951 vs 944 s2

[arctic967]

so ive been considering buying a 944 turbo (951) for a while and ive noticed the the 944 s2 are a bit cheaper so i was wondering what the differences is between a 944 turbo and a 944 s2

[968 GUY]

One of them has a turbocharger w/single overhead cam, 8 valves and is a 2.5 liter

The other is dual overhead cam, 16 valves, 3 liter and no turbo.

Looking at the body and trim there is little difference other than maybe stickers/emblems identifying one or the other, and I believe all S2's have the hoop type spoiler.

[Dick Shift]

chipped 951 more power but higher $ upkeep.

[DannoXYZ]

Only the 1990-1991 S2 has hoop-style spoiler. Maintenance on the S2 16v head can be pretty high also. Gotta keep that cam-chain tensioner fresh.

Very little of the 951's maintenance-costs are turbo-related really. Water-pump, timing-belt, ball-joints, clutch, torque-tube bearings, etc. are the same as the non-turbo models. Over the past 10-years, I've spent more on upkeep of my '86 944 NA than my '88 TurboS. Most likely because I drive the 944 more miles.

[blade7]

Originally Posted by arctic967

i was wondering what the differences is between a 944 turbo and a 944 s2

About 100 bhp with minor mods .

[Dick Shift]

I've worked on and owned both;
Both cars chipped; 951 has @ 40 more hp
S2 smooth power band. 951 comes on hard when boost hits.
951 turbo engine definitely will have MORE repair issues.

[Arizona_928]

Chances are the S2's needs maintenance. They are more difficult to work on then a run of the mill n/a, and turbo.
Then you have to worry about cam chain tensioner as well as normal 944 stuff
But with that said. Those 3 liter 16 valve engines are smooth.

[callmethewander]

i've owned several n/a's and I currently have an '87 turbo and an '89 S2. My S2 has about 180,000 mis. and the turbo 95,000. body and suspensions are virtually the same. I prefer the S2, mostly because of the low end torque and no turbo lag, It has a wider power band. I have changed the cam belt pads, no big deal imho.

[ried]

I've owned an NA, S2 and now 944 Turbo S. As callmethewander said, the S2 is a great daily or city driver, due to the low end torque. It's also a less complex machine, so when things break it'll be a little less expensive.

However, the S2 is less exciting than the Turbo. There's something really cool about the boost coming on hard around 3400 RPM, and just rocketing the car forward in a way that no S2 ever will.

In short, the Turbo (and especially Turbo S) is the more exciting vehicle to own. The S2 is also a great car, with slightly better reliability and a lower cost of ownership.

[Roger 911]

I owned a '89 S2 and currently own a '86 Turbo. Didn't work much on the S2. Have done a lot of work on the Turbo. The Turbo is a very time consuming car to work on. It seems like everything you want to work on with the Turbo requires the removal of a half dozen other things first (e.g., oil pan gasket!). I do like the Turbo power, but between the '86 Turbo (non S) and the S2, I would probably prefer the S2 overall, especially as a daily driver.

Roger

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by DannoXYZ

Only the 1990-1991 S2 has hoop-style spoiler.

Actually, only the 1991 does.

The 1990 S2 still used the old style spoiler.