26th Aug 2005, 03:35
No matter what people say about the 924, as long as it holds the famous badge on the front it's a Porsche and there is no substitute.
14th Sep 2005, 12:41
You would be hard pressed to find another car out there that after 20 years has only had one clutch change, one brakes change, and little other major work done, and can still hit 150+ with 1000+ rpm to spare.
As far as a "cheap" Porsche... the 924S was in the upper 20's... in 1987!
23rd Oct 2005, 03:10
Porsche 924: 0-60mph: 9.9 seconds, Top speed: 125mph. Not too bad for a car that's almost 30.
9th Feb 2006, 23:46
The Porsche 924 is a great performer, no matter what parts it has or who it was initially 'designed' for. The fact of the matter is that for a car of its age, it handles well and is a lot of fun to drive - plus they look GREAT!
So, for the person saying that they would only get one if it was 'given' to them, good one champ - you obviously couldn't appreciate it for the car that it is, that being a fun sports car with a make to be proud of!!
10th Feb 2006, 12:52
The thing that I find saddest about the 924/944 is that Porsche doesn't make an equivalent today.
I was desperately hoping the Cayman would be priced below the Boxster and have just the "basics" - a pure driving car that was affordable.
But, no, Porsche decided to start a new trend of premium compacts and BMW, with its new coupe, is following suit.
I honestly don't see how a $35k Porsche is going to ruin their image or degrade the brand (the Cayenne has already done that). After all, you get "entry level" buyers into the fold and then continue to sell them as their incomes increase.
3rd Mar 2006, 12:39
An old military friend of mine gave me a 1978 Porsche 924.
It is a really small car for me and I didn’t give it any respect at first, but after fixing a few wires, head gasket and exhaust it runs well and performs good for its age.
I registered it as an antique and have been driving it occasionally ever since, I agree with the gentleman above it really does handle well and if you match it with a lot of 1978 model sports cars it will kick some butt. If you happen to run across me on a twisty road I will show you what the back of a 924 looks like.
Stock brakes
Stock motor
Stock suspension
Wide tires
Custom crazy loud Stereo (came with the car)
9th Mar 2006, 12:03
I drove a Porsche 924 around a year ago and will never forget the experience. This car handles like a dream and those who are dissing it obviously have never driven one. I currently have an audi TT, but would like to own a 924. Just waiting to find one in good condition!
9th Mar 2006, 15:00
Seems like the authors of the previous comments don't care how slow the 924 is, as long as it has the Porsche nameplate on it, that is good enough for them. Even if it is some old clapped-out 924, they can still say, when someone asks, "Me? Oh, I drive a PORSCHE. Check it out on beaterz.com!"
9th Mar 2006, 17:50
So your only criteria for a sports car is speed?
Sorry, but I had a 1984 BMW 325e and it only had 121 hp. It was one of the best cars I had ever owned and I regret getting rid of it.
HANDLING is where the action is at, since anyone can tart up an engine.
2nd Aug 2006, 18:45
Hello everyone!
I have to back the idea that the 924 is a true Porsche. First of all... it was designed by Porsche, for VW, so if Vw had actually sold it... I would guess people would say "its really a Porsche with a VW emblem...
So- it was designed by Porsche, and sold under the Porsche name. Makes sense to me that it is a real Porsche?
And for its age, it kicks butt! I mean, it is not much slower than some new BMW's with a larger engine displacement.
The 924 was very innovative in it's day. It came with fuel K-jetronic fuel injection (CIS) which was very new, and for Pete`s sake, it handles better than most new cars. No one can win road races without good handling. The 924 can carry lots of speed into a turn and keep it up. Oh, and the engine puts out a lot of torque in comparison to how much HP. 115 HP, and 100 lbs/ft. torque. Not too shabby!
Sure, its not that fast, but it was one of the first water cooled Porsches. The 944 and other models came out afterwards, all with the similar design and weight ratio, and were a lot faster. Hmm, isn't that just like the early 911's? The original 911's had very little HP, I think somewhere around 125.
I have to say, I love the 924, but I too thought it was not a true Porsche until I saw one for sale and did some research.
9th Nov 2006, 12:11
Oh dear it seems that there is a lot of controversy about the 924, I own one and have for the last 2 and a half years, I have only had it on the rd for about a year and a half of that time, but when I bought it, it was burning loads of oil and the bottom ends where beating them self’s to death I bought it as I liked the shape, well I fell in love with it really. Being as I have access to ramps etc it was not a problem to fix, however the car ran for a year and a half without fail until it died a quiet death. And I do have a habit of killing cars I can't deny, but this was the worst condition (engine wise) car I had ever had from someone in my time, but it ran the best for the longest and yes the handling on em is brill my mate has got a focus 1.6 bearing in mind my piston was missing a chunk off the side of it and only one compression ring, with a bore that looked like you could light a match on it, it still managed to keep up with and eventually burn him off! that car can only be described as and with one word amazing! I have also owned a bmw 325i and that could not touch this car, even with its rebuilt engine for handling my moto is don’t nock it till you tried it. This may not be the most positive of comments, but its truthful. If you want to call the car a skoda I would simply not care because I know!!! That it’s a good car. Why else would I still have it waiting for its repair?
From a vehicle repair technician.
10th Mar 2007, 14:59
A sports car is not just about horsepower and top end speed, it is about styling, build quality, and company history and reputation. All Porsche's have these qualities and Porsche will always be one of the greatest car manufacturers in history.
20th Feb 2011, 05:40
Relative to Porsche 924 - I have been watching the "word fight" relative to 924 being a Porsche or not. I am not going to argue pro/contra, just telling you that my 924 aged 35 years this New Year after 780.000 km with the same engine (only valves has been "grind ed"). These facts caused the Danish Veteran Club to present it as the car of the month. The engine basically comes from Audi, the body from Porsche, but it is still here after 35 years; where does that come from? I know where its "spirit" comes from!
René from Denmark.
5th May 2020, 17:46
Not a VW at all. OK, the engine has VW origins, but it's a Porsche. The clue is on the badge that says 'Porsche' and not Volkswagen.
16th May 2005, 11:52
The above comment would be comical if the writer wasn't taking himself soooo seriously.
First off, yes I have driven 924's on several occasions, though I never owned one, as no one ever offered me one for free and I certainly wouldn't pay any money for one. They are nothing special--the "bargain" Porsche in those years which the passage of time has done nothing to change. They were cheap (for a Porsche) when new, and unlike the rear-engined Porsches, they depreciated fairly quickly. Now they are old, but still cheap.
When you know you have a slow car (and yes, 0-60 in 12.5 seconds is SLOW), then you can always fall back on the old argument that it handles better. Never mind the fact that you will be handling those corners 1/2 a mile behind your competitor after he blows by you in the straightaway.
As far as whether the 924 is a VW--that's what it started out to be. Porsche designed the car for VW, who decided not to go ahead with the project, so Porsche bought back the rights and proceeded to build the car at an Audi plant. So the 924's pedigree as a "true" Porsche will always be questionable as it was originally going to be a VW.
That comparison of all those other vehicles, that is supposed to somehow prove that the 924 is a Porsche, is just stupid, but if you want to talk about parts from one make being used in another, here's something the writer neglected to mention: the four-cylinder engine used in the original 924 also appeared under the hood of none other than the AMC Gremlin. So if you drive a 924, better be careful about challenging the beater Gremlin next to you at the light-he just may be driving a car just as powerful as yours!