars.

[AlexCarlos27]

man wat happ to the z =[

[Animefreak76]

The RX-7 was very fun to ride in. Light car, well built, not much torque though. I drove a 944, and I was very impressed with it's handling. "On rails" as people say, lol. It was a car I was working on as a mechanic, and it was there all the time...

I love the Starion for it's uniqueness, the Z for driving, the Porsche for it's style and handling, and the RX-7 for showing us that Pistons aren't always the answer.

[Animefreak76]

I own an Starion, an 86 300ZX Turbo, and I've driven the Porsche 944. Have not had the opportunity to drive an RX-7, did get to ride in one though.

They are all good cars, and I agree that the300ZX 8.7 0-60 is crap, mine did a lot better when it was stock. The Starion is an awesome car, the interior is very spartan though, kind of cheap feeling. I actually like the recirc ball steering, very sturdy. The 300ZX is my favorite as far as a daily driver. Very reliable, very comfortable.

[300zx6o2]

Are you angry because I expressed my opinions on your precious porsche...welcome to the internet, where everyone has theyre own opinion, wether you like it or not...so if you ask me your the COMPLETE IDIOT

[klnava1]

THATS WHY I HAVE A 951 RED 87

[300zx6o2]

Porsche=good car but fugly styling, fugly wheels, its a 928 with a turbo THATS ALL

Starion=looks fast and cool, FAIL

Rx7=Good car, but $1500 for a rebuild kit? HA!

Z31=I agree suspension is too soft, possibly the best coefficient of drag of the four, adjustable suspension, and a production block and heads capable of 1000hp.

Z31=best bang for my buck. I doubt production 944 motors with a SINGLE turbo are capable of that much hp. Who murdered porsche in 88-89 IMSA? Get your facts straight.

[LtBlake]

300zx6o2=complete idiot

"its a 928 with a turbo THATS ALL" - you're a mouth with no brain attached, THATS ALL!!!

[87gtabird]

actually if you can find an '88 "turbo s" not just turbo. that 944 came with a 2.5 doch 4 banger 248 stock hp. capable of handeling 8k revs and they got one over in france using a 70 trim turbo with 980hp..

[grock180]

what are you talking about, the 944 has a completely different engine than the 928.

[tank9142]

928 is a v8

[jmb92555]

951: the only one of the 4 I've never driven but probably the best overall

RX7...handles great, uses too much gas, high maintenance

Starion/Conquest: could have been a great car but it was built cheap

z31: more a GT/midlifecrisis car than a sports car but a very well built car nonetheless. The Shiro version was pretty tight. The most important thing is what you do after you get the car.

[fcabido]

z and rx7 have lsd's they fail to mention

[chrisjjwilson]

the z's didnt get the LSD till 4/87

[swagger93]

I love my 951. It shines in precisely the setting it was designed for, on a full road course. In addition, this video really reinforces my belief that the Z31 was a black mark in Datsun/Nissan's otherwise excellent sports car legacy. It's almost as if the unibody is visibly flexing ... floppy car, yeah yeah, FLOPPY! Sweet Starion and Turbo II, though. Definitely would own those, even with the Starion's throttle-body-injected, bypass valve-less motor.

[Komeuppance]

The 944 and Starion were the closest competitors in actual road racing circuits. Porsche actually borrowed Mitsu's engine design of the balance shafts. Starion pwnz.

[hothatchpa]

@Komeuppance You are correct on Porsche taking the balance shaft idea from Mitsubishi.. I had an Evo IX and to date its the best car I have ever driven hands down. I have an 86 944T that I just got and after new tires and timing belt service this week I can finally REALLY drive it and see what it can do... CANT WAIT!

[grathapilot]

how did they get the z31 to do a 0-60 of only 8.9? that's the slowest listed time I've ever seen a z31 turbo run 0-60! even the NA version was faster then that in most road tests!!

[BeardedLady613]

Thats exactly what im saying, the moron they had driving the z31 was a complete idiot, my stock s30 280z performs better then what there trying to say... its ok though had a z32 tt been there it wouldnt have been a competition

[montoyabiz]

agree !!!

[jonnytann09]

Yea. Im pretty sure my 25 year old N/A will do that in less time then the driver they had. And around the track it should have murdered the starion and rx7. 944 is probably a better car. But Zs are easier to tune. ;)

[JDBEDORE]

z31's rarely get a fare shake. they have huge potential!

[JDBEDORE]

I forgot to add that i have owned both a 88 944S, and an 84 Z31 N/A. These cars have completely different characters with almost nothing in common other than drivetrain layout. But, my 89 CRX is actually funner to drive than either one.

[montoyabiz]

i agree.

[DThaeman]

The newest Porsche always sets the standard, other car companies always try to copy.. and always for less money... when will they learn?

[bob333336]

@DThaeman Less money eh? GTR *cough*

[DThaeman]

@bob333336 the GTR is expensive, but does in fact cost much less than a 911 turbo... *COUGH*

[kalasend]

@DThaeman

You want them to learn what? Porsche is good but it's not the most profitable company. Doing something cheap and large scale always makes you more money. What? you're not talking about money? Go fuck a ho and pay her with peanuts then.

[DThaeman]

@kalasend Maybe Porsche needs to learn how to make a $12k car that rattles and squeaks when you drive it so that you can spend your extra money on hookers... happy easter

[SharkGTS]

nice retro pce thanks. 944T still runs today. they are well built. family rx7s, two cars, three engines and long gone!!

[xeronicus]

mmmm, i used to work on rotaries, I owned 3 diff rx's, an 87, a 91, and a 93, all of which were in varying stages of disrepair.

Im a mazda nerd at heart, but i also like the 944's,such an amazing car. A little quirky in hard turns, but just all around fun :)

[rotaryking7]

RX-7 all day!

[95GST16g]

It's so cool to see Summit Point back then. I'm surprised about some of the accomplishments of the Starion here.

[Norrek4040]

wow good stuff

[hokman1]

starion has very well developed footwork the grip and stability is just amazing for such short wheelbase

[johnnyafairbanks]

This has to be the oldest MotorWeek video on YouTube...and it's from 1986 (the show debuted in '81)?!?!?

[johnnyafairbanks]

CORRECTION: This is now the SECOND oldest Motorweek video on here; there's already one from 1985 posted some months ago.

[metalplayer12345]

damn! the 944 looks like the starion but more round.

[loquat15]

22 years later.... you don't really see any starions anymore, those 300zx's aren't attractive at all, rx7's are nice but those turbo 13b engines are prone to blowing up at 100k.

944s and the rx7s look the best today, i say 944>rx7 for looks, handling can be changed so it's tough to say which is better exactly, both are great!

[darkeyce02]

i agree, i got a 944, im gettin a 86 turbo once i sell mine, and my friend is set on gettin a rx7, we are gonna race and w/e and record it to see wich one is better, itll be kool

[balitaSR]

"those turbo 13b engines are prone to blowing up at 100k"

absolutely baffling of stupidity and ignorance!

rotary engines can last provided their owner is not an ass brained person... they require more care than a regular piston engine, but that's about it!

[McTiasR]

rotary engines burn oil, sound like shit, and aren´t as reliable, u can have fun with those RX7 i take my 944 any day

[balitaSR]

do/like whatever you want, but it really isn't necessary to belittle things like that... what are you, some 12 yo? -_-

[DThaeman]

what about the tendency of the rotor tips to wear out MUCH faster than piston rings would? Burn much oil? yeah, keep some handy..

you wankel heads get on my nerves

[jmurockstar]

i just bought a 1986 944 NA and plan to run it at summit. my videos show my matrix xrs on that same track.

[AfterShadow]

...no ma70 supra?

[kalasend]

I have 1987 944 Turbo and 1988 RX-7 Turbo in my garage. I loved and got these two cars before seeing this video and this just proved my taste, I guess :-D

[tom8778970zz]

ha haaa cool

[calladuz]

Question: Anyone knows what $29800 (Base price of the 944 new) in 1986 is worth today?

[chipsahui2]

~$58k

[calladuz]

so around the price of a Cayman S today... thanks!!!

Wow, inflation sucks, I bet this is why gas prices are high nowadays, not because of 'supply/demand' but because of this inflation!

[sollrosenbergg]

14k

[1986ElCaminoftw]

They say the 300ZX is more comfortable than the 944? That's bull - I own an '83 NA 944, and it's very supple and luxurious. My friend has a 88 300ZX and it's cheap and rattley. Psh, they just had to say something good about it. Also - manual steering on the Porsche :)

[nyko944]

yup thats true,i driven a 300zx its not comfy as the 944

[ixfxi]

the 300zx is such a fucking TURD. god i hate the Z31, its such an embarrassing car.

[OneHotPorsche944]

PORSCHE...there is no substitute

[Kittamaru]

A real driver could have thrown that nissan around far better...

[cr8silverbullet]

That car was way too heavy and soft, even back then.

[w201w124]

Nice cars, boring test... Zzzz....

[bibica123]

I want a 944T.

[rkoopman1]

get your story straight;

the 924 only uses en 2.0l audi engine, the rest of it is porsche

The 944 was designed to replace the 924. Porsche wanted it to be faster than the 924 and besides, audi stopped production of the 2.0l engine of the 924. For the 944 porsche used half the engine of the 928's V8, so they wouldn't have to designe a complete new cilinderhead.

So you're right if you say the 924 isn't a full porsche. The 944 instead is 100% porsche, it has nothing to do with VW or Audi

[four08]

I love all these cars

[turboglen]

80's turbo cars rock!! I have driven all of those cars (well the chrystler conquest insted of the starion) the rx7 is really the only one that comes close to driving like a 944.

[RobertFleites]

are these cars limited by the tires of the times, cuz i dont think that a z31 goes 0-60 in 8.9. theres NO WAY

[whiteclipse]

GEOMANTIA ur a tard evo faster then 911? no but it did kick the shit out of a lambo on the track!!, and for what 200 000 less? and the new gtr is the 911/z06 killer! do some research b4 you make an ass out of yourself

[geomantia]

i like how you turds compare cars. the fastest of the japanese cars against the low and mid range of porsche. is the gtr going to lap better than the carrera GT? the evo better the the 911 turbo, which would be the porsche equv, since they are both turboed cars. get real. you cant really compare porsche to 2nd rate cars like mitsu and nissan, theres no contest.

[harajukubricky]

That was then, but now the new GTR lapped better than a 490+ HP 911 turbo and it also went faster than the new GT2 test car, hell an evo it's faster and more nimble that a standard 911. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

[Mknives]

they cant make it around the skid pad. Where was Tsuchiya!

[nikhard]

To be correct Porsche 924 was Audi (basically VW)on early project-stage, but instead they (VW-autogroub) went for the audi quattro after succesful testing. So 924/944 was supposed to be Audi's sport-car, but they came out with their own car afterall (instead of producing one with Porsche).

[CRDLIBERTY]

Dam the german makes me wanna give a heil hitler lol go germany. Dam 80;s bmw and porshe funnest by far

[mugensamurai]

what was paying $28,984 for a car in 86 equivalent to today

[ForeverSpor7]

I'd like to know also. I think its about $70k.

[Rock944T]

Yeah im real sure VW just called up Porsche like "Hey! We need a sport coupe! But we cant afford it, so YOU build it, and YOU use all of your parts, hell even use half of YOUR 928 engine and then put YOUR badges on it! But it will still be a VW just cuz we asked"

Retard. Think before you say something stupid.

[radioaktivkatt]

weare147 , is right . The porsche 944 is a VW , the porsche 924 acually have the same engine as the Vw Bus . The 944 have a more powerful engine but i is still A VW in the base , Sorry for bad english.

[drewnashty]

#1 You need to read up on what you are talking about before you say something foolish.

#2 It wasn't a matter of them not affording it, it was a matter of them wanting a sports coupe to be built by the experts (Porsche). But they ended up sticking with their VW Scirocco/Audi Quattro as their sports coupe so Porsche bought all rights to the 924 and put it in production of which became one of the best handling sports cars to this day. May not have been fast but it handled like a Porsche.

[weare147]

those 944s were supposed to be volkswagens, VW asked porsche to build them a sport coupe, and VW couldnt afford it, so porsche just put there own badges on it

[drewnashty]

Negative, you are talking about the 924. It wasn't that VW couldn't afford it, they went with their own project. When Porsche dropped the 924 along with that car's VW sourced engine, they remodeled certain aspects of their own creation and threw in their own engine more powerful and potential 2.5L I4.

[AWESOMEaustin99]

my 944 does 1/4 mile in 10.37sec........but i replaced the KKK K26 turbocharger and put in a cold air intake and a hks exhaust system!!!

[333pg333]

Sorry but I don't believe you. List the rest of your mods and how much does the car weigh? How much psi are you running? What sort of transmission, cv's, axles etc do you have? Any time slips?

[jmb92555]

Sure...

[NecroGoatVomit]

German cars ruled then and they rule now!

[Porscheguy92]

took 3 cars to match the 944. that just shows porsche is the way to go

[xnavigator]

Yeah, but the Nissan GT-R has always been faster around a track than the 911

[kcro25]

The weird thing is that, at 27, I remember watching this episode for the first time. Do y'all have any more Motorweek episodes from the '80s?

[Spule4]

I have a few on VHS, but have no idea how to dump them to YouTube....

[rocketpunch12210]

I am actually old enough remember these cars when they are "new". Man, how times have changed. A 6.3 sec 0-60 car is consider slow today.

[944turb0]

944 ftw!

[originalbrownirish]

is thare any honda prelude reviews from any tv show

[giantrobot9000]

Cool video...thanks for posting it.I find it hard to believe the 944 Turbo wasn't the best on the skidpad and others.The Starion does have fat tires,though.

[wapce]

WOW this is the same guy who hosts it today!!

good find!

tallica777, you are a fucking idiot.

[tallica777]

the mitsu is a supra dummy

[ITSTHEROC86]

wow cars were really all very sad back then. the supra was missing? 180sx get out of here. there are no sr20 det's here in america. the ka 2.4 was in the truck- you want to compare to a turbo 944? why? a stock jdm conversion will make you run about the same 1/4 mile.

[ForeverSpor7]

have you ever driven these cars? its not the cars that were sad, but the tires, and the level of driving in the US (they needed to get rally drivers from europe or drifters from japan). and i think the KA 2.4L powered 240sx could seriously compete....

[i001100i]

944...my favorite Porsche :)

[mafiand]

Don't forget though that the 944 is based off a 924 which was a rejected VW!

[rich944]

No, the 924 (body, chassis, and suspension) was designed BY Porsche FOR Audi. It was designed to use an existing Audi engine and transaxle. When the oil crisis loomed in the 70's, Audi decided not to make the 924. Porsche bought back the design, and made the car themselves. The 944 is a 924 with an ALL PORSCHE engine and transaxle. The 944 turbo is the ultimate evolution of that.. One of the best "bang-for-buck" cars on the road today.

[Eyal951]

all the 944 turbo and the 924 share is a chassis. Otherwise nothing is the same.

[ApexIXMR]

LoL 944 in 3rd place on the slalom behind starion...yeah ok, get better drivers.

[3800boyeso]

Thats exactly what i was thinking i was shure the 944 was going to be 1st and by far but yeah i bet the worst driver was in that porsche lol

[Zigggy]

excellent post

[OzJustin]

I'd love to see a 944 vs 180sx comparison as they have very similar characteristics. Performance wise they'd likely be fairly equal, though the Porsche has the edge in style :)

[fox0311]

huh?  a 180sx, equal in performance to a porsche 944? could you explain this to me?

[FordF]

I did not see a 180SX there

[giantrobot9000]

They didn't sell the 180SX here in the US.We had a 200SX,but that thing was nowhere near the performance of these cars.

[isphius]

Just need a turbo supra and id be happy!

[daehttub2000]

Great Video. Some great cars. Some good memories....

[Sepher0]

Rotary for the win!

[heramoth]

Porsche rules!

[KahnBB6]

Porsche 944, Mazda RX-7 FC and... my golly... the Mitsubishi Starion all compared in one show. Thank you very much for posting this!