... sporty fascination in the new Porsche 944 S 16-valve engine with 190 hp, same performance with and without a catalyst, extended equipment possibilities for additional comfort and sports.

The incomparable fascination of the Porsche 944 is can accomodate both sporty and environmentally friendly aspiration. A new four-cylinder engine developed according the Porsche philosophy of offering catalytic converter engines with the same output as without a catalytic converter, which is consistently pursued in the transaxle series. This concept, which is unique in the world, is achieved through modern engine technology, with 140 kW / 190 valve technology in conjunction with optimized combustion and a powerful 944 S through four-knock control.

The energy formula that Porsche uses with conviction in motor racing has already led to fuel savings of up to 35% in recent years. In the 1986 racing season, Porsche demonstrated with the 944 Turbo Cup, which is fiercely contested in racing engines and in which only vehicles with a catalyst are allowed to participate, that sporting performance and the greatest possible protection of the environment are to be brought to a common denominator.

The new 944 S uses the four-valve concept in order to achieve low pollutant emissions and low fuel consumption with significantly increased performance (27 percent compared to the 944 catalytic converter version). of the valves, the double camshaft cylinder head with a newly designed combustion chamber with a central spark plug arrangement and the knock control proven in the 944 Turbo enable high compression (10.9) and thus excellent fuel energy utilization. The well-known, cultivated running behavior of the sporty four-cylinder engine with balancer shaft remained unchanged.

The additional equipment options introduced at the same time in the four-cylinder series extend to safety as well as sportiness and luxury: the 944, 944 S and 944 Turbo can be supplied with an anti-lock braking system on request, which, as before with the 928, is specially designed for the Sports car proportions was matched. The installation of ABS made it necessary to convert the front axle to a negative scrub radius and rims with a larger offset. In addition to the standard perforated light alloy rims, forged wheels in disc styling are available on request for all four-cylinder models. The sporty equipment options have been expanded to include a sports suspension for all four-cylinder models and a Clubsport package for the 944 S and 944 Turbo.

In the "sound package", the full sound of ten loudspeakers can be individually sent to the sound source via an amplifier equalizer and listening habits are adjusted. The loudspeakers in and high range are integrated in the low, middle and interior styling. The high loading comfort of the newly developed Porsche four-cylinder rear seat system with a dent can be increased by a backrest that can be individually folded down. The comfort seats available on request are now available with electrical length, height and backrest adjustment, as a supplement with seat heating and electrically adjustable lumbar support. Initially for the US market, an airbag system was developed for the driver and front passenger, which can be installed in the 944 and 944 S on request and in the 944 Turbo as standard.

The technology, performance and equipment of the 944 S in detail.

The arrangement of the camshafts and valves, which has already proven itself in the catalytic converter version of the 928 S eight-cylinder engine, could also be adopted. The basic engine corresponds to the four-cylinder of the 944, apart from the cylinder head with camshaft drive, the intake tract with magnesium intake ducts, the exhaust system, the oil sump and the two camshaft functions, there are also new features of the digital engine electronics (DME), which is controlled by the knock regulation have been expanded.

Compared to the 944 engine with a catalytic converter (two-valve technology), the output has been increased by 27.0 percent, compared to the previous version without a catalytic converter it is 16.5 percent - with only a number of each. The torque has been increased by 21 and 12 percent, respectively: the nominal rotational speed is increased by three percent. The four-valve technology provides all the prerequisites for achieving the same level of performance in Porsche sports engines with and without a catalytic converter.

The exhaust and intake valves, which are arranged in series, are each actuated by a camshaft, the exhaust camshaft being arranged like the previous camshaft. It is driven by the crankshaft via a wider and reinforced toothed belt with a mechanical belt tensioner. The intake camshaft is positioned over a centrally located chain with hydraulic chain tensioner driven by the outlet camshaft. The tried and tested cup stoppers with hydraulic backlash compensation, which actuate all 16 valves directly, have been retained.

The 16 valves technique enables a larger cross-section of the inlet and outlet openings, particularly favorable flow conditions for the sucked in air and the combustion gases. Another advantage lies in the structural options in the design of the combustion chamber: the spark plug can be arranged in the middle. The combustion process achieved in this way, which is uniform in all directions, was used in favor of the high compression ratio of 10.9: 1, which resulted in favorable thermal efficiency, high torque and low specific fuel consumption brings with it.

Risk-free operation in the most effective range near the knock limit is made possible by the automatic knock control. The knock control, tried and tested in the 944 Turbo, sets the most favorable ignition point for each cylinder in the digital engine electronics (DME). The engine is designed with and without a catalytic converter. The knock control protects the engine from damage when using inferior fuel quality by reducing the ignition point when there is a noticeable reduction in output to "Eurosuper" (95 octane).

Sporty driving performance, comfortable engine characteristics.

Individual components of the transmission have been adapted to the higher engine output, the transmission ratios have been re-adjusted and are the same worldwide. Higher maximum speeds in the gears also result from the top speed, which has risen from 6500 to 6800 rpm, with the top speed being 228 km / h.

The increase in power and torque is particularly evident in the upper speed range. The high torque at low speeds that characterizes the engine of the 944 is complemented by sporty power delivery in the medium and upper speed range in the 16-valve engine. Here the performance curve is well above that of the 944. The power delivery increases evenly up to the maximum output of 140 kW at 6000 rpm. In the interest of the engine's service life, the maximum engine speed is limited to 6800 rpm by gently switching off the fuel supply.

Corresponding to this engine characteristic, the 944 S can be driven in the gears with low engine speed and early upshifts as well as with sporty use of the engine speed and power reserves. The acceleration time from 0 to 100 km / h was reduced - compared to 8.4 seconds for the 944 - to 7.9 seconds.

Extended functional and comfort equipment.

Porsche's new four-cylinder model differs only slightly from the normal 944 in its external appearance: the marking is limited to the "944 S" at the rear and a lettering on the side in front of the front doors along the side protection strips "16-valve", which is offered on special request. The installation of the power steering is possible on request, it corresponds to the modified front axle (negative scrub radius 13.8 mm) of the models 944 and 944 Turbo. The wheel bearing journals and the piston rod diameter of the front axle struts have been reinforced.

The anti-lock braking system, which is also available for all 944 models, corresponds in function and design to the system installed in the 928 S. It was adjusted to the conditions of the 944. The control units are right ure. the interior side panel is protected, the hydraulic unit in the front right wing.

The rims were adapted to the axle changes. In the basic configuration, all four-cylinder models have perforated rims with an offset depth of 52.3 mm: on the 924 S in size 6 J x 15 with 195/65 VR 15 tires, on the 944 and 944 S in size 7 J x 15 with the same tire size and for the 944 Turbo in size 7 or 8 J x 16 with 205/55 VR 16 tires at the front and 225/50 VR 16 at the rear. The forged wheels in disc styling that are available on request correspond to the rims of the 928 S.

The sports chassis can be combined with all of the rim and tire sizes offered, but only marginally suitable for reduced suspension comfort and when used on the racetrack, it offers full handling and cornering properties for road use. In addition to harder coordination of springs, dampers and stabilizers as well as harder wheel control arm bearings, it contains setting options for damper force, vehicle height and rear axle stabilizer.

While the sports suspension is available for all four-cylinder models, the Clubsport package is limited to the 944 S and 944 Turbo models. It is primarily intended for a very sporty driving style when used in racing and club sport competitions and corresponds to the equipment of the vehicles used in the 944 Turbo Cup. The 944 S and 944 Turbo thus become sports equipment that, although approved for road traffic, is optimally designed for sports use. Comfort equipment such as air conditioning, electric windows - these vehicles and seat adjustments are available for further weight savings, the noise insulation was not reduced and the PVC underguard omitted. A sporty bucket seat and 6-point belts, accessories such as a roll cage, are available on request.

The sound package for the 944, 944 S and 944 Turbo is a counterpart to this distinctly sporty equipment. The Blaupunkt BEA 80 amplifier / equalizer has a music output of 4 x 20 watts and a frequency response of 20 to 30,000 hertz. It is installed below the radio in the center console. Of the total of 10 loudspeakers, three each are housed in the doors, with the midrange and woofers being given a common panel integrated into the door design. Two further woofers and two tweeters are mounted in the rear side panels. The speakers' 3-way system are located in the doors, while a 2-way system is in the rear with corresponding crossovers connected to the amplifier.

The new rear seat system provided as an option improves the luggage storage options in the rear. It is connected to a luggage compartment cover (similar to that of the 928 S) mounted on the tailgate. The front comfort seats with electrical height, length and backrest adjustment are also available as special equipment for the 944, 944 S and 944 Turbo. The seat heating and the electrically adjustable lumbar support can also be installed.

Porsche has developed a completely new airbag system for the 944, 944 S and 944 Turbo, which also includes the passenger side. For the time being, this system is only assigned to the USA market: it is installed in the 944 and 944 S on request, and as standard in the 944 Turbo. The introduction for Europe is planned for a later date. The extensive new program and the various possible combinations of the 16-valve engine of the 944 were deliberately geared towards the different individual requirements of Porsche customers: from luxurious comfort vehicles from chassis-optimized sports equipment.