@@danielfrain3521 Very true...I used to own a stock '81 Corvette-loved the car but the 190hp V8 was pretty pathetic. Thought many times about installing a crate motor in it but at the end of the day thought it would be cost prohibitive as I would have to pay someone to install it because I don't know if I would have the mechanial ability or all the tools and equipment required for such a large undertaking
Dude in 2006 as a senior in highschool my buddy's dad bought a 928 and my dad bought an 88 Corvette...and only one headlight worked!! What a time to be alive. This snapped me back
@@sebbonxxsebbon6824 never liked vetts worked on them.for guys who had no idea do in a 928 stick and lightly tweaked 931 daily driver dodge dakotawith 528,000 plus
I have owned a 88 944 Turbo S for almost 15 years and I absolutely love it. My whole family has them. Such great driving cars. With a few little upgrades it really comes alive. Porsche detuned them so much from the factory to protect the 911. Even putting a cheap $80 "boost enhancer" changed the car a whole lot.
Was hoping someone would say this. These cars are severely detuned from factory. With a chip and a slightly stiffer wastegate spring youll get 275 hp instead of 220, or 300 instead of 250 depending on the year. It would easely walk the Vette then.
@@DarinNederhoff definitely a great way to get more out of the car for cheap. Ran one for about a year then went crazy and built the car up a lot more.
Anyone who knows about these older Porsche Turbo units, be careful tuning more boost. Make sure everything is in tip-top shape before you do it. They weren't really trying to protect the 911 as the 944 price point was much lower so it had lower-grade mechanicals. The chassis in my opinion was better than a 911. The Cayman has proven Porsche making the wrong choice for engine location. It's much better! Now, Porsche IS protecting the 911 against it's own Cayman.
Back in the 80's the Escort Showroom Stock Endurance series was the place where the C4 and 944 turbo really squared off against each other. Both cars could run a 24-hour endurance race like it was a sprint. Even though they were low-powered, they could do lap after lap on a race track and not fall apart. GM learned a lot about how to make the Corvette better by running in the series.
vettes went 29-0 against the turbo 944 from 1985-1987 and got BOOTED from racing in the escort series. They had to create their own challenge series called the corvette challenge.
Those turbo 944s were known for being very strong in 3rd gear because the engine load really got the turbo going. I would like to have seen a race at sea level though.
Agreed. Surely at sea level the Corvette would have beat the Porsche by even more. Turbo engines aren't affected by high altitudes nearly as much as naturally aspirated engines are.
@Jeff Lee 80s turbos didn't spool fast. The car/engine accelerated too fast in lower gears to hit max boost. It's not that there was no boost in 1st and 2nd. It just didn't max out until you got some load on the engine for long enough. Turbos didn't spool in 1 second in the 80s like they do today.
@Jeff Lee Couple things. First, gear matters specifically when the ECU is limiting boost in certain gears, but I am not aware that Porsche was doing this on the 944. This is something you typically see on FWD applications but just wanted to mention it because it IS a thing. Second, the load on the engine is related to time at a given RPM. Assuming you aren't driving up a steep hill or towing something, a higher gear is the most common way to load an engine more than a lower gear. Want proof? Rev up a turbo car in neutral and let off. How much boost did you build? It won't be 20 psi or anywhere NEAR full boost because the engine had no load. Of course, on a dyno, provided the 944 ECU wasn't actually limiting in lower gears, you should be able to achieve the same effect that I've cited in a lower gear, if it's the type of dyno that can hold an engine at any road speed. On the street, the car just accelerates. I am sure a 944 person can come in here and verify that full boost levels are not typically achieved until ~3rd gear or higher (especially if we are talking about mid-range RPMs). More proof in general that load matters is that spark advance curves sometimes need to be altered by gear because the engine will take more SA in a lower gear with less engine load (RPMs build faster). This isn't that hard to follow, or it shouldn't be.
9:50 ABS was optional in the 944 Turbo in '87 and '88, in both US and Canadian-market cars. '87 and later US-market cars _did_ come with airbags though, something which this Canadian car does not have.
The funny thing is I own a 95 Corvette convertible and a 2012 Nissan hatchback. The Nissan has almost no gauges and no cruise control while the vet from 95 has all of those things.
Yeah but the 944 is the civic porsche. While the corvette was GM’s flagship sportscar. Still is. While porsche builds hypercars like the 918 .The actual rival built was the 911 turbo. Let’s see that race
A HUGE caveat here: the 3 cars aren't close to the same level of maintenance or repair. Both cars originally did 14.4sec 1/4 mile times. The Porsche has an obvious boost or exhaust leak that's causing tons of lag (44mm turbo on a 2.5L). The Vette tires look like they're on the legal limit for tread, and meaning a decade old & hard as a rock. Tires hands down offer the BIGGEST improvement in performance. Plenty of YT vids show track times of cars with incremental mods, tires usually double the gains of any other part. Both owners need to get their butts in gear & take care of these cars beforethey become a mountain of work.
@@pederfallbom I've heard those are absolute rockets with just a couple of tweaks. It's been 20 years since I've had or even driven a 944 and boy I miss them! Nothing has quite ticked all the boxes since.
@@RobJaskula The Turbo S is a fantastic car. Modern cars cant really deliver charm and feel like these cars so I can certanly see why you have not sampled anything after it that gave you the same feeling👍
Not to nitpick, but one thing that wasn't taken into account was how much better the corvette would've done at sea level. If they're right about being at 7,500 feet elevation, each car would be losing 22.5% power due to less oxygen concentration during naturally aspirated acceleration, except the porsche when the turbo finally kicked in. Turbos will compensate for the loss of atmospheric pressure. The only major issue at elevation from a performance standpoint would be greater turbo lag, but when the turbo finally spools up, the peak horsepower will be pretty close to what its peak horsepower is at sea level vs the corvette's power that would only be at less than 78% of its peak at sea level. It also explains why the driver felt so much turbo lag. It was exaggerated by the elevation.
Yes, the Corvette is the better car, on an airstrip. Try actually going on a road - road course, road trip, back road, etc - and they will both have strengths and weaknesses.
Love that generation corvette. Being able to open the hood and seeing everything is what I really like. I would throw in a modern LT or even a ls in it and be good to go
You don't have to ditch the L98 to make power, if you're going that far you could stroke the 350 to a 383 and make an old-school monster to match the era of the C4.
I owned 89 6 speed vette. That car was decently quick. The l98 vettes at normal altitudes could run mid 14s, with good tires. But you just decat the l98 vette and you gain like 20-30hp they had heavily restricted cats. Totally transforms car after that.
I agree! My stock 90 was a fairly decent vette, but after I removed the pre cats and replaced the main cat with a magnaflow cat (straight through catback as well) I noticed a MASSIVE improvement! Add a simple tune and your l98 vette is screaming!
This was a really fun video to watch guys. That rolling race was exciting and I'm really digging that Corvette Kase. The three of you really should do the classics channel together. Very interesting to see that new car race the vette. Great video guys and thanks for making it.
In mid to late 90s I had a 1986 944 turbo(951) had like 150k miles when I bought and Sold with 217k miles. Ran perfect. Original Clutch everything worked. The sunroof did leak a little but, that was the clogged drain. Had a Weltmeister chip. Made it much faster. If dude knew how to launch it… rev to 3,000 RPM then dump cluch
I had a 1988 Corvette Convertible (4spd auto) years ago, however the LT1 versions C4 were oh so much faster. Still lots of fun though - great memories!
Yeah my 88 C4 was a fun car, handles like it’s on rails, but it would fall on its face at high rpm, not a lot of top end compared to the LT1. My 92 C4 with the LT1 kept pulling hard up top.
Launching the C4 in 2 nd gear in that Automatic Transmission will help you at the start. Your C4 should run 14 seconds in the Quarter in stock trim. My Guess is it's time to replace your Fuel Injectors.
I think I'd save a bit more and get a late 90s C4. The interior is improved, the dashboard instrumentation is way better, imo, and there's even more power and torque to be had. They also improved on overall quality a lot. Gotta LUV that clamshell hood! Talk about great engine access!
I have a 93 C4, artic white, automatic with 69,000 miles and absolutely love it. It's a daily driver and I get 19.5 to 20 mpg, that is hwy and town combined, highway only 30 to 32 mpg. And no issues whatsoever using 87 octane fuel, normal driving, when I want to go play I top it off with 93 octane. My advice is to buy the best one you can find and have it checked out by a reputable shop before you purchase.
C4 Corvetes extremely underrated. people dont realize the torque they dish out completely overpowers almost ALL cars of that era and its not until the very top end (which lets face it most people never get to) that they run out of breath. They were banned from racing, which spawned the corvette challenge series (check that out if u r considering a c4). I am of course biased, i realize, but its for a reason, the c4 kicks butt and many of us have been enjoying the rediculous low price points for years!! i have been considering a 944 or a 928 but they get clobbered by c4’s in performance so i can never pull the trigger. as for the interior quality, many of the issues can be addressed with minimal dollars, mostly taking apart the panels, repairing not replacing the abs panels, and adding pieces of the soft side of velcro peel and stick for a better sound fit finish. im sunbed for the c4 content and u r not disappointing! thnx.
My favorite videos. You guys should find a 1990 Corolla and do a mpg test to a modern car. I would also put it on the Dyno if it was me to see what the numbers are.
@@sandersson2813 Haha I wish it was given away, I think gas in Saudi Arabia is going for $0.65 a gallon, now that's giving it away. Or the US could lower thier safety standards and make cars like the early 1980 again that weighed under 3000lbs, but when you get in a wreck you are dead or wish you were dead.
Thanks for doing this video it was awesome! I would love to see which one does better on a tight winding course. I have a 1984 Corvette which is all original and has been well cared for - The real fun with the car is getting into it and realizing it’s a time machine that instantly transports you back to the 1980s. One word of advice - just remember you don’t have airbags or traction control when you punch the throttle.
I had an 86 myself a few years back and I was shocked at how good the handling was on it. Definitely wasn't expecting that from an 80's American sports car.
I had a 1988 Corvette in the early 90s. Dark blue with black interior. Z52 automatic. I ran a 14.1 at Milan dragway in Michigan. I ran against a ZR1 at Detroit dragway and put a couple car lengths on him off the start. About half track he went by me like I was standing still! Fun times!
Yes Corvette all day long no question about it. As Casey said lot easier & cheaper to fix & probably a lot less likely to break. Enjoyed the video, great job.👍🏻👍🏻
I've owned a couple of them. The clutch was the only weak point in my stick shift car. It couldn't handle back to back launches. My auto trans Vette was a little slower, but also alot tougher
I nickname my Corvette, the Warvette It’s been in five accidents driven through 2 feet of water and been a daily driver for three years has over 165,000 miles on it all original and it’s still going
944 all day, far superior car in every way. Nearly perfect weight balance, can be fairly inexpensive to maintain if you do your homework and beasts on a road course track if setup correctly. I may be a tad biased 😜 I have 89 944 Turbo which stock actually got a bump up to 247hp.
Man, I really thought that the 944 Turbo was the ultimate back in the 80's....however in this case, there is just no replacement for displacement! I'll take the C4 today, thank you very much!
@@earlscheib7754 fair point for sure! My statement is simply a matter of choosing between the two options presented. I'd rather have a C6 vs a C4 for sure!
This really isn’t representative of these two cars outright performance at all. That guy driving the turbo didn’t know what he was doing and it didn’t even have ABS 🤦♂️
I grew up in that Era. I had a Mustang GT, ran a 14:54 at the track. Street raced Corvettes, won some, lost some. (Test car is Slow!). Can't speak for the 944, those folks did Not street race...lol. I did beat a Lotus Esprit with the Mustang tho. Grand Nationals were the King...always lost to them by 1-3 car lengths.
I had a 944 turbo and loved it. I chipped it and added a banjo bolt. It still took a few thousand rpm to get it get all the ponies harnessed. It was a ball on the street but on track days it really came into its own.
Great video Guys! In 1988, I flew into the San Diego airport and was met by my brother in law and his freshly minted doctor brother who had just purchased an '88 944 Turbo. Somehow, my bil convinced his brother to let me drive it to Solana Beach. He told his brother that he was going to read me the riot act. He takes me aside and tells me to drive it like I stole it up I-5. Probably one of the best times I've had driving a car. The Dr kept screaming at me the entire ride while my bil is coaching me. Lol
With the door sound close comparison you had one with the window down and one with the window up that makes a big difference put the Corvette window up to make it fair comparison
Growing up in the '80s in Memphis and going to all the street meets, the C4 Corvette was still the quickest of the bunch compared to the Mustang GT, Mustang SVO, Toyota Supra turbo, RX7 Turbo, Porsche 944 Turbo, and I can't remember about the Porsche 928 just because there wasn't too many of those guys that would show up on Friday and Saturday nights. But generally speaking aside from some of the Exotics, when it came to stock cars in the mid '80s the Corvette was still the fastest. And then when the Buick Grand National came, followed by a couple years later when the newer generation Toyota Supra turbo and RX7 turbo came out, the Corvette even with the LT1 engine was no longer the guaranteed winner in the lineup. Again talking stock cars at about 500 ft above sea level in Memphis. In this particular race the turbocharged Porsche 944 has an advantage over the Corvette. If you took it down to lower elevation the Corvette would walk away even further. And I'm not Downing the Porsche 944 turbo, it's actually one of my favorite cars and quite frankly I love all the cars that I mentioned but we went to Street meets every Friday and Saturday night back in the mid to late '80s and that's just how it was.
I finally put the money together with the intent of getting the Grand National in 1990 and they had already stopped making them. They were SUCH a good car, there weren't any sitting around on back lots and NO ONE was trading them in.
@@larryroyovitz7829 I would prefer to see all Corvette base models compared and truly see its evolution, but I understand what you were saying… I have a C5 base, and even the C4 ZR-1 cannot match it
@@labf5213 Yeah I didn't think it could beat the C5, although I wasn't sure. But now that you mention it, yeah, I'd love to see them compare all generations. I'd love to see how a 1969 zl1 stacks up against more modern cars too. They can probably ignore late 70s and early 80s C3s though. LOL
I knew a dude in high school named Jake Ryan who drove a new at the time, also red 944. That car turned heads and he dated the prettiest most popular girl too.
I've mentioned it elsewhere but Corvettes went undefeated for 3 three years from '86-'88 against Porsche and Lotus in SCCA Showroom Stock. Porsche and Lotus were so butthurt they finally had them banned from the series lol and they were forced to race against themselves in Corvette Challenge. There's more to C4 Vettes (like actual history) than the tired Top Gear jokes about gold chains and mullets.
@TFLClassics this was the first of your videos that I've ever seen and I have to say I'm absolutely impressed. You got straight to the point and straight to the tests without spending 15 minutes talking about features of the car or building up to the race with silly hygienks or unnecessary footage to build up to the race. It was very professionally done, and the two of you have an outstanding camera presence. The footage was really good and you gave just enough information on the cars without over talking them. You were factual without guessing at anything. I have seen other similar style videos but I end up skipping through 15 minutes of them to get to the races and comparison tests because there's always lots of wasted time and footage to make room for ads or because the people think that they're being funny. I'm a new subscriber of yours because of this video. I will be back to watch more of your content. Thank you and I hope to see many more new videos coming from you guys. Keep up the good work
Such a great series! These cars are so slow by today’s standards, but they still look and sound soooo cool! I had a black 87 vette back in the day. It was hot garbage, but I loved it!
Hot garbage, good description. I had an 86 (see avatar)everything seemed to break at least once but it was a world beater in those days. You had to be stupid to wreck it, handling was very predictable. In 27 years and 166k miles (including several successful high speed chases with the law) I didnt put a scratch on it.
If you understood KM vs MPH, the Roll would have been different and a no brainer. One the street, the 951 eats the Corvette, I know factually for owning one for 30 years.
I had a black ‘86 Vette with the 4+3 manual transmission back in the early ‘90s…what a blast to drive! But it was a bit of a maintenance headache with a host of common issues including the clear coat peeling off the rear bumper. However I still miss that car. Thanks for the comparison video, it’s interesting to see how these two icons have aged.
I had an '88, last of the 4+3 cars. It dipped into the 13s on the quarter at over 100 with a couple of small mods. Then I smashed the gearbox into pieces, 3 out of 4 gears gone and a cracked casing.
I've driven a c4, a 300hp 944 turbo stage 2 and owned a 944 na and 924 na. The stage 2 turbo didn't solve the launch problems but after that, its crazy! Also for some reason, the handling on the 924 (lighter?) was incredible on tight mountain switchback (going downhill). It was in CRX Si territory. I'd still go with the 944T although the Vette comes in at a close 2nd for pure nostalgia and off the line torque.
With a T3/T04E turbo, a MAF conversion and a chip, the 951 (944 Turbo) can get 320 to the tires (~380bhp) and similar torque. Yeah, launch big is still there, but I just don't launch it. 🤷♂️ Haha
vette sounds 100x better and a few hundred bucks in exhaust and intake mods will help it breathe dramatically better, that 80s emissions equipment really stifles the L98's potential. it can easily hit 300-350 hp with minimal effort
My brother had a 944. It needs revs to launch and feather the clutch. Then it wont bog. And even if your moving you still need to build boost by holding the brake and throttle. It's no modern turbo 😅
Sadly from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025 on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas station per city or county. Now they want to slow down all the gas station fuel pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems, turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of crime here, called emissions and smoke crime = (BABVVO and TEBBVO laws)!
944ts were never easy or good launchers if you didn't abuse the clutch a bit. The s2 or the 968s were easier due to the n/a 3.0L engine. I think Tommy needs to practice on how to brake non abs cars 😁. The 944t is a much better all-round preformer, especially on track. My s2 from 88 doesn't have abs but I think it was an option (euro spec). They were pretty early on driver and passenger airbag as standard though.
@@Eatinbritches whats to test when you take a car with a more than 2 engines of the first... and standard 944T was poorly boosted thats why you can easily take it to the 250PS or even 300 with a bit more work.
The '80s C4 was eating 944s alive on the track... It was literally banned from racing because nobody could keep up. XD The 944 was a fantastic car, and a fun handling car. But the rumours about how good it was are overdone; it wasn't some godly overachiever that was never touched. Meanwhile this video is incorrect on multiple elements regarding the '80s C4- it weighed 3100 lbs, not 3300 (the LT1 C4 weighed 3300 lbs), and they mentioned the 50/50 distribution on the 944 but didn't acknowledge the fact that the C4 with L98 also haf 50/50 distribution... XD The C4 was one of the first road cars ever tested with 0.9 G+ handling capacity.
Bra i dont know what else you own but an edelbrock preformance package cost about 3k and gives you 410hp... The german ZF-6speed in the C4 is even more durable than a t56 and Mike Dyer or Gary Ramadei can build you a bulletprof diff that will hold to low pressure drag slicks
@@1DEADBEEF1 my C4 has a built to hell 383 stroker pushing 625 at the crank and yeah I have way faster toys. Owning a speed shop will do that for you, so trust me I know about performance bud lol
Great retro review! Do I really just get one or can I buy both? If only one, I would buy the Corvette based on cost to buy, cost to own, performance and design (just more attractive and special place to sit in). Keep up the great videos! Also, love the comparison to newer cars. Keep the videos coming!
The 1988-91 Tuned Port Corvettes made a little more power over the 1985-87 models. They ran easy low 14s and some timing, tweaking and good driver could flirt with high 13s. Not bad for the late ‘80s
Quarter mile of the Porsche should be under 16.00s But the old Turbos are not easy to drive. ABS was 1987 optional. From 1990 on it was standard. The terrain for the Porsche is a curvy mountain road
In 1993 I had a ‘88 Corvette and a good friend had a similar year 944. The Vette spanked it all day long and was rock solid reliable. The 944 was broken 50% of the time and cost a fortune to fix. Corvette all day, everyday. 😎
Fun vid but the two 80s cars are sooooo different performance curves. The Turbo on a flat curvy track would eat the vet. I had one I know and w ABS out stop it.
I really like the C4's but if you're looking for a performance car i'd go with a C5. There are so many performance upgrades for the LS1/LS6 it's crazy.
I'm pissed that they didn't go up against the Mazda 3 turbo. It only gets 2mpgs less and so it's still considered an "economy car" but wouldve absolutely slaughtered these 2 cars
The days of getting a half-decent 944 Turbo on a 'relatively small budget' are LONG gone, and are not returning. Unless you consider $30k+ to be 'relatively small'.
Thanks for doing this! This was my life in the 90's, I had a "chiped" 86 944 turbo, and my buddy had a C4 convertable. You learn to drive the turbo at 4000 rpm always to eliminate the turbo lag.
sorry but if u do a race do it fair - if u cant drive and shift the 944, let sombd else do it. Theres no turbo lag at all if u know how to drive on boost and not just floor it at once like dumb. I had both cars and the vette wasnt a match to the porsche even with the lt1 engine. not on the straights not even talking about any corners or on a track
which one? thats tough...I like them both...I love lowend torque but the power surge of a turbo coming on boost is addictive too... like I said, both are cool! the vette for sure as far as sound! killer exhaust! Hey guys, do one of these tests with a probe gt 5spd, all Stock, 93-97 version and put it up against Something comparable from that era~
Yes, the Porsche was expensive. In comparison, my 1984 Datsun 300ZX Turbo 50 Anniversary sold for $30,000 sticker from Dealership. The average price of new cars that year was $11,000. Now THAT'S an expensive car! I still own it; original showroom condition with 7,000 orig miles!
This was fun to watch. Sloooow compared to todays standards but fun to,watch. Amazing a newer full aize truck and even some 4 door sedans could beat both of them. Entertaining and thanks for sharing
Full size trucks literally have sports car engines with fewer emissions requirements, and 4 door sedans are only gonna beat them with a 8+ speed behind them. Apples to oranges
I mean you mention altitude a lot without talking about how it doesn’t affect a forced induction engine nearly as much as a naturally aspirated one. If you were say even at an 1800ft DA, the results would be much worse for the 944.
As far as the interior goes that 944 was NEVER parked outside. You know it because the dash doesn’t look like the San Andreas Fault had landed on it. If you’ve owned a 944 then you know what I mean. 😂
I understand why you launched like you did, but if you launched like you should have with far more revs I think you would have been much closer or even ahead on the 1/4 mile.
Its not all about speed in a straight line. The c4's handle great and have a modern-classic look at a stupid bargain. The C4 is a purchase that shouldnt be passed, while they are still affordable. I own 2 of them...an 84 Z51 4+3 and a 90 ZR1. The cars arent perfect but they just look damn good.
The Vette is definitely more cheaper to maintain and the V8 burble sounds sweet. But the 944 Turbo handles well and feels more solid. My choice by a small margin is the 944 Turbo.
LOVED this video! 3 of my all-time favourite cars in one place (yes I dig the Mazda A LOT). Really enjoyed this one. I can't quite recall, but did the 944 even have ABS in 1987? I know Corvette beat a lot of European marques to the ABS punch by 1985 or 1986. Not sure if Porsche's had ABS by 1987.
Since Turbo cars generally perform better at higher altitudes than normally aspirated cars, the Vette should even be faster at sea level. It’s the compression of the thinner air which gives the turbo car an advantage.
Proud 1988 Vette owner here. I've owned mine since 1994. You can have the Porsche. Frankly I'm amazed he didn't roach the turbo in it, because they were notoriously fragile.
The performance doesn’t really matter anymore with these cars. It’s the feel and emotions when you drive them that counts.
Nothing a crate engine can't fix unless you are all about number matching
@@danielfrain3521 Very true...I used to own a stock '81 Corvette-loved the car but the 190hp V8 was pretty pathetic. Thought many times about installing a crate motor in it but at the end of the day thought it would be cost prohibitive as I would have to pay someone to install it because I don't know if I would have the mechanial ability or all the tools and equipment required for such a large undertaking
I have an 89' Pontiac Trans Am GTA with the L98 motor, same as the 88' C4 Vette, its not about the speed, it's the styling and thrill of driving it!
I have an 89 944 making 163hp. People want to race me because they see red Porsche. Dude, your 2012 Civic is way faster.
@@stevenzagony6187 GTA is much sexier than a C4, beautiful freaking car.
Dude in 2006 as a senior in highschool my buddy's dad bought a 928 and my dad bought an 88 Corvette...and only one headlight worked!! What a time to be alive. This snapped me back
Yeah that's a common problem with Corvettes (and the f-bodies as well) Headlight motors will go out.
@@FWDSUXARSE pneumatics even the vent system
@@miguelcastaneda7257 They have nylon gears, buy aftermarket brass gears and no more problems.
@@sebbonxxsebbon6824 never liked vetts worked on them.for guys who had no idea do in a 928 stick and lightly tweaked 931 daily driver dodge dakotawith 528,000 plus
If I had to choose between the Porsche and the Corvette.. I would take🤔.. neither one of them🤣
I have owned a 88 944 Turbo S for almost 15 years and I absolutely love it. My whole family has them. Such great driving cars. With a few little upgrades it really comes alive. Porsche detuned them so much from the factory to protect the 911. Even putting a cheap $80 "boost enhancer" changed the car a whole lot.
😮 boost enhancer, where would I obtain one of those
Was hoping someone would say this. These cars are severely detuned from factory. With a chip and a slightly stiffer wastegate spring youll get 275 hp instead of 220, or 300 instead of 250 depending on the year. It would easely walk the Vette then.
Lindsey Racing boost enhancer. Had one on my 87 951 as well.
@@DarinNederhoff definitely a great way to get more out of the car for cheap. Ran one for about a year then went crazy and built the car up a lot more.
Anyone who knows about these older Porsche Turbo units, be careful tuning more boost. Make sure everything is in tip-top shape before you do it. They weren't really trying to protect the 911 as the 944 price point was much lower so it had lower-grade mechanicals. The chassis in my opinion was better than a 911. The Cayman has proven Porsche making the wrong choice for engine location. It's much better! Now, Porsche IS protecting the 911 against it's own Cayman.
Back in the 80's the Escort Showroom Stock Endurance series was the place where the C4 and 944 turbo really squared off against each other. Both cars could run a 24-hour endurance race like it was a sprint. Even though they were low-powered, they could do lap after lap on a race track and not fall apart. GM learned a lot about how to make the Corvette better by running in the series.
And then they forgot everything they learned and made one that would overheat after one lap.
@@paulchilders9969 You're thinking about the C7 Z06? It wasn't that bad. It took a few laps to heat up to the point of derating.
But vets still nose heavy 944 was balanced..just gear down turns no need use brakes and balanced was 60,/ 40 not 50,,/ 50
vettes went 29-0 against the turbo 944 from 1985-1987 and got BOOTED from racing in the escort series. They had to create their own challenge series called the corvette challenge.
@@miguelcastaneda7257 Lol. 1988 951 was 50.7F/49.3R. 1988 Vette was 51.5F/48.5R. That’s a difference that is almost negligible.
It was really awesome of you to compare those 80's icons , but I'll always pick the C4 corvette ... It just looks awesome & sounds better.
Those turbo 944s were known for being very strong in 3rd gear because the engine load really got the turbo going. I would like to have seen a race at sea level though.
Agreed. Surely at sea level the Corvette would have beat the Porsche by even more. Turbo engines aren't affected by high altitudes nearly as much as naturally aspirated engines are.
I agree and also 4th gear to in the 944 my father had one
@Jay Adams people out in temple hills Maryland got most of the 1986 and 87 944
@Jeff Lee 80s turbos didn't spool fast. The car/engine accelerated too fast in lower gears to hit max boost. It's not that there was no boost in 1st and 2nd. It just didn't max out until you got some load on the engine for long enough. Turbos didn't spool in 1 second in the 80s like they do today.
@Jeff Lee Couple things. First, gear matters specifically when the ECU is limiting boost in certain gears, but I am not aware that Porsche was doing this on the 944. This is something you typically see on FWD applications but just wanted to mention it because it IS a thing.
Second, the load on the engine is related to time at a given RPM. Assuming you aren't driving up a steep hill or towing something, a higher gear is the most common way to load an engine more than a lower gear. Want proof? Rev up a turbo car in neutral and let off. How much boost did you build? It won't be 20 psi or anywhere NEAR full boost because the engine had no load. Of course, on a dyno, provided the 944 ECU wasn't actually limiting in lower gears, you should be able to achieve the same effect that I've cited in a lower gear, if it's the type of dyno that can hold an engine at any road speed. On the street, the car just accelerates. I am sure a 944 person can come in here and verify that full boost levels are not typically achieved until ~3rd gear or higher (especially if we are talking about mid-range RPMs). More proof in general that load matters is that spark advance curves sometimes need to be altered by gear because the engine will take more SA in a lower gear with less engine load (RPMs build faster). This isn't that hard to follow, or it shouldn't be.
9:50 ABS was optional in the 944 Turbo in '87 and '88, in both US and Canadian-market cars. '87 and later US-market cars _did_ come with airbags though, something which this Canadian car does not have.
Thank you for the info.
The Vette just looks so good! 🎉
For me, no question. I would choose the Corvette! The look, the sound, the styling, the extras… All points for the Corvette! 😎👍
TH-cam motor trend monster's brawl...
Corvette any year anyway!!!
The funny thing is I own a 95 Corvette convertible and a 2012 Nissan hatchback. The Nissan has almost no gauges and no cruise control while the vet from 95 has all of those things.
Yeah but the 944 is the civic porsche. While the corvette was GM’s flagship sportscar. Still is. While porsche builds hypercars like the 918 .The actual rival built was the 911 turbo. Let’s see that race
@@aktnilabrado7399 check out the Callaway corvette or the zr1 which came out for big spenders.
That engine note on the vette 👌👌👌
A HUGE caveat here: the 3 cars aren't close to the same level of maintenance or repair. Both cars originally did 14.4sec 1/4 mile times.
The Porsche has an obvious boost or exhaust leak that's causing tons of lag (44mm turbo on a 2.5L). The Vette tires look like they're on the legal limit for tread, and meaning a decade old & hard as a rock. Tires hands down offer the BIGGEST improvement in performance. Plenty of YT vids show track times of cars with incremental mods, tires usually double the gains of any other part.
Both owners need to get their butts in gear & take care of these cars beforethey become a mountain of work.
My 1986 944 Turbo was one of the best and best-made cars I've ever owned. Just everything a sports car should be when it came to driving
So inferior ends up being perfect for you
@@cloudstrife4897 The ‘86 was 400lbs lighter than the ‘87 with the same output.
Great test! Love the 80:s cars! Try a 1988 944 Turbo S next time👍
@@pederfallbom I've heard those are absolute rockets with just a couple of tweaks. It's been 20 years since I've had or even driven a 944 and boy I miss them! Nothing has quite ticked all the boxes since.
@@RobJaskula The Turbo S is a fantastic car. Modern cars cant really deliver charm and feel like these cars so I can certanly see why you have not sampled anything after it that gave you the same feeling👍
Fun look at some old classics. Great job, guys!
Not to nitpick, but one thing that wasn't taken into account was how much better the corvette would've done at sea level. If they're right about being at 7,500 feet elevation, each car would be losing 22.5% power due to less oxygen concentration during naturally aspirated acceleration, except the porsche when the turbo finally kicked in. Turbos will compensate for the loss of atmospheric pressure. The only major issue at elevation from a performance standpoint would be greater turbo lag, but when the turbo finally spools up, the peak horsepower will be pretty close to what its peak horsepower is at sea level vs the corvette's power that would only be at less than 78% of its peak at sea level. It also explains why the driver felt so much turbo lag. It was exaggerated by the elevation.
Yes, the Corvette is the better car, on an airstrip.
Try actually going on a road - road course, road trip, back road, etc - and they will both have strengths and weaknesses.
It's nice to see the next generation coming into its own. Great video, guys.
Love that generation corvette. Being able to open the hood and seeing everything is what I really like. I would throw in a modern LT or even a ls in it and be good to go
You don't have to ditch the L98 to make power, if you're going that far you could stroke the 350 to a 383 and make an old-school monster to match the era of the C4.
I owned 89 6 speed vette. That car was decently quick. The l98 vettes at normal altitudes could run mid 14s, with good tires. But you just decat the l98 vette and you gain like 20-30hp they had heavily restricted cats. Totally transforms car after that.
I agree! My stock 90 was a fairly decent vette, but after I removed the pre cats and replaced the main cat with a magnaflow cat (straight through catback as well) I noticed a MASSIVE improvement! Add a simple tune and your l98 vette is screaming!
I had a stock '88 (last of the 4+3) with no cats and a k&n. It ran 13.80s at 101 on old BFGs. An absolute pain to get off the line though.
@@the318pop that's a great time especially for cars from the 80s. These l98 vettes are way underrated, I enjoyed mine a lot.
This was a really fun video to watch guys. That rolling race was exciting and I'm really digging that Corvette Kase. The three of you really should do the classics channel together. Very interesting to see that new car race the vette. Great video guys and thanks for making it.
My responce: "Why not both!"
I plan on one day having a c3 4 or 5 corvette and a classic porsche at the same time (744, 911, 928... one of those)
In mid to late 90s I had a 1986 944 turbo(951) had like 150k miles when I bought and Sold with 217k miles. Ran perfect. Original Clutch everything worked. The sunroof did leak a little but, that was the clogged drain.
Had a Weltmeister chip. Made it much faster.
If dude knew how to launch it… rev to 3,000 RPM then dump cluch
I love the turbine wheels! They look so good 👍
It's too bad that the Corvette wheels are on the wrong side.
@@scottbenke7182 Those are early 90s Vette wheels not the similar looking 88 wheels, they are the correct way around
Those are the newer sawblades. The turbines were from 84 to 87
I had a 1988 Corvette Convertible (4spd auto) years ago, however the LT1 versions C4 were oh so much faster. Still lots of fun though - great memories!
Yeah my 88 C4 was a fun car, handles like it’s on rails, but it would fall on its face at high rpm, not a lot of top end compared to the LT1. My 92 C4 with the LT1 kept pulling hard up top.
Launching the C4 in 2 nd gear in that Automatic Transmission will help you at the start. Your C4 should run 14 seconds in the Quarter in stock trim. My Guess is it's time to replace your Fuel Injectors.
I think I'd save a bit more and get a late 90s C4. The interior is improved, the dashboard instrumentation is way better, imo, and there's even more power and torque to be had. They also improved on overall quality a lot. Gotta LUV that clamshell hood! Talk about great engine access!
I have a 93 C4, artic white, automatic with 69,000 miles and absolutely love it.
It's a daily driver and I get 19.5 to 20 mpg, that is hwy and town combined, highway only 30 to 32 mpg.
And no issues whatsoever using 87 octane fuel, normal driving, when I want to go play I top it off with 93 octane.
My advice is to buy the best one you can find and have it checked out by a reputable shop before you purchase.
C4 Corvetes extremely underrated. people dont realize the torque they dish out completely overpowers almost ALL cars of that era and its not until the very top end (which lets face it most people never get to) that they run out of breath. They were banned from racing, which spawned the corvette challenge series (check that out if u r considering a c4).
I am of course biased, i realize, but its for a reason, the c4 kicks butt and many of us have been enjoying the rediculous low price points for years!! i have been considering a 944 or a 928 but they get clobbered by c4’s in performance so i can never pull the trigger.
as for the interior quality, many of the issues can be addressed with minimal dollars, mostly taking apart the panels, repairing not replacing the abs panels, and adding pieces of the soft side of velcro peel and stick for a better sound fit finish. im sunbed for the c4 content and u r not disappointing! thnx.
My favorite videos.
You guys should find a 1990 Corolla and do a mpg test to a modern car. I would also put it on the Dyno if it was me to see what the numbers are.
Or a 1981 Dodge K car. My dad used to get 42mpg with a straight drive K car.
@@samuelfreeman9518 American cars get laughable MPG because your fuel is almost given away.
@@sandersson2813 Haha I wish it was given away, I think gas in Saudi Arabia is going for $0.65 a gallon, now that's giving it away. Or the US could lower thier safety standards and make cars like the early 1980 again that weighed under 3000lbs, but when you get in a wreck you are dead or wish you were dead.
@@samuelfreeman9518 Your cars and fuel are incredibly cheap
Thanks for doing this video it was awesome! I would love to see which one does better on a tight winding course. I have a 1984 Corvette which is all original and has been well cared for - The real fun with the car is getting into it and realizing it’s a time machine that instantly transports you back to the 1980s. One word of advice - just remember you don’t have airbags or traction control when you punch the throttle.
I had an 86 myself a few years back and I was shocked at how good the handling was on it. Definitely wasn't expecting that from an 80's American sports car.
After 91 C4 got airbags and traction control with a lot more Hp with a 300 hp LT1.
Thanks for including the modern car for perspective.
At any car show, there will be dozens if not hundreds of Vettes, however you will be the only one with a 944Turbo.
Bought an 89 Vette three months ago. Last year of digital dash and first year of zf 6 speed. Love it.
I had a 1988 Corvette in the early 90s. Dark blue with black interior. Z52 automatic. I ran a 14.1 at Milan dragway in Michigan. I ran against a ZR1 at Detroit dragway and put a couple car lengths on him off the start. About half track he went by me like I was standing still! Fun times!
Yes Corvette all day long no question about it.
As Casey said lot easier & cheaper to fix & probably a lot less likely to break. Enjoyed the video, great job.👍🏻👍🏻
I've owned a couple of them. The clutch was the only weak point in my stick shift car. It couldn't handle back to back launches. My auto trans Vette was a little slower, but also alot tougher
Those Porsche were notoriously reliable
@@Tallnerdyguy yeah, I don't know anything about those cars but the 350 Chevy is definitely reliable.
I nickname my Corvette, the Warvette It’s been in five accidents driven through 2 feet of water and been a daily driver for three years has over 165,000 miles on it all original and it’s still going
The 944 is actually much more reliable and cheaper to fix
İ prefer definitely Corvette.
The look, the performance, the sound, and of course the pop-up headlights.
it’s an icon, that’s it.
944 all day, far superior car in every way. Nearly perfect weight balance, can be fairly inexpensive to maintain if you do your homework and beasts on a road course track if setup correctly. I may be a tad biased 😜 I have 89 944 Turbo which stock actually got a bump up to 247hp.
All bets are off for the 300hp LT1 powerd C4's.
Lol, lmao
C4s are aging really well! That’s a beautiful corvette.
Man, I really thought that the 944 Turbo was the ultimate back in the 80's....however in this case, there is just no replacement for displacement! I'll take the C4 today, thank you very much!
Why? The c6 isn't much more expensive
they don't really know how to drive turbo cars, or don't want to risk breaking it
@@earlscheib7754 fair point for sure! My statement is simply a matter of choosing between the two options presented. I'd rather have a C6 vs a C4 for sure!
This really isn’t representative of these two cars outright performance at all. That guy driving the turbo didn’t know what he was doing and it didn’t even have ABS 🤦♂️
@@earlscheib7754it is much more expensive
I grew up in that Era. I had a Mustang GT, ran a 14:54 at the track. Street raced Corvettes, won some, lost some. (Test car is Slow!). Can't speak for the 944, those folks did Not street race...lol. I did beat a Lotus Esprit with the Mustang tho.
Grand Nationals were the King...always lost to them by 1-3 car lengths.
I had a 944 turbo and loved it. I chipped it and added a banjo bolt. It still took a few thousand rpm to get it get all the ponies harnessed. It was a ball on the street but on track days it really came into its own.
Would like to see some road course action here........the Mazda might win😳
Great video Guys! In 1988, I flew into the San Diego airport and was met by my brother in law and his freshly minted doctor brother who had just purchased an '88 944 Turbo. Somehow, my bil convinced his brother to let me drive it to Solana Beach. He told his brother that he was going to read me the riot act. He takes me aside and tells me to drive it like I stole it up I-5. Probably one of the best times I've had driving a car. The Dr kept screaming at me the entire ride while my bil is coaching me. Lol
CLEAN early c4s are a beautiful thing! Especially in one of the rare colors like blue or bronze
attention all: there was a refresh around 1990(around halfway through its production) that made these cars even faster than the one being shown
With the door sound close comparison you had one with the window down and one with the window up that makes a big difference put the Corvette window up to make it fair comparison
I can tell you from experience that old gm from that era sound pretty much all like that.
It wouldn't have made much of an improvement. The window on the Corvette is frameless, unlike the Porsche.
Growing up in the '80s in Memphis and going to all the street meets, the C4 Corvette was still the quickest of the bunch compared to the Mustang GT, Mustang SVO, Toyota Supra turbo, RX7 Turbo, Porsche 944 Turbo, and I can't remember about the Porsche 928 just because there wasn't too many of those guys that would show up on Friday and Saturday nights. But generally speaking aside from some of the Exotics, when it came to stock cars in the mid '80s the Corvette was still the fastest. And then when the Buick Grand National came, followed by a couple years later when the newer generation Toyota Supra turbo and RX7 turbo came out, the Corvette even with the LT1 engine was no longer the guaranteed winner in the lineup. Again talking stock cars at about 500 ft above sea level in Memphis. In this particular race the turbocharged Porsche 944 has an advantage over the Corvette. If you took it down to lower elevation the Corvette would walk away even further. And I'm not Downing the Porsche 944 turbo, it's actually one of my favorite cars and quite frankly I love all the cars that I mentioned but we went to Street meets every Friday and Saturday night back in the mid to late '80s and that's just how it was.
I finally put the money together with the intent of getting the Grand National in 1990 and they had already stopped making them. They were SUCH a good car, there weren't any sitting around on back lots and NO ONE was trading them in.
It would be nice to see a C4 vs C5 comparison, to have an idea of the evolution of the Corvettes
C4 doesn't stand a chance. Unless its the ZR-1 (and even then maybe not, not sure?) but then is that a proper comparison.
@@larryroyovitz7829 I would prefer to see all Corvette base models compared and truly see its evolution, but I understand what you were saying… I have a C5 base, and even the C4 ZR-1 cannot match it
@@labf5213 Yeah I didn't think it could beat the C5, although I wasn't sure. But now that you mention it, yeah, I'd love to see them compare all generations. I'd love to see how a 1969 zl1 stacks up against more modern cars too. They can probably ignore late 70s and early 80s C3s though. LOL
@@labf5213ive seen C4 ZR-1s make Z06 C5s sweat more often than not
I played the video and hired a 300lb guy to put me in a headlock and punched the top of my head to the beat of the music
I knew a dude in high school named Jake Ryan who drove a new at the time, also red 944. That car turned heads and he dated the prettiest most popular girl too.
Times have changed. Chick magnets are no longer PC.
I don't have a girlfriend, but I'm saving up so I can get a really really hot one
I've mentioned it elsewhere but Corvettes went undefeated for 3 three years from '86-'88 against Porsche and Lotus in SCCA Showroom Stock. Porsche and Lotus were so butthurt they finally had them banned from the series lol and they were forced to race against themselves in Corvette Challenge. There's more to C4 Vettes (like actual history) than the tired Top Gear jokes about gold chains and mullets.
L98 Corvettes aren't terribly fast in the 1/4, but they make excellent low and midrange torque; great for off the line and eighth mile passes.
@TFLClassics this was the first of your videos that I've ever seen and I have to say I'm absolutely impressed. You got straight to the point and straight to the tests without spending 15 minutes talking about features of the car or building up to the race with silly hygienks or unnecessary footage to build up to the race. It was very professionally done, and the two of you have an outstanding camera presence. The footage was really good and you gave just enough information on the cars without over talking them. You were factual without guessing at anything. I have seen other similar style videos but I end up skipping through 15 minutes of them to get to the races and comparison tests because there's always lots of wasted time and footage to make room for ads or because the people think that they're being funny. I'm a new subscriber of yours because of this video. I will be back to watch more of your content. Thank you and I hope to see many more new videos coming from you guys. Keep up the good work
Such a great series! These cars are so slow by today’s standards, but they still look and sound soooo cool! I had a black 87 vette back in the day. It was hot garbage, but I loved it!
Hot garbage, good description. I had an 86 (see avatar)everything seemed to break at least once but it was a world beater in those days. You had to be stupid to wreck it, handling was very predictable. In 27 years and 166k miles (including several successful high speed chases with the law) I didnt put a scratch on it.
If you understood KM vs MPH, the Roll would have been different and a no brainer. One the street, the 951 eats the Corvette, I know factually for owning one for 30 years.
I had a black ‘86 Vette with the 4+3 manual transmission back in the early ‘90s…what a blast to drive! But it was a bit of a maintenance headache with a host of common issues including the clear coat peeling off the rear bumper. However I still miss that car. Thanks for the comparison video, it’s interesting to see how these two icons have aged.
I had an '88, last of the 4+3 cars. It dipped into the 13s on the quarter at over 100 with a couple of small mods. Then I smashed the gearbox into pieces, 3 out of 4 gears gone and a cracked casing.
I would love to buy a C4 Corvette. But if I were to buy one with a manual it would need to be at least a 89 with the 6 speed manual.
The Porsche has a little advantage because of the turbo and our altitude. So.. Not really fair. Find a 928.
I've driven a c4, a 300hp 944 turbo stage 2 and owned a 944 na and 924 na. The stage 2 turbo didn't solve the launch problems but after that, its crazy! Also for some reason, the handling on the 924 (lighter?) was incredible on tight mountain switchback (going downhill). It was in CRX Si territory. I'd still go with the 944T although the Vette comes in at a close 2nd for pure nostalgia and off the line torque.
With a T3/T04E turbo, a MAF conversion and a chip, the 951 (944 Turbo) can get 320 to the tires (~380bhp) and similar torque. Yeah, launch big is still there, but I just don't launch it. 🤷♂️ Haha
Crx si is an amazing handling car, but SLOW. Add a turbo and it would destroy either of these. Wish Honda would have.
@@thomasbrasse3145 Even a 2.0L B series Vtech upgrade is formidable in a 2400lb car (esp at sea level).
These two guys are a joke these guys are biased.
Hilarious seeing people seriously compare Honda lawnmowers to real cars.
vette sounds 100x better and a few hundred bucks in exhaust and intake mods will help it breathe dramatically better, that 80s emissions equipment really stifles the L98's potential. it can easily hit 300-350 hp with minimal effort
My brother had a 944. It needs revs to launch and feather the clutch. Then it wont bog. And even if your moving you still need to build boost by holding the brake and throttle. It's no modern turbo 😅
Gotta let that bitch wind upppp classic feeling!😂
Sadly from 2030 on all combustion cars including classics will be banned
from public streets in entire EU and Scandinavia :-( In Germany the
Green Peoples Party gave order to shorten fuel supply from 2025
on by reducing all conventional fuel stations to only one state operated central gas
station per city or county. Now they want to slow down all the gas station fuel
pumps from 20 litre per minute to 2 litre per minute...From 2027 on in
the EU certain car spare parts will be banned too....as exhaust systems,
turbo chargers and even some engine and gearbox oils...California and
New York will do the same from 2027 on.... So no investments should be
done in oil burning cars any longer....They even created a new kind of
crime here, called emissions and smoke crime = (BABVVO and TEBBVO laws)!
944ts were never easy or good launchers if you didn't abuse the clutch a bit.
The s2 or the 968s were easier due to the n/a 3.0L engine.
I think Tommy needs to practice on how to brake non abs cars 😁.
The 944t is a much better all-round preformer, especially on track.
My s2 from 88 doesn't have abs but I think it was an option (euro spec).
They were pretty early on driver and passenger airbag as standard though.
Yeah, testing a Porsche and Corvette without testing the handling deliberately favours the Corvette.
@@Eatinbritches whats to test when you take a car with a more than 2 engines of the first... and standard 944T was poorly boosted thats why you can easily take it to the 250PS or even 300 with a bit more work.
@@Eatinbritches These cars are older though, you have to respect their age, and don't want to abuse them too much.
The '80s C4 was eating 944s alive on the track... It was literally banned from racing because nobody could keep up. XD
The 944 was a fantastic car, and a fun handling car. But the rumours about how good it was are overdone; it wasn't some godly overachiever that was never touched. Meanwhile this video is incorrect on multiple elements regarding the '80s C4- it weighed 3100 lbs, not 3300 (the LT1 C4 weighed 3300 lbs), and they mentioned the 50/50 distribution on the 944 but didn't acknowledge the fact that the C4 with L98 also haf 50/50 distribution... XD
The C4 was one of the first road cars ever tested with 0.9 G+ handling capacity.
Love the soundtrack in this episode!
Love the look of the 944
I've had my modified Guards red 944 Turbo for almost 19 years now. I love, love, LOVE it! 😍😎
Have an 86 C4 and after a ton of time, money, upgrades, and performance parts.....it's still the slowest thing I own. But I do enjoy it 😉
Bra i dont know what else you own but an edelbrock preformance package cost about 3k and gives you 410hp...
The german ZF-6speed in the C4 is even more durable than a t56 and Mike Dyer or Gary Ramadei can build you a bulletprof diff that will hold to low pressure drag slicks
@@1DEADBEEF1 my C4 has a built to hell 383 stroker pushing 625 at the crank and yeah I have way faster toys. Owning a speed shop will do that for you, so trust me I know about performance bud lol
Would have liked to see a 1986 Mustang SVO vs Porsche 944.
Great retro review!
Do I really just get one or can I buy both?
If only one, I would buy the Corvette based on cost to buy, cost to own, performance and design (just more attractive and special place to sit in).
Keep up the great videos! Also, love the comparison to newer cars. Keep the videos coming!
ABS first came out in a corvette in 1986, nobody else had it for a few years thereafter
Great content yall been pumping out
The 1988-91 Tuned Port Corvettes made a little more power over the 1985-87 models. They ran easy low 14s and some timing, tweaking and good driver could flirt with high 13s. Not bad for the late ‘80s
That rolling race was a lot of fun to watch.
I want to see how a 1987 Buick Grand National Holds up against that corvette - now that's a race worth watching
I would love to see you guys find a 1st gen taurus sho and run it against the vette
Quarter mile of the Porsche should be under 16.00s But the old Turbos are not easy to drive. ABS was 1987 optional. From 1990 on it was standard. The terrain for the Porsche is a curvy mountain road
In 1993 I had a ‘88 Corvette and a good friend had a similar year 944. The Vette spanked it all day long and was rock solid reliable. The 944 was broken 50% of the time and cost a fortune to fix. Corvette all day, everyday. 😎
Should have autocrossed both of them, that's what sports cars are about. Neither one is a Muscle car for drag racing.
Fun vid but the two 80s cars are sooooo different performance curves. The Turbo on a flat curvy track would eat the vet. I had one I know and w ABS out stop it.
I really like the C4's but if you're looking for a performance car i'd go with a C5. There are so many performance upgrades for the LS1/LS6 it's crazy.
C5's should be safer, too...... that's when they switched to a big ol' steering pillow. The same one that was in the Buick Le Sabre.
@@broeheemed32 yeah but looks hideous in a sports car...I'd rather die 😂
I'm pissed that they didn't go up against the Mazda 3 turbo. It only gets 2mpgs less and so it's still considered an "economy car" but wouldve absolutely slaughtered these 2 cars
Also, the Corvette I believe has the Doug Nash 4+3 manual. The very next year introduced the 6sp manual and is even quicker.
I can attest to this, I have a 93 40th anniversary with the LT-1 6spd and its almost night and day difference
The days of getting a half-decent 944 Turbo on a 'relatively small budget' are LONG gone, and are not returning. Unless you consider $30k+ to be 'relatively small'.
The Corvette. Like you said easier to get parts and cheaper to work on
Depending on were you live
Thanks for doing this! This was my life in the 90's, I had a "chiped" 86 944 turbo, and my buddy had a C4 convertable. You learn to drive the turbo at 4000 rpm always to eliminate the turbo lag.
i love this content make more 80s car match ups :)
sorry but if u do a race do it fair - if u cant drive and shift the 944, let sombd else do it. Theres no turbo lag at all if u know how to drive on boost and not just floor it at once like dumb. I had both cars and the vette wasnt a match to the porsche even with the lt1 engine. not on the straights not even talking about any corners or on a track
which one? thats tough...I like them both...I love lowend torque but the power surge of a turbo coming on boost is addictive too... like I said, both are cool! the vette for sure as far as sound! killer exhaust! Hey guys, do one of these tests with a probe gt 5spd, all Stock, 93-97 version and put it up against Something comparable from that era~
Yes, the Porsche was expensive. In comparison, my 1984 Datsun 300ZX Turbo 50 Anniversary sold for $30,000 sticker from Dealership. The average price of new cars that year was $11,000. Now THAT'S an expensive car!
I still own it; original showroom condition with 7,000 orig miles!
I always wanted a 944 since they were new. Buying a C4 due to parts and maintenance cost.
Vette: Nice car. What's the retail on one of those?
Porsche: More than you can afford pal, Porsche.
Vette: ... ... ... Smoke em
This Corvette was ahead of its time and will never look outdated like the other vehicles from those years
I have a 86 stick shift corvette. Currently getting parts together for the incoming 383 stroker!
This was fun to watch. Sloooow compared to todays standards but fun to,watch. Amazing a newer full aize truck and even some 4 door sedans could beat both of them. Entertaining and thanks for sharing
Full size trucks literally have sports car engines with fewer emissions requirements, and 4 door sedans are only gonna beat them with a 8+ speed behind them. Apples to oranges
I mean you mention altitude a lot without talking about how it doesn’t affect a forced induction engine nearly as much as a naturally aspirated one.
If you were say even at an 1800ft DA, the results would be much worse for the 944.
wish i could put my black C6 corvette against your C4 to see a 10k vette vs a 15k vette there all the best bang for the buck
Kase will not be able to find a somewhat decent C6 in his market area for $15K.
Hence why I said I wish I could compare mind his
As far as the interior goes that 944 was NEVER parked outside. You know it because the dash doesn’t look like the San Andreas Fault had landed on it. If you’ve owned a 944 then you know what I mean. 😂
I understand why you launched like you did, but if you launched like you should have with far more revs I think you would have been much closer or even ahead on the 1/4 mile.
Its not all about speed in a straight line. The c4's handle great and have a modern-classic look at a stupid bargain. The C4 is a purchase that shouldnt be passed, while they are still affordable. I own 2 of them...an 84 Z51 4+3 and a 90 ZR1. The cars arent perfect but they just look damn good.
The Vette is definitely more cheaper to maintain and the V8 burble sounds sweet. But the 944 Turbo handles well and feels more solid. My choice by a small margin is the 944 Turbo.
Vette FTW!! And C4’s handle so well they were prohibited from their usual racing series. Couple of tweaks under the hood and it’s a bigger blast
LOVED this video! 3 of my all-time favourite cars in one place (yes I dig the Mazda A LOT). Really enjoyed this one.
I can't quite recall, but did the 944 even have ABS in 1987? I know Corvette beat a lot of European marques to the ABS punch by 1985 or 1986. Not sure if Porsche's had ABS by 1987.
ABS came on the Corvette in '86.
@@andyharman3022 Thank you!
ABS was optional on the North American 944 Turbo in '87 and made standard in '88.
Since Turbo cars generally perform better at higher altitudes than normally aspirated cars, the Vette should even be faster at sea level. It’s the compression of the thinner air which gives the turbo car an advantage.
Proud 1988 Vette owner here. I've owned mine since 1994. You can have the Porsche. Frankly I'm amazed he didn't roach the turbo in it, because they were notoriously fragile.
Proud 88 944 turbo owner....notoriously fragile?
@@chadzentner8213 a good buddy of mine is a mechanic. Told me they had turbo issues mid/late 80s. maybe you got lucky?