Porsche 959

Porsche 959 at a glance

The 959 was Porsche's technology showcase of the 1980s. It looked like a smoothed-out 911 but shared little with it beneath the skin: composite body panels, a racing-derived engine, computer-controlled four-wheel drive, adjustable ride height and tyre-pressure monitoring were all new for a road Porsche. Many of these ideas later reached the 911 Turbo and the Porsche Carrera GT.

The wider story of the company is told in Porsche's history.

From the Gruppe B study to the road car

Development began in 1981, soon after Peter Schutz became managing director. Chief engineer Helmuth Bott proposed a car that would prove how far the 911 concept could go and qualify for Group B, the rally and racing class that required at least 200 road cars. The "Gruppe B" prototype appeared at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 1983.

The road version was shown at Frankfurt in 1985 as a 1986 model, but the complex car took more than a year longer than planned. Customer deliveries began in 1987, and the regular run ended in 1988. By then Group B had been cancelled (in 1986), so the 959 never raced in the series it was designed for.

Engineering: body, chassis and electronics

The body and chassis combine aluminium and aramid (Kevlar) composite, with a Nomex floor. The drag coefficient is 0.31, and the shape was tuned to eliminate aerodynamic lift, which is why the 959 has smooth sills, side vents for engine cooling and a wide integrated rear wing instead of the 911's bolt-on spoilers.

The road car could change its ride height automatically, unlike the fixed suspension of the 961 racer; the old 1cars text describes three height settings. The hollow magnesium wheels form a sealed chamber with built-in tyre-pressure sensors, an early example of the system that is now standard on every new car in the EU.

Inside, the cabin follows the 911 Turbo of the period: four-spoke steering wheel, cloth or leather seats and a large central rev counter to 8,000 rpm next to a speedometer marked to 340 km/h. Extra gauges show the slip at the rear differential and how much power goes to the front axle.

Flat-six engine and PSK all-wheel drive

The 2,849 cc flat-six comes from the 956/962 racing engine. It has air-cooled cylinders, water-cooled four-valve heads, Bosch Motronic injection and two turbochargers working in sequence: the first spools at low revs, the second joins higher up. This gave a smoother delivery than the sudden boost of other Porsche turbo engines of the time.

The PSK (Porsche-Steuer Kupplung) system uses a multi-plate clutch to vary torque between the axles according to grip and load. Under hard acceleration up to 80% goes to the rear wheels. The six-speed manual gearbox has a short first gear marked "G" for terrain (Gelände), which also helped the car meet noise rules; for normal driving owners start in second.

Porsche 959 specifications

Road & Track measured 319 km/h (198 mph) on a Komfort, matching the factory claim.

Variants and derivatives

Dakar, Le Mans and the 959's rivals

The rally programme came first. In 1984 four-wheel-drive 953 prototypes, based on the 911 Carrera, won the Paris–Dakar Rally with René Metge, and Jacky Ickx finished sixth. In 1985 Saeed Al-Hajri and John Spiller won the Rallye des Pharaons in a 959. In 1986 the 959s finished first (Metge), second (Ickx) and sixth on the Dakar, a result no supercar has matched since.

The 961, a racing 959, finished seventh overall and first in its class at Le Mans in 1986 with Metge and Claude Ballot-Léna. In 1987 Kees Nierop crashed a 961 there and it caught fire; the restored car now stands in the Porsche Museum.

On the road, the 959 faced a small group of rivals, shown below; today's quickest cars are listed in the fastest cars ranking.

With 331 kW for 1,450 kg, the 959 has about 228 kW per tonne, compared with about 320 kW per tonne for the F40 (352 kW, 1,100 kg). The F40 was lighter and faster at high speed; the 959 was quicker away from the line in poor conditions and far more advanced. Line up the figures yourself in the 1cars comparison tool.

Price, the US ban and collecting the 959 today

The launch price was DM 431,550, roughly half of what each car is reported to have cost Porsche to build. The car was engineered and crash-tested to European standards only, so it could not be registered in the USA after the 1988 Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act. Bill Gates bought a 959 in 1988 and US Customs held it for 13 years. The "Show or Display" exemption, backed by Gates, Otis Chandler and Bruce Canepa, took effect on 13 August 1999 and allowed up to 2,500 miles a year. Canepa later developed an upgrade programme with emissions-compliant turbos and electronics.

Today the 959 is a blue-chip collector car. Sports Car International named it the top sports car of the 1980s in 2004. Buyers should check the documented history, the condition of the complex hydraulic ride-height system and the PSK drivetrain, the sequential turbo control and the magnesium wheels, which age and can crack. Parts for the unique systems are scarce, so specialist inspection is essential. The late 1992–1993 cars and the 29 959 S are the most sought after. More 1980s classics are collected in the 1980s classics section.