By Antti Kautonen
Yes, 1989. That’s what the plate info says when I run the tags of this Porsche 924S; manufacturing of the 924 ended in 1988, but this one probably spent a little while unsold and got registered on 1989’s side.
This 924S spends its days in the parking garage where I park when I’m in Helsinki, and it rarely moves. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it leave its spot. There’s a thick layer of dust on it already, and it’s been there for years.
The dusty Porsche has a couple of dents and it could use some cosmetic attention, but it looks good, especially on those wheels. And it’s been rust-proofed several times over.
The owner has chosen to fit it with DRL lights, so the slope of the front would go undisturbed at daytime.
US spec rear bumper? The car is probably a personal import.
The 924S is the 924 with the “Proper Porsche Engine”, as compared to the more leisurely VW/Audi 2.0. The 2.5 944 engine in the 924S made all of 160hp in 1988, which is certainly a good amount of poke for a light-footed coupe like it.
[Images: Copyright 2013 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]
A week after I bought my 5000, I found a super clean 924S in a hog lot for the same price I'd paid for the Audi.
Probably a good choice- no telling how big a c-ck I'd been with a Porsche at age 21.
What's the red Hyundai Veloster-looking red hatchback in the background of photo #3?
Looks like an Opel Astra.
<img src="http://stwot.motortrend.com/files/2011/11/Opel-Astra-OPC-rear-three-quarter.jpg" width="500">
Looks great. The should bring that here and call it a Pontiac Sunfire.
I approve of any rebadging shenanigans that'll get me the freakshow bonkers OPC version. Which calling it a Saturn didn't.
Buick Sunfire by Opel.
Skylark doesn't sound right for a car like this.
Skyhawk maybe?
The red hatchback's a Seat Leon.
I'm going with the SEAT also
Offshoot of VW, but originally set up by FIAT to make cars in Spain when the Generalissimo was in power and restricting what could be bought with foreign currency – because they had none.
Mostly porridge to get the general populus on the road, but they made a couple of more interesting cars, the 1430 saloon and coupe much used in rallying, then and now
<img src="http://www.mercadoracing.org/imagenes-anuncios/38/378344/seat-1430-1800-regularidad-sport.jpg" width="600">
Didactic has finished
<img src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/527132_493904070665373_807702704_n.jpg">
Sorry, it is actually an Opel Astra GTC (= 3 door), just not an OPC like the one posted above.
<img src="http://www.cars-data.com/pictures/opel/opel-astra-gtc_1823_13.jpg" width="600">
The Seat looks pretty similar tho.
<img src="http://carmotorsport.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/seat-leon-cupra-1.jpg" width="600">
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/qNJr6Jz.jpg" width=700">
Yeah, it's an Astra.
This is a 1989 924S 2.7 liter prototype that Porsche made before the 924 was cancelled completely. They built around 27 cars with about half of them being destroyed in testing and the rest being sold to employees. The cars featured the 2.7 liter inline 4 cylinder engine from the 944 and had the newer 944 interior as well. I’ve seen two of them for sale at a dealership in Germany, one dark maroon or burgundy in color and the other was dark blue. They’re rare and most people don’t even know that they ever existed. I’d love to get my hands on one.