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|width = |height = |transmission = |weight= }} The Porsche 944 is a luxury sports car that was built by Porsche from 1982 to 1991. It used the 924 platform that remained in production until 1988. The 944 was intended to last into the 1990s, but major revisions planned for a 944 "S3" model were eventually combined into the 968 instead, which replaced the 944. The 944 was available in coupé or cabriolet body styles, with either naturally aspirated or turbocharged engines. ==History and model overview== The Porsche 924 had originally been a project of VW-Porsche a joint Porsche/Volkswagen company created to develop and produce the 914 which was sold in Europe as both a Porsche and a Volkswagen. In 1972, a replacement for the Volkswagen version of the 914, code named EA-425 began development. The model was to be sold as an Audi as part of the VW-Audi-Porsche marketing arrangement. Porsche was to have its own version. At one point, VW head Rudolf Leidig, declared the EX-425 was going to be a VW exclusively, thus denying Porsche of a 914 replacement. Although testing had begun in the Spring of 1974, Volkswagen cancelled the EX-425 program because of significant financial losses due to declining sales and rising development costs for new vehicles, as well as the departure of Leidig. The recently released Volkswagen Scirocco was expected to fill the sports coupé market segment. This led Porsche to market an entry level car to replace the Porsche 912E, which was a US-only stop-gap model for 1976, and their model of 914, which was discontinued in 1975. Porsche purchased the design and the finished development with a mechanical fuel injection system. The vehicle received positive reviews, but was criticized by Porsche enthusiasts for its Audi-sourced 2 L engine. In 1979, Porsche introduced a Turbocharged 924 to increase performance, but this model carried a high price. Rather than scrap the design, Porsche decided to develop the 924, as they had with generations of the 911; although model numbers would change, the 924 would provide the basis for its replacement. Porsche re-worked the platform and a new all-alloy 2.5 L inline-four engine, bore , stroke , that was, in essence, half of the 928's 5.0 L V8, although very few parts were actually interchangeable. Not typical in luxury sports cars, the four-cylinder engine was chosen for fuel efficiency and size, because it had to be fitted from below on the Neckarsulm production line. To overcome roughness caused by the unbalanced secondary forces that are typical of four-cylinder engines, Porsche included two counter-rotating balance shafts running at twice engine speed. Invented in 1904 by British engineer Frederick Lanchester, and further developed and patented in 1975 by Mitsubishi Motors, balance shafts carry eccentric weights which produce inertial forces that balance out the unbalanced secondary forces, making a four-cylinder engine feel as smooth as a six-cylinder. The engine was factory-rated at in its U.S. configuration. Revised bodywork with wider wheel arches, similar to that of the 924 Carrera GT, a fresh interior and upgrades to the braking and suspension systems rounded out the major changes. Porsche introduced the 944 for MY 1982. It was slightly faster (despite having a poorer drag co-efficient than the 924), the 944 was better equipped and more refined than the 924; it had better handling and stopping power, and was more comfortable to drive. The factory-claimed 0-60 mph time of less than 9 seconds (8.3 seconds according to "Porsche the Ultimate Guide" By Scott Faragher). The factory-claimed top speed of was also pessimistic, Autocar having verified a top speed of . The car had nearly even front to rear weight distribution (50.7% front/49.3% rear) thanks to the rear transaxle balancing out the engine in the front. In mid-1985, the 944 underwent its first significant changes. These included : a new dash and door panels, embedded radio antenna, upgraded alternator (from 90 amp to 115 amp), increased oil sump capacity, new front and rear cast alloy control arms and semi-trailing arms, larger fuel tank, optional heated and powered seats, Porsche HiFi sound system, and revisions in the mounting of the transaxle to reduce noise and vibration. The "cookie cutter" style wheels used in the early 944s were upgraded to new "phone dial" style wheels (Fuchs wheels remained an option). 1985 model year cars incorporating these changes are sometimes referred to as "1985B", "85.5" or "1985½" cars. For the 1987 model year, the 944 Motronic DME was updated, and newly incorporated anti-lock braking and air bags. Because of the ABS system, the wheel offset changed to and Fuchs wheels were no longer an option. In early 1989 before the release of the 944S2, Porsche upgraded the 944 from the 2.5 to a 2.7 L engine, bore , stroke , with a rated (versus for the 1988 2.5 L version) and a significant increase in torque. In addition to the increase in displacement, the new motor featured a siamesed-cylinder block design and a different cylinder head which incorporated larger valves. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Porsche 944」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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