Porsche 944 Vs BMW E28 M535i Drag Race Is Even Cooler Now Than 34 Years Ago

In the red corner, if you'll excuse the cliché, sits a 1987 Porsche 944 Turbo, perhaps the one model from the Zuffenhausen-based company that's most grateful for the 914's existence. If it weren't for the tiny sports car co-developed with Volkswagen, the 944 would have definitely received the title of "least exciting Porsche ever."

Wait a minute, weren't we talking about lures and stuff just a second before? Well, yes, but that's the thing with Porsches: even the worst cars are still quite desirable as well as emblematic for their period. The fact this is a 944 Turbo instantly makes it even more alluring since it stems from the '80s, the era when turbochargers were still in their infancy and, therefore, also imperfect, which meant they were oozing character.

Even if it is also a 1987 model, the BMW M535i has to make do with a naturally aspirated engine. Granted, unlike the Porsche's four-cylinder, the Bimmer gets the Bavarian special: a straight-six with a displacement of 3.4 liters and a total output of 182 hp (185 PS) and 214 lb-ft (290 Nm). It only takes a glance at those numbers to know two things: the M535i is going to run very smoothly, but also quite slow.

With 217 hp (220 PS) and significantly more torque thanks to the turbocharger, the Porsche should have no problem coming up on top in this confrontation. However, with cars this old (both have just over 100,000 miles - 160,000 km - on the clock), you can never know for sure what to expect.

To decide a winner, the German pair of classic cars will have to complete a series of challenges that include the classic drag race and 0-60 mph acceleration, but most importantly, a track battle around a short circuit. Neither of the two was necessarily built with the latter in mind, so even though there's a significant performance gap between the two (and the one with more power is also a sports car, as opposed to the other one being a sedan), you can't really know which way this is going to go.

The doubt about the lap time result is very much welcome because the other two trials couldn't possibly generate any kind of suspense. Can anyone imagine the 182 hp BMW actually stands a chance? If it was a proper M5 with the larger engine and 282 hp, then we might have had a nailbiter on our hands, but, as it stands, the Porsche is the clear favorite. However, make sure you stick around to the end to see whether it's a win across the table for the 944 or the Bimmer manages to pull one back on the track.