Hot Potato: 1990 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet Driven

From the November 1989 issue of Car and Driver.Sales of Porsche’s 944 models have gone flatter than an Oklahoma trailer park. In the first quarter of 1989, Porsche Cars North America sold 401 four-cylin­der automobiles, a statistic so dismal that Draconian measures were called for. Porsche’s ploy for 1990: dump the standard 944 and jettison the high-dollar 944 Turbo. Which leaves U.S. buyers with only one 944 this year (albeit in two fla­vors): the S2 coupe ($41,900) and the long-awaited S2 Cabriolet ($48,600). We say “long-awaited” because the Cabrio was first shown way back in 1985, at the Frankfurt show.Much of the S2 Cabrio’s four-year gestation was spent figuring out who would actually build it. The 944 is assembled by a contractor—Audi, to be precise—in Neckarsulm, West Germany. And the soft-top conversion is effected by yet an­other contractor—ASC—in its new digs in nearby Heilbronn. Complex? You bet. And the plot gets even thicker. The unfinished bodies are shipped from Audi to ASC, where the tops are torched off and the process of reinforc­ing the chassis begins. The rocker sills and doorjambs are buttressed, and a pair of cross members are sandwiched by a sec­ond floorpan. In this half-finished condi­tion, the S2 Cabrio goes back to Audi for its Porsche-built engine and drivetrain. And then it is shipped again to ASC, where it is fitted with a unique wind­screen—2.4 inches shorter than the coupe’s, which accounts in large part for the Cabrio’s charming “Speedster­-esque” countenance. At the same time, ASC installs plastic caps atop the rear fenders (for aesthetic reason only) and fashions an entirely new rear deck, mak­ing this the first 944 with a trunk.Larry Griffin|Car and DriverMuch time is thus consumed, but the outcome is worth the wait. Not only is this a roadster with svelte proportions­—one of the rare convertibles that looks as good with it top raised as it does with its top lowered—but it is also one of the most structurally rigid cabrios we have ever driven. All this at a penalty of 111 pounds and $6700. Although the S2 Cabriolet’s felt-lined soft top is small in size, it is large in com­plexity: a Goldbergian maze of braces and cross members and bellcranks. To lower the top, you must first investigate inside the glove box, where you’ll find a pair of wrenches with large plastic han­dles. These you insert at the leading edge of the top; a sharp twist at either side re­leases the convertible from the wind­shield header. You then push a button on the center console. As if by magic, the side windows lower and the top automat­ically folds backward until it collapses in a sizable heap. Unfortunately, there is no well into which it might wholly hide itself. Alas, you are still not ready for open-air motoring. Porsche insists that the canvas boot be snapped in place, and for good reason: the outer edges of the soft top are uniquely exposed to the elements, ready to suck in bugs, pebbles, brake dust, and maybe a streak or two of bird whitewash. Just the sort of stuff you don’t want chaf­ing the Cabrio’s backlight—which is plas­tic, not glass. More Porsche 944 Reviews From the ArchiveThe conversion is complex but not without purpose. Cowl shake is almost nonexistent, and the chassis remains stiff enough that the near-neutral handling and razor-sharp steering typical of the coupe are here preserved in toto. We also discovered that once the top is raised, it does not bow, flap, whistle, or thump—even at the Cabrio’s top speed of 145 mph. Moreover, 730 miles of splashing through a relentless summer downpour confirmed that the 944 S2 Cabrio is as leakproof as a Rolex Oyster. The Cabrio’s 208-hp, sixteen-valve, 3.0-liter engine-identical to that in the coupe (C/D, February)—is notable for delivering basketsfull of torque (more than 70 percent of the peak torque, in fact, is available between 1500 rpm and the 6500-rpm redline) and for summoning 0-to-60-mph sprints that cost only 6.2 seconds. Our only complaint: the en­gine bares its four-pot soul all too clearly during cold idle or upon initial start-up, when one or two of those huge cylinders fail to fire. Larry Griffin|Car and DriverNowhere is it written that the S2 Cabrio, to become a sales success, must fit neatly into an identifiable niche. But it is, in truth, surpassingly difficult to finger the cars with which the Cabrio must com­pete. The Mazda RX-7 or Mazda Miata or Buick Reatta convertibles? Or does the Cabrio compete with the Jaguar XJ-S Convertible and the Cadillac Allanté (both of which are more luxurious than sporty but are, at least, closer to the Porsche’s price)? Perhaps the real com­petition is the Corvette Convertible, a sports car whose drag-strip and skidpad stats surpass the Cabrio’s but whose long-distance cruising capability and overall refinement do not. Maybe all that matters is that the 944 S2 Cabriolet is one of the world’s great sports cars, agile and aggressive, handsome and well built. A real deutsch treat. But who will reach for his check­book first?SpecificationsSpecifications
1990 Porsche 944 S2 Cabriolet
Vehicle Type: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2+2-passenger, 2-door convertible
PRICE

Base/As Tested: $48,600/$52,295
ENGINE
DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, port fuel injection
Displacement: 182 in3, 2990 cm3
Power: 208 hp @ 5800 rpm 
TRANSMISSION
5-speed manual 
DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 94.5 in
Length: 168.9 in
Curb Weight: 3210 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 6.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.7 sec @ 94 mph
100 mph: 16.9 sec
Top Speed: 145 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 167 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.84 g 
C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 18 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City: 17 mpg 
C/D TESTING EXPLAINEDJohn Phillips first began writing about cars in 1974, at Car Weekly in Toronto. He later worked for Ford Racing, then served for seven years as the Executive Editor of Car and Driver. In the interim, he has written for Harper’s, Sports Illustrated, The Toronto Globe and Mail, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, and Conde Nast Traveler. He enjoyed a one-on-one interview with Joe Biden and is the author of the true-crime saga God Wants You to Roll and the memoir Four Miles West of Nowhere. In 2007 he won the Ken Purdy Award for journalism. He lives with his wife, Julie, in the Bitterroot Valley.
Source: caranddriver.com