Figures are the most important part of the 944 Turbo experience. Firstly, there's the 0-60mph time – six seconds. With that a memory you can power on all the way to 155mph thanks to its KKK turbocharger-fed, 220bhp powerhouse. Add an S to proceedings and you can shave off half a second on that crack to 60mph and you'll be going 160mph when you run out of tachometer. But perhaps the most important figure is the price – the one we've highlighted here may be one of the best in the country and its price reflects that – but you can pick up decent Turbos from as little as five large. Compare that to a similarly-aged 911 with equivalent performance and the 944's bargain status is writ large.
Front-engined Porsches have always struggled to match the allure of the 911; the 928 is finally getting the recognition it deserves and now the 944 Turbo has started to creep upwards. It was always seen as too numerous, not special enough and perhaps tainted by its association with the 924 and its humdrum mechanicals. That latter point is an interesting one as even though the 924 lacked an exotic engine, it really was an engaging steer.
With its handling pedigree proved with the 924, it's surprising it's taken anyone apart from the enthusiasts to wake up to the 944's charms – it really was a lot more special than the car it replaced. It was so well-built and so attainable that many have gone the way of dodgy modifications and rather ignoble ends, eventually rusting away to nothing when the junior supercar costs of keeping a junior supercar running became too much for owners who picked them up for next to nothing.
This all means that the 944 Turbo is nowhere near as numerate as it once was, and truly exceptional examples are starting to excite the market, given recent auction results. Quite simply, the very best are now the very few.
And as for claims it's not special enough? I refer you to the start of this article. It delivers, and in a major way.
This all points to a car whose time as coveted classic is about to come, and in a big way. It harks back to one of the last great eras in motoring, the Eighties and early Nineties, before speed and performance became dirty words. Just look at these wonderfully evocative American TV ads to get a flavour of a time we won't see again.
Tempted? You should be. While the 911 will always be Stuttgart's favourite son, the 944 represents truly fantastic power per pound, an intensely immersive driving experience – owners rave about them – and, at the moment at least, an epic bargain. Now isn't that the boost you needed?
See more of the 944 we've featured here. This one is also well worth a look, too.