944 compared to 968

[robwils]

Probably the wrong place to ask this as you all obviously love your 944's (with good reason) [8D]
How does a 968 compare to them.
I had a quick google search last night and my conclusion is its a 'newer version' of 944 with some 928 'likenesses'.

Anybody owned both cars ?

As said in previous post I'm newish to the brand, just building my knowledge.

Cheers

Rob

 

[xenon]

Very similar to a 944S2, and the interior is identical. It was basically a 944S2 with an updated exterior but the basic shell was the same, just different front wings and PU moldings. The engine had the "variocam" valve gear which gave a bit more power but it's not a radically different beast.

 

[poprock]

The 968 started out life at Porsche as a proposal for the 944 S3 "¦ but evolved into a different enough beast to be granted a name of its own.

968s are often in slightly better condition these days, purely by virtue of being newer cars.

My preference for the 944 boils down to two things: Proper '80s style pop up headlights are cool and I like having a turbocharger.

 

[Pastry]

968 is just a developed 944 with a number change... what does 968 even mean? 924/928 got their names as 9 is porsche, 2 was becasue they were the proposed replacements for the 911 and 4/8 for the number of cylinders. 944 was a developed 924 (934 was a 911 based race car) 911 is an icon so stays the same number forever. 968 doesnt make sense. Guess it would've been 964 if that wasn't a 911. No wonder they gave up numbering stuff.[]

Practically I think they're a bit higher maintenance due to being more complex than the simpler 944, but they are newer. I do like em, but theyre a 90's car and the 80's are cooler

 

[Skooby6]

Crazy question but am i right in thinking the Clubsport suspension from a 968 will fit on the 944?

 

[homesea]

ORIGINAL: poprock
I like having a turbocharger.

And it's faster........

 

[Robbiemeister]

ORIGINAL: Skooby6

Crazy question but am i right in thinking the Clubsport suspension from a 968 will fit on the 944?

Yes, I have 968CS M030 on my Turbo. Bloody stiff but a feather bed in compaison to my Audi A2.

 

[944s2]

ORIGINAL: Pastry

968 is just a developed 944 with a number change... what does 968 even mean? 924/928 got their names as 9 is porsche, 2 was becasue they were the proposed replacements for the 911 and 4/8 for the number of cylinders. 944 was a developed 924 (934 was a 911 based race car) 911 is an icon so stays the same number forever. 968 doesnt make sense. Guess it would've been 964 if that wasn't a 911. No wonder they gave up numbering stuff.[]

Practically I think they're a bit higher maintenance due to being more complex than the simpler 944, but they are newer. I do like em, but theyre a 90's car and the 80's are cooler

Rubbish!

its the factory project number

No doubt someone can find a full list

 

[pauljmcnulty]

Basically the 968 is a 944 S3. It's worth considering if you're after an S2, but not really an alternative to a Lux or a Turbo 944.

Same buying rules apply, but if the car is decent, and the price right, it's largely down to whether you prefer the looks of one over the other. Personally I prefer the rear of the 944, but the front of the 968. [&:]

Tip is a massive improvement over the 944 auto if two pedals are important.

 

[Diver944]

When it came out it was advertised as having something like 80% updated parts compared to the 944 (or maybe thats just internet forum speak) and over the years we've had lots of 'mine is better than yours' leg pulling []

If you do get the chance to drive one you'll find it is everything that an S2 is only more so. It's smoother and more refined in its power delivery and the six speed gearbox is a world of difference to the 944 version. It is slightly heavier than an S2, but from the factory it made a few more horses so performance is almost identical.

 

[Neil Haughey]

Really couldn't expect to get a pro 968 spin on this question on a 944 forum.

968 quicker then S2 in real world or track, slightly quicker in raw figures but the combination of 6 speed box and better engine means the 968 is always right on it. Also handles out of the box much much better.

Wind noise also much lower in 968 as well as the other refinements talked about

Body shells are not the same, this is a nonsense myth that keeps being trotted out. Not even the series 2 944 (2.7) and S2 shells are the same. Thinking about my 2 cars I struggle to think of much other then perhaps the windscreen frame, roof panel and doors that are the same, maybe perhaps the whole central section is more or less the same. The front section, rear section and sills of the 968 shell very different to a 944. If any of you guys had ever seen a 968 without the front and rear PU's and sill covers you would know this, let alone the more obvious differences which ppl ignore such as the radically different bonnet, wings, inner wings and front panel geometry.

The oddest thing about the 968 is how Porsche managed that quaintly Germanic trait of developing something 80% new that manages to look almost the same as what it replaced.

Yes I do prefer the 968, by some margin, if I could keep only one car long term it would be a 968 like Lali's purple people eater. Ask the same question of guys like Big Dave, Lali and others that have owned both the S2 and 968 and you will get the same answer.

 

[rav]

Dont forget the 968 has a 6 spd gearbox too.

 

[944 man]

Even the floor is different Neil - where it covers the transaxle (and the redundant bellhousing in the five speed cars).

 

[Suffolk944]

ORIGINAL: Skooby6

Crazy question but am i right in thinking the Clubsport suspension from a 968 will fit on the 944?

Yes indeed, I used to have it on my car but to be honest its very stiff for road use and an old technology, if you are looking at some point to upgrade suspension then I would strongly recommend a modern alternative rather than a 20 year old design.

As for 968's am personally not fan of their styling but they are clearly very good cars and more than just an S2 with a few tweaks. Not for me though. []

 

[Big Dave]

944 v 968.
That old debate....[][][][]

As Neil has said below, the 968 IS a better overall car...
Ive had both a 944S2 + currently a pair of 968,s.
Ide obviously opt for the 68 EVERY time....[][8D][][8D][][8D]

ORIGINAL: Neil Haughey

Really couldn't expect to get a pro 968 spin on this question on a 944 forum.

968 quicker then S2 in real world or track, slightly quicker in raw figures but the combination of 6 speed box and better engine means the 968 is always right on it. Also handles out of the box much much better.

Wind noise also much lower in 968 as well as the other refinements talked about

Body shells are not the same, this is a nonsense myth that keeps being trotted out. Not even the series 2 944 (2.7) and S2 shells are the same. Thinking about my 2 cars I struggle to think of much other then perhaps the windscreen frame, roof panel and doors that are the same, maybe perhaps the whole central section is more or less the same. The front section, rear section and sills of the 968 shell very different to a 944. If any of you guys had ever seen a 968 without the front and rear PU's and sill covers you would know this, let alone the more obvious differences which ppl ignore such as the radically different bonnet, wings, inner wings and front panel geometry.

The oddest thing about the 968 is how Porsche managed that quaintly Germanic trait of developing something 80% new that manages to look almost the same as what it replaced.

Yes I do prefer the 968, by some margin, if I could keep only one car long term it would be a 968 like Lali's purple people eater. Ask the same question of guys like Big Dave, Lali and others that have owned both the S2 and 968 and you will get the same answer.

 

[sawood12]

The 968 should be considered in the same vein as a facelifted 944. The 944 DNA runs right through it as do alot of the parts, so you can't claim it is a completely different car. The 80% new car thing is a bit of a red herring, but so what if the 968 is a facelifted 944. However I believe the 968 is heavier due to extra strength built into the shell due to increasing emphasis on crash safety. In fact I read somewhere that a 968 Clubsport is heavier than a 944 turbo/S2. A 968 Clubsport is close to an infringement of trade descriptions act!!

Not sure about the claim about it being faster real-world. It is effectively the same car. OK, it has 29bhp more than the S2 and 10bhp less than the turbo, but is heavier than both. Sort of cancels out in my veiw and these things are subjective. I've seen a 20yr old 944 turbo completely stock and wallowing around like a 2CV p1$$ all over a number of 996GT3's on a trackday. Depends who's behind the wheel. More gears usually means more gear changes which can hamper progress, and the gear ratio's of the 968 basically mean the thing drives like a 5 speed with an cruising gear.

No point in arguing which is better or worse, or faster or slower and you'd be a fool to buy a 968 purely on the basis that you think it is quicker than a 944 (if it is it would be such a small margin you'd not notice from the drivers seat). If your budget stretches to a 968 and you don't want a turbo then I don't see why anyone would go for an S2.

There is alot of snobbery around 968's and alot of 968 owners seem keen to distance themselves from the 944 heritage. Don't know why, maybe it is that whole association of 924's and 944's with VW and Audi thing and want 968's to be considered as 'true Porsches'. If that is the case then let them delude themselves, but ultimately a 968 is, to all intents and purposes, a 944S3, but I don't see a problem with that as a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet!

924, 944, 968. Just different flavours of the same thing. Like trying to argue about green, yellow and red peppers.

 

[pauljmcnulty]

The 80% new car thing is a bit of a red herring,

True, changing the part number on the windscreen doth not a "new part" make. Of course, every part of the body is different, it would be if the bolt-on bits are so dramatically changed. Different wings and rear lights don't actually make for a "different" driving experience though.

Of course, a 968 is going to be newer, more developed etc. than an equivalent 944. That's not the point of the original question, though, unless I've misunderstood it. Is it worth spending your budget on the best 944, or going for a 968 for the same money? IMO no. You have to stretch the budget to get a decent 968, if your budget is bigger then it's a no-brainer and you shouldn't be looking for an S2.

If you are after a cheap Lux, a turbo 944, a 968 Clubsport etc. then you're only in the market for one car anyway.

 

[Suffolk944]

ORIGINAL: sawood12


Like trying to argue about green, yellow and red peppers.

Though presumably, just like 944's, the red ones are fastest (allegedly) [][]

 

[poprock]

The 968 is an S2 that was developed further, it's naturally a slightly better car. In the current market it's a lot more expensive though, and in my opinion more so than the improvements justify.

Having said that, I know three local 968CS owners who all have absolutely stunning examples and I'll gladly admit they're utterly gorgeous. Thankfully, they seem to think the same about my car.

I reckon the 968 has a little more cachet because of the Club Sport model existing. Porsche made a proper "˜fast road' version of the 968, which they never did for the 944. That can only have helped get it on a few more teenage bedroom walls.

 

[zcacogp]

Figures I have seen show the 968 as being slower (in all variants) than as S2. Not helped by the fact that the 968 (even in CS guise) is heavier than the S2, and the 968 engines are supposed to rarely make the stated power.

The 968 'box has six ratios stacked in the space of the S2's 5 - the top isn't any higher, but there is another cog to play with on the way up there. Perhaps this was needed because the 968 engine is peakier than the S2's, and hence needs to be driven harder to keep it on the boil.

All the above is gleaned from what I have read - I can vouch for none of it. What I can say is that people who have tried both tend to either come down on the "There's not much between them" (as many on here have), or the "968 is streets better" (as Neil has). There rarely seems to be much opinion between these two.

I'd love to try a 968 one day. Maybe it will be a logical replacement when my (beloved) S2 finally bites the dust.


Oli.