1988 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup
Generously Lent by Lee & Heather Hower
One of 39 Rothmans Series spec cars ever made
Raced in the Rothman Turbo Cup series
1 of only 4 front engine Porches models ever produced
Made for the “Rothmans 944 Turbo Cup Championship,” a nationally televised Canadian race series held from 1988 to 1990 in which the season champion earned a seat in the Rothmans-sponsored Porsche 962C at the following year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans. The 1988 Porsche 944 Turbo Cup on display raced every year and was driven by David Seabrooke who achieved multiple top ten finishes.
“It goes like a bat out of Zuffenhausen”, the town in which Porsche is headquartered. First launched in 1982 under its predecessors name the 924, the Porsche 944 was a different development for Porsche with the engine mounted in the front of the car like most American brands and a transaxle instead of its normal transmission option. The 944 was thought by Porsche to be its next big model after the 911, but after 911 sales increased and 944 decreased, the 944 was refocused into racing. In 1985 the 944 Turbo was put into production, adding a turbocharger to the inline-4 engine that substantially increased its power.
One year later the turbo race series was launched, developed in which the 944 Turbo Cup was developed. The Turbo Cup had more than 50 changes to the model differing it from the road model, including weight reduction to total 600 lbs and improvements to the powertrain allowing it to go 0-100km (62mph) in 5.3 seconds. It raced in multiple countries like Germany, Canada, and even the United States, the Turbo Cup series was successful through the late 80s into the early 90s before being phased out by the Carrera Cup series
“Durable enough to drive to the moon…literally” In 1987, Austrian long-distance driver Gerhard Plattner set out to take a standard Porsche 944 S on a trip that mirrored the distance from the Earth to the moon 238,858 miles, and to drive it within a year. The endurance test started at Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida, USA and, after driving across Europe and Asia, finished 258 days later.
Specifications:
Configuration: Front engine, rear wheel drive
Engine: Turbocharged 2.5-liter inline 4-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed transaxle
Power: 250 hp @ 6000 rpm / 302 lb-ft @ 4000rpm
Speed: 170 mph (Top) / 0-60 in 4.4 sec
Suspension: Bilstein coil-over shocks, non-adjustable front sway bar, three-way adjustable rear sway bar
Brakes: fixed 4-piston calipers with ventilated discs front and back