In this article, I would like to introduce you to my favorite car from Stuttgart – the Porsche 959 . This is a supersport that was produced for only three years (1986 – 1989). The development was started in 1981 just after Peter Schutz took over the directorship at Porsche .
The plan was started in order to enter the rally, more precisely for the well-known group B. And as you probably already know, the car company always had to produce at least two hundred units before launching the racing version due to FIA homologation. After two years of development, the 959 concept for Group B was shown at the Frankfurt exhibition grounds in 1983 (basically it was a 911 with all-wheel drive), the road form was not shown there until 1985. However, due to difficulties, production started a year later and customers they received the first 959 only in 1987 for a price of 225,000 USD (at today's exchange rate approx. 4,377,000 crowns). Unfortunately, this year Group B was already on the brink of death.
Design
The 959 model is almost identical to the icon of the Stuttgart car company – the 911 model. The front and rear bumpers have integrated openings on the sides, which can also be found behind the front doors. And the reason for this move? At the front it is due to aerodynamics, and at the back it cools the wheel arches and the engine. The front is a typical 911, but the headlights have changed their angle to make the model look modern. The mudguards and sills are pulled more to the sides and thus make the car wider. One narrow line full of lights stretches across the entire back. Above it is a wing, in which there are also holes for cooling the engine. Overall, the car looks dynamic, powerful and has very good aerodynamics. The body of the four-seater coupe (2+2) was made of all kinds of elements – aluminum, Kevlar and the like. The result was a safe, comfortable and light vehicle.
Interior
The Porsche 959 was only offered in two different trims – Comfort and Sport , of which the first choice was among the most popular! These equipments differed:
Comfort
This equipment was only available on road versions, ideal for long journeys. It can be said that it included an almost complete leather interior – carpets, pillars, dashboard or seats. The leather color was chosen by the customer himself, mostly sports cars left the factories with a "three-color" interior (seats and door panels in one color and silver accessories or any motif). Despite all this, there were a number of critics who could not stand the mentioned interior due to "copying" (with a few exceptions) from the 911 model. According to them, this exclusive Porsche should have had its original interior!
Sport/Clubsport
As the name suggests, it was intended only for the sports version and thus follows its predecessor RS! The basis of the equipment is clear – protective frame (cage) and weight reduction. The heated seats were replaced with lightweight sports ones, and the rear bench was thrown out. Instead, there was a frame and pipes going through the roof to the windshield. The front headlights were also replaced with lighter ones, even usable on the road, although they were used mainly on the race track.
Engine and technology
The automaker did not want to develop a new engine for this model from the very beginning, and therefore improved the existing one. And what engine were they talking about in Stuttgart specifically? About a twin-turbo six-cylinder boxer, air-cooled block, but water-cooled heads for increased effect. The engine capacity is 2.85 liters, the output was set at 450 hp at 6500 rpm and the torque at 500 Nm at 5000 rpm. But according to the technicians, the engine could easily be tuned to 600 horsepower. With these parameters, the Porsche 959 with a weight of 1450 kg was able to accelerate to 100 km/h in 3.7 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 317 km/h. This made it the fastest production car in the world.
But then the Ferrari F40 came and it was after the title. Even so, Porsche did not give up! The platform came from the 911 model, and for the first time ever, the automaker used PSK all-wheel drive in the 959 . The engine cooperated with a six-speed manual transmission, which transmitted power first to the rear wheels and then to the front. Of course, the torque was distributed as needed in such a way that it was able to transfer up to 80% to the rear axle. There was also adjustment of ground clearance, stiffness of shock absorbers and the ABS system.
Dakar
Already in 1985, Porsche registered three cars for the Paris Dakar . But it was a disaster, not a single car made it. However, Porsche made up for the debacle in the next edition of the Dakar. At that time, two cars were placed on the first rows. In the same year, a derived Porsche 961 competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans , winning its category. After the Dakar, the Group B rally was supposed to come, but it was prematurely terminated due to frequent tragic accidents.
Summary at the end
What to say in conclusion? Production ended in 1990, a total of 337 units left the factories. Of these, 37 vehicles were only in the concept phase. The last piece produced and the racing version of the 961 are housed in the automaker's museum in Stuttgart . Despite the end of production, 8 pieces in silver or red were still produced in 1992-1993. Porsche probably ran out of stock. Nowadays, the 959 is only found among collectors, as a highly sought-after vehicle.
If you find a piece made in 1987-1988 for sale, its price tag is in the range of 180,000 – 250,000 euros. The price of the last pieces from 1992-1993 can hardly be expressed. Experts agree that it is one of the best sports cars of the eighties.
Photo: ClassicarGarage.nl
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