Photo: Motor Werks Racing (edited by autoevolution)
Happy belated Fourth of July, folks. On this day of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and fireworks that can double as artillery pieces, let's take the opportunity to shout out a restomod shop that takes old-fashioned German classics and makes them better and faster right here in the USA. Today, Motor Werks Racing has given a close look at their latest 944 racer project.
Located just north of Atlanta in the sleepy town of Dawsonville, Georgia, Motor Werks Racing is more in tune with the distinct Porsche approach to automotive engineering than perhaps any shop in North America. With maintenance and performance upgrade services available for just about every make and model of Porsche sold on this continent, there's almost nothing outside of the most exclusive race cars and limited edition hypercars that this shop hasn't wrenched on or raced semi-professionally before.
Hence why, this 1983 Porsche looks ready to race a model-exclusive pro-racing series, just like the 944 used to have back in the mid-to-late 80s. Not that the drivetrain currently rocking under the hood of this particular 944 is typical or anything. In its day, the 944 sported a number of different turbocharged and N/A four-cylinder engine options ranging from 2.5 to three liters. They were not bad engines in their time by any means. But though its cubic displacement may not indicate it, the 1.8-liter, 20-valve, four-cylinder turbocharged engine most commonly associated with early variants of the Audi TT sports car but found in Audi's SEATs and Skodas of all varieties in the 90s and 2000s.
With aluminum cylinder heads and a healthy five valves per cylinder, Motor Werks Racing had a banger of a good time stripping this 944's drivetrain before retrofitting the new powerplant for its new permanent home using in-house developed engine swap kits. In its most powerful configuration, this 1.8-liter turbo four-banger can jet in the neighborhood of 237 horsepower. But with forged rods and pistons, a reworked oiling system, and 630 ccs Deka injectors, there's definitely more power at hand than stock. 315 horses, to be exact. That's plenty for a low-slung, lightweight rear-drive sports car like a Porsche 944, but there's plenty to like about this build besides its engine.
Power is fed to an Audi 016 manual gearbox, where a two-way limited-slip differential waits for it via a driveshaft at the rear of the vehicle. With Bilstein shocks and springs ripped straight out of a 968 Club Sport and flanked by adjustable sway bars and Wilwood four-piston brakes, this is a race car that's built to win. You can catch it racing at Road Atlanta and the Atlanta Motorsports Park on the regular, in case you want to challenge it for yourself. Best of luck if you try.
Hence why, this 1983 Porsche looks ready to race a model-exclusive pro-racing series, just like the 944 used to have back in the mid-to-late 80s. Not that the drivetrain currently rocking under the hood of this particular 944 is typical or anything. In its day, the 944 sported a number of different turbocharged and N/A four-cylinder engine options ranging from 2.5 to three liters. They were not bad engines in their time by any means. But though its cubic displacement may not indicate it, the 1.8-liter, 20-valve, four-cylinder turbocharged engine most commonly associated with early variants of the Audi TT sports car but found in Audi's SEATs and Skodas of all varieties in the 90s and 2000s.
With aluminum cylinder heads and a healthy five valves per cylinder, Motor Werks Racing had a banger of a good time stripping this 944's drivetrain before retrofitting the new powerplant for its new permanent home using in-house developed engine swap kits. In its most powerful configuration, this 1.8-liter turbo four-banger can jet in the neighborhood of 237 horsepower. But with forged rods and pistons, a reworked oiling system, and 630 ccs Deka injectors, there's definitely more power at hand than stock. 315 horses, to be exact. That's plenty for a low-slung, lightweight rear-drive sports car like a Porsche 944, but there's plenty to like about this build besides its engine.
Power is fed to an Audi 016 manual gearbox, where a two-way limited-slip differential waits for it via a driveshaft at the rear of the vehicle. With Bilstein shocks and springs ripped straight out of a 968 Club Sport and flanked by adjustable sway bars and Wilwood four-piston brakes, this is a race car that's built to win. You can catch it racing at Road Atlanta and the Atlanta Motorsports Park on the regular, in case you want to challenge it for yourself. Best of luck if you try.
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