1982 Porsche 924 'Turbo' Coupe

Description

Developed in conjunction with Volkswagen as a replacement for the mid-engined 914, the 924 ultimately became a fully-fledged Porsche after VW pulled out of the project, selling alongside the classic 911.  Breaking new ground on several fronts, the 924 was Porsche’s first front-engined design, the first to feature four cylinders in-line and its first water-cooled motor.  The modern bodywork designed by Harm Lagaay possessed excellent an aerodynamic co-efficient of just 0.36 and had several ground-breaking features, including a large glass hatchback and pop-up headlamps.  With impeccable handling characteristics in the best Zuffenhausen tradition, the 924 was a relatively affordable, well-equipped sports car that received plenty of praise from the motoring press when unveiled back in 1975.  The modest power output of the original 924 was overcome to a large extent when Porsche launched the Turbo in 1979 - with 170bhp under the bonnet, it neatly bridged the gap between the 924 and 911.  In addition to forced induction, Porsche adjusted the K-Jetronic fuel injection settings and fitted an auxiliary oil cooler, while exterior changes included additional cooling slots between the pop-up headlamps and in the front valance, blacked-out window frames plus a black polyurethane spoiler at the rear.  The suspension was uprated to cope with the extra power, and new five-bolt 15-inch alloy wheels were standard, which allowed larger ventilated discs to be fitted.  Interior upgrades included the leather steering wheel from the 911 Turbo and unique plaid.  The 924 Turbo boasted proper sports car performance and was capable of dispatching the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 7.8 seconds on the way to a top speed of 225 km/h.  Underscoring just how good the original 924 concept was, Porsche further developed the model into the 944 and ultimately the 968, thus extending the life of its front-engined sports car to almost two decades of production.  The 924 was actively campaigned on the track too, both at an international level (including the Le Mans 24-Hours, where factory backed cars did well in 1980, with Manfred Schurti and Jürgen Barth finishing a highly creditable sixth outright) and in American SCCA events.  Now more than 35 years old, the 924 Turbo is fast becoming a collector’s item but remains one of the most affordable classic Porsche models.