Rightly Hated or Underrated? | Porsche 924

It's often regarded as the weakest Porsche, but is this really the case?
Music Used:
Simple & Relaxing Minimal Ambient: Yrii Semchyshyn/Coma-Media - Pixabay
10-Twenty-Main: Colin Jones/ccjmusic - Pixabay
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:00 - Project 425
01:56 - The 'Van Engine' Myth
03:35 - Performance & Handling
04:19 - The 924 Turbo
04:55 - Turbo Race Variants
05:16 - The 944 Arrives
06:19 - 924 With Added 'S'
06:37 - 944 Becomes 968
07:06 - The 924's Legacy
08:05 - My Verdict
This video is under Fair Use:
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act in 1976; Allowance is made for "Fair Use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favour of fair use. All rights and credit go directly to its rightful owners. No copyright infringement intended.

[@johnsmith4219]

I bought my 924 when I was 25 and I still drive that 924. The only difference is. I am 62 yrs. now.

[@Bob_Sacamano1975]

Finally a good video explaining the 924 engine heritage in a reasonable way! Thanks! Love the 924!

[@runoflife87]

Underrated affordable (for Porsche) sports car. Better suited for most drivers IMO.

[@AH-fg8dk]

Watching as a 924 fan & got a huge shock when I saw my own 924S at 3.17 😮🤣

[@studio-2]

Really? It's insane when I hear I've used viewers' cars in videos (first one was a Manta in the Group B videos). I hope it's ok, if you want me to remove it just say

[@AH-fg8dk]

@@studio-2 no probs. It was a dealership photo, as the car was a 2020 covid lockdown treat. But one I've really taken to. Just been out to my garage to take it off charge, ready for a run out tomorrow in the autumn sunshine 🌞

[@studio-2]

Sounds lovely, hope you enjoy it!

[@eziosormani4135]

Im 17, Just bought My first car, ‘81 Porsche 924, need some work but i love it

[@porche1969]

GOOD CHOICE....ENJOY

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

2 modern sports cars that should get love and correctly restored, 924/44 and the Fiero, both are fun, look good, and when fixed correctly are nice.🤓😎👌

[@KarelBeelaertsvanBlokland]

924 = a nimble, Brilliant little GTi with excellent road-holding manners. Loved it! But the old injection system is not 'mechanic' friendly. EFI kit to the rescue!

[@NeurodivergentSuperiority]

Even in the 1980's people expected very highly of car companies, sometimes the public should just understand that not every car company can build a super engine from the ground up, and the 924 is a great example, great car, fitting engine. Others include: Numerous TVR cars fitted with everything from the Ford Colonge V6 to the legendary Rover V8 (expect for the 200i, we don't talk about the Pinto 2 litre 200i) The many many obscure 2000's-2010's LS engine powered supercars (Sin R1, Arash AF10) The 220MPH Noble M600 powered by a Volvo XC90 engine The Pagani Zonda having an engine from the Mercedes R129 and so many more great and exciting cars that borrow and improve off of the engines of other companies, proof that nothing ever has to be 100% bespoke.

[@spyderaho]

I picked up a 924 a few weeks ago for cheap and it’s such a fun little car!

[@studio-2]

That's fantastic to hear, I hope you continue to enjoy it in the future!

[@Stweak]

wow that was a great video man, it's crazy how people are saying so much crap about the 924, learnt quite a few things

[@KETTINGAFK]

I had a 924,944, 944Turbo(951) ,911 sc . The front engine Porsche’s are really nice to daily drive. 928s4 is my favorite. Maybe I will buy it one day. Very good quality build cars. Super. All models way ahead of its time. You rarely see those early front engine Porsche’s on the road these days.

[@studio-2]

The 928 is my fav Porsche, glad to hear that others like it too!

[@porche1969]

I HAVE THE 924 TURBO...LOVE IT

[@garagecedric]

Lots of people enjoy these cars, and if you read magazines from back in the day it got good reviews aswell , apart from some purist, but it was expensive though which got some critics, and the earliest model years were a bit harsh (they changed alot after 1977). I dont care much about status, as drivers car i think they are better than the 911s, doesn't sound as well though :) hence my improved 924 turbo is still here since 2006.

[@SuperDickiedavies]

I have a 924S running a tuned 944 turbo lump and running gear. It’s very rapid point to point and is great fun leaving 997’s ,RS4 or M3’s behind.

[@pierremartin9048]

Its a wonderful car, especially the S spec. Love them, i have a similar 1985.5 V2 of the 145 bhp 944.

[@321-Gone]

My dad used to bring them home all the time for work. Most people were just interested and were impressed to see how quick it is. Cool interior too. My favorite was the 914-6cl. Those things could get it don’t on auto X.

[@stijnvandamme76]

4:15 Reseda Green, I had one in that color, it popped so much, I've never had as much positive comments from any other Porsche I've had. It just stood out, in all seasons, day or night, rain or shine.. One of the nicest green metallics out there.. But you gotta get used to it

[@EastEndersWALFORD]

Love it

[@valerycarpentier852]

Both the 924 and 944 are very underrated. They’re the grandparents of the cayman/boxster.

[@valerycarpentier852]

@@laapulsford I'm not sure Porsche had an entry level sports car before?

[@pederfallbom]

​@@valerycarpentier852 912 and 914

[@3thomasdm]

in 1982 i was crew on a 924 turbo GTU imsa team

[@porche1969]

WOW

[@willharris9139]

i bought my first 924 at age 22 i loved that car

[@pederfallbom]

Great video and great car the 924

[@Scouty66]

The origins of the original 924 engine go much further back than VW-Audi. The first slant block engine was designed by Mercedes-Benz in the mid 1960's for a small car that they proposed to build. However this didn't happen. At the time Mercedes owned four German marques that formed the Auto-Union make and were involved with VW. It proposed that a new car would be produced using the Audi name and this car was to replace the 3 cylinder DKW. During its development Mercedes attended to the mechanicals and VW the body styling. When launched in 1965 as the Audi, it was advertised as being powered by Mercedes and was sold via Mercedes dealers. However, the following year, VW acquired Auto Union and with it the Audi brand. It also acquired the slant block Mercedes engine and this engine became the blueprint for all future VW/Audi engines with development. The engine born as a Mercedes went on in various versions to power Audis and various models of VW when VW moved on from the "Beetle". Much later this former Mercedes lump would be found in the Audi 100. When Porsche began work on the car that would evolve into the 924 model they chose the Audi 100 engine to redevelop. So the 924 engine got a different cylinder head and a new stronger crankshaft and became yet another version of what had originally been a Mercedes design. It certainly wasn't fitted into VW Vans. The car itself was conceived as a car to replace the VoPo that was less of a Porsche than the 924. When introduced, the 924 was compared to the type 911 that was descended from the old fashioned VW Beetle which led to the 911 crowd having violent attacks of the vapours. The continued worship of the 911 genre continues to this day despite the need to extensively develop it in an attempt to overcome the handling problems that a rear engine design can exhibit.

[@althejazzman]

Very well researched, especially on the engine origins. I say exactly the same thing about the Transit vs Sierra Cosworth. However I would like to point out that the 924 Turbo wasn't discontinued just to pitch the 924 below the 944. The 924 Turbo was always a very experimental car and Porsche have frequently added many changes throughout a model's production, always seeking improvements. They used these experiments to realise that the 2.5 engine achieved similar power to the 2.0 Turbo but in a more linear fashion. This is easier for most people to drive. The 944 even kept the brakes and suspension designed initially for the 924 Turbo. The 924S wasn't introduced until 1986 but the 924 Turbo was discontinued in 1981. It was in reaction to Audi stopping production of the EA831 engine block, but Porsche needing an entry level model to pitch beneath the 944. There was even a plan to make a 924 S2 with the 2.7 litre engine and newer "oval" dash interior.

[@studio-2]

You are correct, the 924 Turbo was not dropped purely to make the 924 a basic model - as you say, the 944 being on par in terms of performance but with far easier characteristics was the main factor. As for the 924 Turbo being discontinued in 1981, I was going off of Porsche GB's website which states it as lasting until 1984. www.porsche.com/uk/accessoriesandservice/classic/models/924/924-turbo/

[@althejazzman]

@@studio-2 Ahh fair enough. They really should have clarified that the last two years were only for the Italian market to meet a 2.0 litre tax bracket.

[@studio-2]

Really? Wow, I didn't know that! The only other time I've heard that tax bracket referenced is in conversations about the Ferrari 208 lol

[@althejazzman]

@@studio-2I'm happy we exchanged some knowledge!

[@Luraka1978]

I LOVE thia car !!!

[@GarageBiljon]

Great video, I was going to comment that the block originated from Mercedes Benz, but that point was already made. I think the reason some journalists slated the 924 is because they compared it to a 911, why would you do that? The 924's competition was the Ford Capri and Alfa Romeo GTV, and it had those cars beat hands down.

[@studio-2]

I suppose it was compared to the 911 as it was the only point of reference the average consumer had for Porsche (the 356 having long been out of production)

[@dfheezy]

I badly want a slick-top Euro 924 S M030/220, but the sport steering wheel & side mirrors from the 968, with hand-crank windows, rear seat delete, and no rear wiper, and livery-matching checkered seats.

[@josemontano7767]

I wish Porsche would still make the 924 and the 944 as a kid I always wanted one.

[@porche1969]

I HAVE A 924 TURBO...LETS TALK

[@NeurodivergentSuperiority]

If i remember correctly, it had the engine from an Audi 50, or should i be in the pysche ward?

[@studio-2]

It was used in the Audi 100 - the 50 was the VW Polo equivalent, the EA831 2.0 engine in that would be a rocket!

[@NeurodivergentSuperiority]

@@studio-2 Oooooooh, so i didn't remember it correctly, still, great video anyway!

[@virgilrytaar9083]

The block can be traced back to Daimler Benz, then Horch(!) ,Wanderer, Auto Union, NSU, Audi, VW, AMC, JEEP etc

[@geojake]

That bad reputation is kind of ironic because I'm certain if VW/Audi had gone through with the project, the car would be more valuable today as "the Audi Porsche designed" instead of "the Porsche with that weak Audi engine".

[@studio-2]

Yeah, for a golden example of how well-received the 'Audi by Porsche' idea was, just look at the '90s RS2 estate!