We revisit the 1980s comparison between Porsche 944 and Jaguar XJ-S to find out how these unlikely rivals compare today.
WORDS PAUL WAGER PHOTOGRAPHY PAUL WALTON
They couldn’t resist putting at least part of the drivetrain in the back
AT FIRST glance you could be forgiven for thinking that what we have here is very much a case of automotive chalk and cheese, a sign perhaps that this new editor doesn’t have a firm hand on the wheel...
Yet ponder a little more and the comparison between Jaguar’s traditionally engineered grand tourer and Porsche’s unconventional ‘transaxle’ sports car makes rather more sense. Indeed, although the more classical style of the Jaguar might suggest it’s from a different era than the aggressive wide-hipped Porsche, the two designs are in fact remarkably close in age.
The XJ-S arrived in 1975, but Porsche’s 924 was unveiled just a year later and it was this car which would evolve into the 944 in 1982.
This coincided with the fitment of the AJ6 powerplant to the Jaguar and in 3.6-litre, six-cylinder form it was initially offered only in five-speed manual form, suddenly making it a viable alternative to the Porsche. When the Sports Handling Pack was offered on the XJ-S from 1987, it coincided with Porsche introducing the 16-valve 944S which at 190bhp compared well with the Jaguar’s 221bhp. In fact the cars were sufficiently similar – on paper at least – for What Car? to conduct a 944 v XJ-S twin test back in March 1988.
All of which meant that when we acquired a 1987 example of the 944S as a project car for our classic titles, we were keen to see how the two cars compared today.
Porsche 944S
Just as Porsche today is an automotive goldmine, back in the early ’80s it was similarly riding high while Jaguar was rather floundering in its pre-Egan days. The origins of the 944 though go much further back, to a time when Dr Ing HCF Porsche AG was a far less confident organisation, relying heavily on the fees from consultancy R&D work for the bigger Volkswagen group.
One such lucrative assignment was the brief to develop a new VW/Audi coupe, using as much parts-bin componentry as possible.
An Audi 100 engine was chosen, inclined at 30 degrees to allow stylist Harm Lagaay to achieve a suitably low nose, while being Porsche they couldn’t resist putting at least part of the drivetrain in the back, the transaxle gearbox sitting under the boot floor and providing near-perfect weight distribution.
It was all set for launch when VW management, faced with the early ’70s oil crisis and buoyed by the success of the Golf, decided to can the project in favour of the Golf-based Scirocco coupe.
All of which worked in Porsche’s favour as a ready-made replacement for the 914 which with its air-cooled tech was near the end of its shelf life. A deal was struck for Porsc
