Photo from a rally across Europe

[HutchTheCrutch]

I always intended to write an article about this rally, however I've never finished it. This was a rally across Europe covering some 2,700 miles from Calais to Dijon, to Varese via the Stevio pass to Austria ........ and more.

The photo of the dash board was taken on the Autobahn into Berlin from Prague and is real as my brother who was sitting in the passenger seat taking it at the time. The garage that looks after my car said that they had never seen an unmodified 944 S2 maxed out in 5th before ...... maybe you have some other photos to prove this wrong too, however I guarantee you that I was having to back off the throttle as the car started to hit the rev limiter ! This car is awesome !

I can't work out how to upload more than one picture ..... can someone help the ageing technophobe please.

 

[robwright]

Liking that one mate - A LOT!!!!! I am sure Mcnulters will be along shortly to sort out your pic as well []

 

[scam75]

Yes, good effort! An indicated 158mph from an unmodified car with a factory list top speed of 149mph!!

Did you damage the floor pan with your lead boots?[]

Stuart

 

[pauljmcnulty]

I am sure Mcnulters will be along shortly to sort out your pic as well

I've never worked out the pictures unless you host them somewhere like Photobucket and post them one at a time. [&o]

I'd swear I can see the fuel gauge dropping in the picture! []

 

[912UK]

hats off to you my man my only record has been 148 some where in Germany..In a VW Corrado VR6 I was just doing my best to stay in a stright line [] and praying no one was going to pull out

 

[Diver944]

Nice picture Hutch []

Shortly after getting our S2 we went on a family holiday round Europe and on a quiet stretch of Autobahn I kept my foot planted until we saw 150 on the speedo. I know in reality it was probably less than 140mph due to speedo tolerances and it was in the days before Satnav to double check, but considering the car was four up and loaded with a boot full of suitcases I was pretty impressed for a car with 100k miles on the clock at the time.

 

[944 man]

On my last charity rally (and whilst Sarah was asleep) I managed just over 115mph by my satnav (over a couple of miles, with a little more to come too!) on a deserted stretch of Autobahn. Not bad for a Skoda Felicia and well over what VW said that it could manage...

 

[HutchTheCrutch]

Thanks guys.

Yes, the fuel gauge was going down as fast as the rev counter went up! Over all the trip the car was giving me between 350 and 400 miles to a tank, on the Autobahn I drank the tank in 180 miles!. It was quite difficult to get much above 130 on the clock due to the fact that you have to look a long way down the road for cars pulling out, however when I got a fair stretch I stuck it to the floor and kept my eyes open. The car was perfect and seemed to firm up the faster I went.

I'll try and post some more pics when I work out how.

 

[barks944]

More speed = more downforce! The 944's feel great at speed, when my turbo was on the road I've hit over 130mph and it was just solid as a rock. Can't wait to rebuild mine and get over to Germany!

 

[944 man]

Downforce?

At over 100mph then Id be happy if I simply wasnt generating lift! I think that talk of downforce is fanciful.....

 

[Hilux]

Great pic - car water temp is running cool too.

I`ve done well over 150mph (indicated) for quite some minutes on an autobahn, in my old 944T, I could have gone on but tyres get v v warm at those speeds as they approach their speed rating

At 135mph (indicated) the aerodynamics really kick in and you could feel the car being pushed down onto the tarmac, the suspension settled down and the steering weighted up. It felt rock solid, superb (and sorely missed)

 

[barks944]

Thats what it felt like for me, isn't that downforce??

 

[HutchTheCrutch]

I managed to do everything just right before we went away. My son was working a Bridgestone at the time and I got a brand new set of SO2s for £250 fitted !!! (Unfortunately he's no longer there.). The grip from them is unbelieveable as I found when we did the Stevio pass.

I also had it serviced by the garage I bought it from and it had a cam belt change about 2000 miles previously. I only had 2 issues, 1st as we went up the Stelvio pass in 1st and 2nd gear with me getting the back end out on each the bends, (it's the only way to get round them without a 3 point turn!), we ended up having to turn the heater on full and open the windows to keep the engine cool, and 2nd when at altitude in Austria it had a real issue starting first thing in the morning. Apart from that it was brilliant, putting all except an M5 to shame.

 

[TTM]

Nice picture and congratulations!
I sadly never experienced downforce on either of my 944, while the S2 at those speed felt somewhat floating up and down relatively safely, the turbo always felt like it wanted to take off, but that may be due to agressive alignment settings.
I had a chat with a German guy connected to the engineers who designed our cars in the 80s and he commented the 944 was designed to have the air flow underneath. This was "corrected" somehow with the 968 which is supposed to be safer the faster it goes.

 

[dave364634]

let it warm up before you cane it or you'll be walking.

fwiw mine is doing 94mph (sat nav) at 100mph (dial).

 

[DivineE]

ORIGINAL: TTM

Nice picture and congratulations!
I sadly never experienced downforce on either of my 944, while the S2 at those speed felt somewhat floating up and down relatively safely, the turbo always felt like it wanted to take off, but that may be due to agressive alignment settings.
I had a chat with a German guy connected to the engineers who designed our cars in the 80s and he commented the 944 was designed to have the air flow underneath. This was "corrected" somehow with the 968 which is supposed to be safer the faster it goes.

Definitely to do with airflow under the car. My turbo felt better and better as speed built. You could almost feel it being pressed down (especially over crests) then when it came back from its tour of garages without the under trays on it used to get really light at the front over 130. Especially when cornering.

 

[VanhireBoys]

A good pic there.. ! I definately agree - mine feels more planted the faster you go.. !Is it only a notion to me..?

Myself and a friend pushed his '92 Astra GSi till it was on the rev limiter in 5th in Germany a few years ago... Scarey Scarey .. I thought the doors were going to come off... The speedo was pointing at the battery light...
Not to be recommended..[]