The Porsche 952 – What You Need To Know
You may have heard rumors of a limited edition Porsche 952 and been a little confused as to what that is. Or, in fact, been curious about whether or not it’s even limited or if it even exists. We can assure you it does. Sort of.
While the Porsche 952 certainly exists and is quite rare, it’s not as special as you might think. Sure, it’s not just any old 911, but it’s also not some one-hundred-release limited set of cars that you’ll never be able to find. Let alone buy.
This quick blog post will cover what the Porsche 952 is, what its specs are, how it differs from the Porsche 951 (is it one better?), and everything else you could need to know about them, including how you can get your hands on one.
Let’s jump right into it if you feel so inclined without further adieu.
Highlights
- The Porsche 952 is a right-hand drive version of the Porsche 944 Turbo, designed for markets like the United Kingdom and Australia.
- It was given a different name from the left-hand drive Porsche 951 due to minor engineering differences.
- While the Porsche 952 is technically rarer than the 951, it sold about 3,000 units in the UK, making it one of the best-selling versions of the 944.
- You cannot buy a Porsche 952 in the United States as they do not manufacture right-hand drive vehicles there, but some people have imported them.
- The Porsche 952 and 951 are very similar, with minor differences due to variations in regulations for left-hand and right-hand drive markets.
- Choosing between the two should be based on where you live, as it will be easier and cheaper to buy the version designed for your market.
What Is The Porsche 952?
The Porsche 952 is actually a “rare” version of the 951 that was specifically designed for the right-hand drive market. In America and almost all of Europe, cars are left-hand drive. This means the driver sits on the left side of the cabin, and the front passenger sits on the right-hand side.
However, in some countries, that is not the case. The biggest ones are the United Kingdom and Australia. Now, since Porsche isn’t likely to exclude two of their best markets, it’s only logical that it should cater to them in any way it can, which led to the creation of the Porsche 952.
Now, it isn’t usually the case that they decide to give a vehicle a different name for the UK market. Normally, they don’t bother to rename it. But for some reason, for the 952, they did, probably because they did make some minor changes besides simply swapping the cabin around.
In short, the Porsche 952 is the name given to the right-hand drive Porsche 944 Turbo, whereas Porsche 951 is the name given to the left-hand drive Porsche 944 Turbo. They are not exactly the same car, but they are very similar.
How Does The Porsche 952 Differ From The 951?
Hopefully, that first section got you nice and confused about why on earth Porsche would bother to differentiate these two Porsche 944 Turbos when they probably wouldn’t normally even mention the fact they are different driver-side vehicles.
Some minor engineering differences probably made them consider giving them different names. Are these changes enough to warrant a new name? Honestly, maybe. While they are very similar in most regards, they actually have slightly different engines, with the 952 supposedly being a little more punchy.
This isn’t super uncommon in the automotive space. Honda, for example, almost yearly releases JDM (Japanese domestic market) exclusive models that are only slightly different from their American counterparts.
But, yet, they get a brand spanking new name. The same thing is happening here with Porsche. Since we are talking about 944 Turbos that have been categorized down even more, there has to be some kind of differentiation, right?
Well, for the Porsche 952, that is the engine. The engine code is slightly different from the 951 for several reasons. It’s a little more powerful and a little less environmentally friendly. Hence the extra power.
The reason is likely that the UK simply had different rules and regulations in place at the time, which allowed Porsche to be a little freer with their emissions.
Is The Porsche 952 Rarer Than The 951?
While it is technically rarer than the 951 as a whole, that’s not entirely true. Since the 951 spanned several years and several countries, there was a handful of slight variants, with about 15,000 being made in total.
However, the 952, which was released for only one year, sold about 3,000 units. This means somehow, this rarer alternative to the 951 was actually one of the best-selling versions of the 951. Kind of crazy, right?
Even if we look at all Porsche 944s as a whole (including non-turbo models), the Porsche 952 is still one of the best-selling models despite having an incredibly limited market. Apparently, Brits like Porsche more than we perhaps once thought.
Can I Get A Porsche 952 In America?
Are you ready for another cop-out “no but yes” answer? Good, because no, you can’t get a Porsche 952 in America. Except if you do.
All jokes aside, you won’t be able to buy a 952 in the United States because they simply do not manufacture right-hand drive vehicles in America.
And since the 952 was made specifically for right-hand drive markets (which America is not), it would be illogical for Porsche to sell the 952 in the States.
That being said, you can, of course, ship one over from the UK or Australia, and in fact, you will find that some people already have.
And with some persuading might potentially be willing to part with their peculiarly uncommon Porsche.
Shipping one over is going to be expensive, and given the cars are damn near identical in all other ways, it’s probably a waste of time and money. But to each their own.
How Does The Porsche 952 Stack Up Against The 951?
In all honesty, they are pretty much the same. Some say they handle and drive slightly differently because many components are swapped around to accommodate the change in the driver’s position, but I highly doubt there’s any difference.
And you also have to factor in the change in the engine that warranted a completely separate engine code.
While there isn’t a lot of info about this available, you will probably find that the differences are to do with environmental regulation variations across left-hand and right-hand drive markets.
Porsche accommodates each country’s rules and regulations rigorously, so that should come as no surprise. Again, they are the same car for all intents and purposes and should be regarded as such.
If, for some thought experiment, you had to argue for one over the other, the answer would resoundingly be to choose whichever one was designed for where you live. It will be far easier and cheaper to buy the correct version of the 951/952 for your market.
Verdict On The Porsche 952
Hopefully, you didn’t find this blog post too confusing. It really does boil down to essentially the same engines having different names.
The cars are virtually identical, and you would struggle to pick up on any differences other than the fact that the driver is sitting on a completely different side of the car.
Some subtle engineering differences certainly have to be factored in, but in regards to the overall performance, handling, and driving experience, the differences are negligible to the point of non-difference.
