In November 2018, I transported an ’87 Porsche 924S from Ohio for a friend – Allen R, who you all may recognize from a recent review of his Renault 5 Turbo-2. Since that time, Allen has asked for help creating a driving tour for the Classic Car Club of America. As expected, this requires a bit of pre-work to ensure the routes are suitable for cars from the ’20s, ’30s and ’40s. Given the opportunity to do this pre-drive in the 924S, instead of my Land Rover, I figured it was a great time to share my impressions.
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The 924 is the Volkswagen designed predecessor to it’s more famous younger sibling the 944. The 924S is the last of series spanning a production run from 1976 through 1988. The 924S is special in that it is the narrow body shell with the more modern 944 drivetrain which makes it less aggressive in appearance but it is actually faster because it is a wee bit lighter more aerodynamic.
Unlike the 944 which underwent a complete interior restyling in 1985, the interior of the 924S stayed very true to it’s original design and doesn’t come slathered in leather and fluff which makes it a great throwback car. Even the seats, while thin but relatively supportive were (gasp) MANUAL! The 924, 944 and 928 all share a common downside in that the seats are nearly flush with the floor pan and the low seating position starts to bother my back after a few hours.
The road feel is exceptional – the clutch is mildly heavy for being hydraulically actuated especially compared to the feather-light pedals associated with Japanese cars. The gear shift is typical German – nicely weighted and precise. The handling is confidence inspiring owing much to the near perfect 50/50 weight distribution. Despite the “narrow” wheels and tires, the 924S handles like it is on rails.
Power is a bit lacking with only 150 hp being pumped from the 2.5-litre 4-cylinder but the motor is willing and able, it just needs some stirring of the gears. The 924S is over 200 lbs lighter than the 944, weighing in at 2623#, which helps make it feel even more nimble and responsive. The lower power numbers forces the driver to be involved in driving – none of the simple “press the pedal further to the floor”. Instead, dropping down a gear or two is necessary BUT the rewards are a nice push from behind. The 924S will never win a drag race but that’s not the intended purpose of the car.
The 924S is perhaps the last of the “cheap” Porsches – they’re unloved because the don’t have aggressive jack-knifed fender flares or flashy looks. They don’t have the panache of the 911 but that’s OK. The 924 is what I would consider “a Driver’s Car” – something you jump in, don’t think twice about, but puts a smile on your face when exiting a corner on a back-road. Its really a car for someone that can check their ego at the door, enjoy a spirited drive and doesn’t need to look flashy or brag about HP while doing it.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more classic car reviews later in the season!
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