944NA = slow?!?

[CJFusco]

I did a lot of driving today, as today was my first day of work in Avon, CT, about 15 mins from my house and I had a lot of errands to run... and I don't know about you, but I don't understand where this "944s are slow" idea comes from.

Is it slow off the line? Well, it's no 993 Turbo, but it isn't a DeLorean either. A little sluggish, perhaps, but all that changes once the speed increases and the accelleration doesn't really seem to cease. A foolish Chevelle SS was tailgating me a little ways on a straight road a couple days ago, but he couldn't even pretend to keep up once the road got a little twisty. Certainly Chevelle SSs aren't considered "slow" cars!?! As we all know, 944NAs have been known to out-lap same-era 911SCs and Carrera 3.2s!

So where does this "slow" 944 idea come from? Is it just 951 and S2 guys stroking their egos ?

[ilikemy944]

I love nailing the throttle at 4k rpm in second gear.
It's just, amazing.
I love it.
Not slow.
Very, very fun (and surprises the guy next to you hehe).

[AaronM]

Well, the cars aren't fast. They are incredibly quick, but they really can't be considered fast. A Chevelle is very fast, but it's not quick at all. Chevelles will eat 944 N/A's for breakfast at the dragstrip, a 944 N/A will eat a Chevelle for breakfast on a road course. It all depends on one's perspective.

Aaron

[gearhead290]

I would not call a 944n/a fast. Yes it can come out of the hole very well when launched hard (4000 and side step the clutch; I know, it's bad for the tranny), and yes it feels sprity. But I would never call it fast. It's just an all around fun car to drive.

[fty]

Its a very spirited car....in a straight line..but very fast through the curves. -chris

[Dez]

I used to have a Ford Fiesta 1litre. Now that was slow. My 924 is also slow but thats because it's sleeping in the garage with it's wiring hanging out. All will be fixed this weekend though! then it's back to soaking old ladies by the road side with my fat tyres (tires)

[AFJuvat]

What's fast?

In the upper power band, 944's are pretty quick - nowhere near some of the newer sports cars - but are ablke to hold it wwell.

944 has always been called slow because they really don't have anything in the lower range - a determined minivan can beat them.

AFJuvat

[Pike]

LOL, a determined minivan! How many MT minivans are there I wonder. Some soccer mom with an attitude trying to take a p-car?

_ My 924 is sluggish from 1-2K, but after that things get lot more interesting. I am guessing that if I rev to 2-3K and pop the clutch that the car would be really fast off the line, but that would make short work of my tranny and clutch, so I will be content with 'normal' driving. (A rolling start on the otherhand......)

[Nabeel]

They are decently quick, but let's be reasonable here. They were quick when new in the 1980's, but nowadays a V6 Honda Accord can spank the 944 n/a in a straight line, all day long. Corners are a different story though .

[Frank B]

I'd like to add my opinion on what I think is slow..so, here it is..

1.) a big wheel
2.) a big wheel going up hill
3.) a sloth
4.) forrest gump
5.) me on a Monday
6.) snot, even though you can say, "my nose is running!" it's not it's dripping really slowly.
7.) ordering at the drive-through for fast convenience.
8.) me in the morning (generalization)
9.) Turtles are pretty slow
10.) a worm is really slow
11.) a Ford Pinto ( a gimmee)
12.) golf is slow especially if there "walkers" ahead of you
13.) Lenny & Squiggy were slow
14.) snails
15.) slugs
16.) a millipede (even thouh they have a zillions of legs and feet)
17.) a tricycle is pretty slow too
18.) swimming is slow
19.) extreme rock climbing is slow, and can I say boring too?
20.) losing weight seems slow, well, it is slow what am I saying here.
21.) a stock ford Matador
22.) a K car or nun buggy
23.) forkllifts are pretty slow too
24.) Patrick from Sponge bob square pants is slow, (moronic is more like it)
25.) Jan Brady.. maybe?...
26.) Mike Tyson... definately
27.) Pam anderson?....yep, and don't forget full of upgrades and still slow

well, there's a few for now...

Frank B

[Owain]

While not really SLOW, it's not really the fastest thing around, either. I think the 'slow' moniker is just applied to the NA in comparisson with other models of 944. It' slower than a Turbo. It's slower than an S2. It's slower than a 968.

I love my '84, and have for the whole 5 years that I've owned it. I like to get out and drive it fast whenever I can and am always content with the acceleration, braking and cornering we can do together and these times always put a big smile on my face.

That's when I'm by myself. When I'm with others there's always the comparisson going on.

I recently got into auto crossing the car with the local PCA chapter. That's great fun but for the most part I can't get very close to the Turbos and S2s. Part of that's the inexperienced driver, but part is also the all-weather-hi-performance tires on 15" wheels (tough to find good tires in that size). Also the softer springs and (admittedly worn) shocks. And the lack of raw horse power (especially on the longer circuits). The lighter weight means I can get close to the slower (less experienced) turbo drivers but there's a big gap to the faster ones.

The style of course plays a part, also, but locally the courses are designed by a 944 Trubo driver and a 928 driver

Last weekend our local chapter had a Saturday morning drive after which myself and several others extended it up a twisty mountain road and back again. One of the others was an S2 with M030 suspension. On the upslope I had trouble keeping up because of the difference in horsepower. On the downslope I had trouble keeping up because my brakes were overheating and going mushy. Meanwhile the S2 dissapeared.

I don't mean this to sound like I'm complaning. As I said, I love my car. I'm just trying to show why I think the NAs are considered slow. They are by comparison, but they are still great fun

Disclaimer: The car is absolutely stock, the way I want it for now. I'm not even sure if the shocks have ever been changed but the brakes are in good reair. The car does have the optional rear anti-roll bar, though.

Owain

[TMH]

Originally posted by Owain
While not really SLOW, it's not really the fastest thing around, either. I think the 'slow' moniker is just applied to the NA in comparisson with other models of 944. It' slower than a Turbo. It's slower than an S2. It's slower than a 968.

Owain

All right, get your flamethrowers out. But first, I really have to defend myself when I say that I love my 85.5 NA bone stock 944. However we recently got an '89 Carrera 4 for my wife. Now some will say that the AWD C4 is slow compared to the C2. That may be so, but the power of the C4 is absolutely incredible to me, and the car is the most incredible combination of power and control of any vehicle I have ever driven. However, after driving the C4 I get into my 944 and wonder whether the engine is running right. Much slower all around as compared with the C4. "Slow" does come to mind when in comparison to something faster, but "Slow" does not always equate to boring as virtually all 944 owners can testify.

Tom

[rbt944]

okay, so the 944 is fast, the 951 is slow, and the S2 is somewhere in between. That makes me happy

-Gus.

[944 boy]

The 944 NA may be creamed in a strait line but think about this;
At a local Auto-X Ralf with an 88' 944 managed a 90.33 second lap.
That got him a first in GSS.
It would have placed him 5th in MSS, thats behind 2 boxster S's and 2 996's.
It was good for a 3rd in Lss which is all boxsters
1st in KSS next fastes would be a 928GT
and it was also good for a 2nd in Jss behind a 944 Turbo.


http://www.pcasd.org/autocross/3_19_2003AX/results.html

-Greg

[ilikemy944]

LOL, a determined minivan! How many MT minivans are there I wonder. Some soccer mom with an attitude trying to take a p-car?

Toyota's previa was available with a supercharger and a 5 speed in '94 and '95 I think... I had a '91, and that thing was bad
RWD and would do a donut, was definately faster than my old talon and would smoke the tires if you did it right (yea, smoke hehe)

But the 944 would take it, and I was scared I was going to flip it in certain turns.

[scottmandue]

It's true! It's true!
They are incredibly,
painfully,
embarrassingly,
crepy crawly,
got beat by grandma in a walker,
SLOW, SLOW SLOW!!!

There... maybe that will help stop the knuckle heads from posting the neverending...
"how do I make my 944 faster/get more power?"
"Can I turbo my N/A?"
"Can you put NOS on a 944?"
"Can I hit myself in the head with a hammer?"

Why YES! Yes you can...

[CJFusco]

but scott... i have a 944NA. How can i get more HP out of it?

[Crippler]

MY 84 944 was somewhat quick, but after some money, research, many hours of frustration and hard work it is now fast. Was it worth it? To me yes, but probably not to the general population.

[Owain]

Originally posted by 944 boy
The 944 NA may be creamed in a strait line but think about this;
At a local Auto-X Ralf with an 88' 944 managed a 90.33 second lap.
-Greg

The 944 is a quick car, absolutely. Plenty quick for some. Quicker still (less 'slow'?), though are the other 944 brethren. I see there was only one S2 and one Turbo 944 with a higher time. All the rest are below that time, some by quite a bit. Just for some comparisson.

That's quite a turn out for the AX. My local region's AXs are more like little get togethers. We're lucky to get more than 25 cars out and only have 4 classes: early and late water and air (mix and match). I see there's a Doug Kott in that list, is that the Road & Track guy?

I think in the end whatever car you have is 'fast' if it's fast enough for you. It's only 'slow' if you're not happy with it's performance or possibly if you've made up your mind by looking at the spec sheet and have never driven one.

That's my 2 cents free of charge (you get what you pay for)

Owain (happy with his...)

[944 boy]

Yes that is the very same Doug Kott from Road & Track. He has one of the nicest blue 944 S2's i have ever seen. I cant remember the color but he says its factory and quite rare.

-Greg