#070 front-engined Porsches

by modelM43in carson Posted on

Published November 8, 2024 | Last update March 31, 2025 | 11 models online

Porsche is famous for their rear-engined 911, but they also produced some very fine front-engined cars with very good handling and balance. Nowadays the German brand produces a whole range front-engined cars such as Macan, Cayenne and Panamera but these don’t appeal to me at all.

4-cylinder Porsches

1980 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 924 Carrera GT
Porsche was in financial trouble, the sales of Porsche 924 and 924 turbo needed a boost. Porsche developed the 924 Carrera GT, a version with much more power and wider body work based on the 924 turbo. In 1980 Porsche System entered three 924 GTP’s for Le Mans using the 924 Carrera badge. The cars were entered in GTP, proved extremely reliable and did very well.
Porsche System #2: Andy Rouse (GB) / Tony Dron (GB)
Results: Start-grid 44th / time 4:16.500 / race 12th – 311 laps / 5th GTP

Porsche System #3: Derek Bell (GB) / Al Holbert (USA)
Results: Start-grid 34th / time 4:10.800 / race 13th – 306 laps / 6th GTP

Porsche System #4: Jürgen Barth (D) / Manfred Schurti (FL)
Results: Start-grid 46th / time 4:17.100 / race 6th – 317 laps / 3rd GTP
Porsche 924 Carrera GT – GTP: Powered by 2.0 liter Porsche M31.50 straight-4 turbo, approx. 340 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 945 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnrs. 924 GTP #002, #003 & #004

  • SPARK S0982, S0983 & S0984 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Only appear in this collection

1981 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 944 LM
After the success in 1980, Porsche entered this 924 GTP with a new 2.5 liter engine. In fact it was half a V8 engine from a Porsche 928 and the first Porsche with electronic fuel injection. The car was a prototype of that would become the Porsche 944, so Porsche already used this name for their entry. It finished 7th because of its steady pace and low fuel consumption. Another car, a 924 GTR (the one in the YouTube video) finished 11th and won the IMSA GTO category.
Porsche System #1: Jürgen Barth (D) / Walter Röhrl (D)
Results: Start-grid 43rd / time 4:01.030 / race 7th – 324 laps / 3rd GTP >3L
Porsche 944 LM – GTP >3L: Powered by 2.5 liter Porsche 949 straight-4 turbo, approx. 400 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 990 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. 924 GTP #006

  • SPARK S0984 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Only appears in this collection

1981 DRM Championship Zolder, Porsche 924 GTR
Other than the Le Mans GTP’s, the Porsche 924 Carrera GTR was homologated as a Group B GT car. This 924 GTR was entered by Kremer Racing and driven by “John Winter” (real name Louis Krages). As there was no seperate category for Group B cars, it had to run in Division 1 against the 700 hp Porsche 935’s and stood no chance.
Kremer #72: “John Winter”
Results: Start-grid 16th / time 1:49.670 / race 14th – 20 laps
Porsche 924 GTR – Group B, DRM division I: Powered by 2.0 liter Porsche M31.50 straight-4 turbo, approx. 360 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 985 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnrs. #unknown

  • SPARK Kremer 50 years MAB 005, #105 / 300 pcs (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Also appears in #085 Kremer GT

1982 Le Mans 24h, Porsche 924 GTR
After the Porsche factory team raced 924 GTP’s at Le Mans in 1980 and 1981, they turned again to the prototypes. Richard Lloyd Racing and some other privateers took over and raced Porsche 924 GTR’s (the group B car) at Le Mans. The British entry retired early in the race. Canon was the main sponsor and would remain that for some years.
GTi Engineering #84: Andy Rouse (GB) / Richard Lloyd (GB) / Jeff Allam (GB)
Results: Start-grid 56th / time 4:20.810 / race DNF gearbox – 77 laps
Porsche 924 GTR – IMSA GTO: Powered by 2.0 liter Porsche M31.50 straight-4 turbo, approx. 360 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 965 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #BS70006

  • SPARK S0989 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Also appears in #109 Canon

1982 Boucles de Spa, Porsche 924 GTS
The 924 GTS was the road-going version of the Group B GTR. It was used for rally’s, such as this one in which racing driver Jacky Ickx participated in the Boucles de Spa. Unfortunately he had to retire after only 4 stages.
Gitanes #4: Jacky Ickx (B) / John Igrec (B)
Results: DNF – 4 stages
Porsche 924 Carrera GTS – Group B: Powered by 2.0 liter Porsche M31.50 straight-4 turbo, approx. 270 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1025 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #unknown

  • IXO RAC367 (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Also appears in #062 Gitanes & Gauloises /#070 Front-engined Porsche

1982 Rally Monte Carlo, Porsche 924 GTS
Jürgen Barth was development engineer and test driver for the Porsche factory with lots of experience. He raced Porsches 911, 908, 936 and also the 924s in 1980 and 1981 and in 1982 he competed in the Monte Carlo rally. Barth is not a super fast rally driver like Röhrl, Mouton or Mikkola but he knows very well how to bring a car over the finish line and does that also in this occasion.
Porsche System #25: Jürgen Barth (D) / Roland Kussmaul (D)
Results: 10th
Porsche 924 Carrera GTS – Group B: Powered by 2.0 liter Porsche M31.50 straight-4 turbo, approx. 270 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1025 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #unknown

  • MINICHAMPS MC400 826625 limited 1428 pcs (diecast)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 3 STARS | Estimated value: 3 STARS
    • Only appears in this collection

1986 Porsche 944 turbo Cup
1986 was the first year of the Porsche 944 turbo Cup. The cars looked quite standard but had a special stiffened suspension, limited slip differential and an improved turbo unit, in total 192 cup 944’s have been built. Races were spectacular because the cars are much easier to drift than for instance a 911. Joachim Winkelhock was the first champion. Porsche offered a VIP car for guest drivers, one of them being works pilot Jochen Mass. Not much more information can be found.
Porsche A.G. #1: Jochen Mass (D)
Porsche 944 turbo – Cup: Powered by 2.5 liter Porsche straight-4 turbo, approx. 270 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1160 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #unknown

  • SPARK SG627 (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Also appears in #116 LUI Magazine

1987 Porsche 944 turbo Cup
Everybody knows the Porsche Supercup and all the national series such as the German Porsche Carrera Cup that started in 1990. All these series make use of Cup versions of the Porsche 911. But before these series began, Porsche raced with the turbo version of the front-engined 944 between 1986 and 1989. The cars looked quite standard but had a special stiffened suspension, limited slip differential and an improved turbo unit, in total 192 cup 944’s have been built. Races were spectacular because the cars are much easier to drift than for instance a 911. Roland Asch was the master and took the championship in 1987, 1988 and 1989. Porsche guest drivers were offered the white and purple Blaupunkt sponsored car which now stands in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. The black-and-whites are taken by me at Nürburgring and Norisring.
Porsche A.G. #1: Porsche VIP-car, different drivers
Porsche 944 turbo – Cup: Powered by 2.5 liter Porsche straight-4 turbo, approx. 270 hp. Dunlop tires. Weight 1160 kg. Steel monocoque, chassisnr. #unknown

  • SPARK SG 939 #110 / 500 pcs (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Also appears in 036 Pink and Purple / #099 Porsche Cup

The V8 is in fact a double 4-cylinder

1984 Daytona 24h, Porsche 928S
All attention went to the new Porsche 962 that made its debut. But in the back of the grid another exceptional Porsche was present. The car was a special project by Brumos and the Porsche factory: a near standard Porsche 928S with a light weight aluminum chassis entered in IMSA GTO. Behind the wheel good old Vic Elford and Richard Attwood and two experienced American Porsche drivers. The car did well and was in 5th position overall at a certain moment, some problems delayed the car and they finished 15th. It was the only race the car ever drove, now it’s stored probably somewhere in a cellar of the Porsche museum.
Brumos Racing #92: Vic Elford (GB) / Richard Attwood (GB) / Bob Hagestad (USA) / Howard Meister (USA)
Results: Start-grid 72nd / time 2:18.362 / race 15th – 569 laps / 4th GTO
Porsche 928S – IMSA GTO: Powered by 5.0 liter Porsche V8 90°, approx. 330 hp. Goodyear tires. Weight 1350 kg. Aluminum monocoque, chassisnr. #unknown

  • SPARK Porsche Museum MAP 020 202 15 limited 500 pcs (resin)
    • Overall rating: 4 STARS | Quality details: 4 STARS | Estimated value: 4 STARS
    • Also appears in #059 Brumos

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