Life with a 3.9 litre V8 FHC

Those who are regular forum readers will know all about my "baby + back seat" quandry that I've been in. Some time ago, through my future brother in law's youthful age (and un-insurability), I ended up being the registered keeper of his Porsche 944 - the foreigner that started this all!

I've had the 944 in my garage for a while now and it makes for an interesting comparison to the V8 TR7.

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I had assumed that a 4 pot 2.5 would be a characterless flat disappointment compared to the tuneful song of my 3.9 V8 with dual 'trumpets'. How wrong was I?!

With 165bhp, the 944 2.5 was in its day, the most powerful normally aspirated 4 cylinder engine in production, until the 3 litre replacement beat it at its own game. Mitsibushi made a fortune from this engine. Yes!... I said Mitsibushi! They sold Porsche their patent on the 2 balancer shafts which counter balance the imbalance of the slant 4 engine. Now if Triumph had done that to the 2.0, it would have made it so much smoother!

On a straight road - the TR7V8 is in a league of its own. Lets be honest, a well built V8 is only surpassed aurally by a V12 - so the Porker was always going to lose there. Where the 944 shines is on a back road - which is particularly relevant here in N. Ireland. The German upstart boasts a LSD, and the gearbox is built right over the back axle for a perfect 50:50 distribution. Getting the tail out is a fuss free situation. You can do the same in a V8 no doubt, but the short wheelbase and live axle mean you need to be sharp or you'll end up looking VERY stupid very fast

The cars are in fact so different, I wouldn't insult either by making any more of a comparison. They are both wonderful for their own reasons. Both so different in so many ways - not least the fact that the 944 has 2 small, child sized back seats.

I'll miss my V8 - and "if I were a rich man"... as the song goes, I wouldn't let it go, but the deal's been done and the car is heading back home at the end of the month to its new home in Bedford. I am however very pleased that it's going to a good home, to be further looked after by a fellow forum member.