Quote:
Originally Posted by ap5512
Quick question for you...compared to your 944...which one, in your opinion, is better and more fun? I'm asking because you've tracked both cars so curious to know which one you prefer...
|
I've owned two 944's. First of which was an
'87 944 S which was the 16 valve 2.5 liter n/a inline 4 with 188hp. It reminded me most of my BRZ in stock form. Loves to rev, handles and stops great, will let you extract 100% of it's performance at any speed. Never tracked it.
My second 944 was an
'89 Turbo, which came from the factory spec'd the same as the '88 Turbo S with 249 hp from a K26/8 and had M030 suspension with big 928 S4 brakes, hardened 1st and 2nd gear, and LSD with cooler.
That car got an engine rebuild as soon as it got home and ended up with a Lindsey Stage 2 MAF feeding a K27/6 turbo, 55lb injectors, 3 bar FPR, hard intercooler pipes, dual port wastegate, Evolution diverter valve, stainless fuel lines, camber plates, Lindsey 4" catless exhaust among a few other goodies. It ended up making around 300whp at 18psi with a custom DME chip. It was a complete riot on the street as it made immense midrange torque with the bigger turbo and exhaust after tuning. Never tracked it either.
The car that I did track frequently was an
'89 944 S2, which my Dad owned and I helped build and learned to drive fast on track in. It was fully stripped, caged and spec'd for PCA club racing. 3 liter 16 valve n/a inline 4 cylinder making 210 crank HP stock but a little more with the race header and Firehawk DME chip. It had meaty Hoosier race slicks and weighed nearly the same as my BRZ without any ballast in it. That car was definitely faster than my BRZ everywhere.
Just watch this: http://youtubedoubler.com/aYH4
The grip difference with the 944 S2 race car is very evident. The Hoosiers just allow more speed everywhere on track despite the weight and power being nearly the same. The 3 liter in the 944 has more low end torque to help it get out of corners faster as well.
My BRZ is currently a dual purpose street/track car so comparing it to a full blown race car isn't very fair. I can't really say one is better or more fun since they aren't really on the same playing field in terms of build specifications. I loved driving all the 944's since both the 951 and 944 S2 race car are for sale currently I will definitely miss driving them, but I will not miss constantly working on them and maintaining them, which was always expensive and laborious.
I like the BRZ's ease of modification compared to the 944's but that's mostly because of many years of engineering simplification and design. I never liked the 944's engine layout, especially the 951 with the turbo directly underneath the intake and the cross over pipe and one piece cross member preventing easy oil pan/rod bearing servicing. Clutch replacement on all 944's is a PITA since every moving part behind the engine has to be removed due to the transaxle design. The BRZ is just more simple everywhere and I like that. Driving it on the street is less worrysome than the 944s since it's brand new and I'm the first owner and I know exactly what's been done to it. I spent a lot of time and money on my 944s just keeping them running on the road.