924S

924S

Porsche 924S in Guards Red.

In 1984 VW decided to stop manufacturing the engine blocks used in the 2.0 924, leaving Porsche with a predicament. The 924 was considerably cheaper than its 944 stablemate, and dropping the model left Porsche without an affordable entry-level option. The decision was made to equip the narrower bodied 924 with a slightly detuned version of the 944's 163bhp 2.5 litre straight four, upgrading the suspension but retaining the 924's early interior. The result was 1986's 150bhp 924S. Porsche also decided to re-introduce the 924 to the American market with an initial price tag of under $20,000.

1987 saw Porsche release the limited edition 924S Le Mans. Available only in Alpine White or Black, it had uprated suspension and cosmetically upgraded interior and exterior. In Le Mans spec, the S' 2.5 litre engine produced an additional 10bhp, taking the total to 160. The Le Mans also came with an electric tilt and slide sunroof as standard (normally an option). A total of 980 924S Le Mans were manufactured during the 1987 model year; 813 in black (the only colour available for the US market) and 167 white cars.

In 1988, the 924S' final year of production, power increased to 160bhp matching that of the previous year's Le Mans spec cars and the base model 944 (itself detuned by 3bhp for 1988). This was achieved using different pistons which raised the S' compression ratio from 9.7:1 to 10.2:1, the knock-on effect being an increase in the octane rating, up from 91RON to 95. This made the 924S faster than the base 944 due to its lighter weight and more aerodynamic body.

With unfavourable exchange rates in the late 1980s, Porsche decided to focus its efforts on its more upmarket models, dropping the 924S for 1989 and the base 944 later that same year.