Porsche 944 Rally Special

The 944 spent most of its life being the Porsche that 911 purists loved to dismiss. Their loss. The front-engine, rear-transaxle layout delivered 50/50 weight distribution that made it one of the best-handling cars of its era, and the 2.5-liter four-cylinder was bulletproof enough to make mechanics slightly bored. Porsche sold nearly 164,000 of them, which means there are plenty of candidates for projects exactly like this one.

Someone looked at this 944 and saw a safari build waiting to happen. The bones are serious: full stitch welding throughout the chassis, a half cage built from 1.5-inch DOM tubing with proper 0.120-inch wall thickness, and a Racetech bucket where the factory seat used to live. That white-painted cage work visible through the rear quarter glass looks clean and professionally executed. The lifted coilovers give it the stance, while the fabricated front bumper bristling with auxiliary lights suggests the builder had actual night stages in mind. The Löwenbräu livery is a nice touch—a nod to the beer-sponsored IMSA cars of the '80s, wrapped over the original white paint that's still visible on the roof and pillars.

Here's the catch: the 2.5 runs rough and needs sorting, which the seller acknowledges with refreshing honesty. It's also on non-op status in California, so there's paperwork ahead if you want plates. For someone with a tuning shop relationship and desert access, this is a ready-made weekend weapon. For someone expecting turnkey thrills, bring realistic expectations and a battery.