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Image credits: Porsche

Porsche 961

Developed as a customer racer, with an extreme price tag of $325,000, not a single customer was interested in the 961 when a privateer could purchase a cheaper 962 and enter in into the IMSA GTP category. It was better to seek an overall victory rather than settling for a class win, which is why this was the sole car Porsche built. Based on the modified Porsche 959 the Porsche 961 was a racing vehicle that was developed for Group B category to race alongside Group C in the World Endurance Championship races. The 961 did not have the electronic controlled suspension that the 959 had.

Introduced in 1982, Group B category was not successfully expanded outside rallying. The FIA had a ‘Group B evolution' regulation for endurance racing which allowed for a slight degree of modifications to the 200-off production model by only producing 30 such vehicles. Near the end of 1985, the FIA eliminated Group B for circuit vehicles due to the lack of interest from entries. At the time the 959 was redeveloped and designed into the 961 to race also in the IMSA GTX category which were then entered into the Le Mans 24 hours only in '86.

Sadly the IMSA GTX didn't attract as much attention from car makers as well as spectators, the 961 didn't really prove its superiority. Besides Le Mans, the only other race that the 961 competed in was the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1987. Unfortunately the sole class entrant was destroyed by fire on its third race during the 24 hours of Le Mans in the same year, short-living the 961's career. Had it been given suitable regulation the 961 would have been a successful racing vehicle.

Elizabeth Johnson

In 1981, development of the 959 began. Helmut Bott, the head engineer at Porsche, wanted to create a sports car based on the 911 that would take their product to the next level in performance, technology and design. He began by collaborating with Peter Schutz, the Managing Director at Porsche, about his ideas. The ideas proposed were to continue with the rear engine configuration, examine the potential of all-wheel drive, and to put the prototypes through extensive testing and research in the form of racing competition.

Prior to 1999, the 959 was not street legal in the United States. The United States Department of Transportation required that all manufacturers supply four vehicles for crash testing - Porsche refused and thus, never certified by the NHTSA for use. In 1999, the 'Show and Display' crash test requirements were removed and importation of the 959 became legal. Emission regulations require the vehicle to be fitted with catalytic converters and other minor modifications to be made before it is street legal. Many owners refuse and their vehicles remain as show pieces rather than road-legal automobiles.

The 959 uses an aluminum and kevlar composite that keeps the vehicle low in weight while maintaing strength. The 2.8 liter engine is mounted in the rear while powering all 4-wheels. Instead of creating a new engine, Porsche used the twin-turbocharged Boxter six-cylidner power-plant. The air-cooled block, 4-valve heads, and water cooled cylinder heads, coupled with the turbochargers were capable of producing 450 horsepower. The engine had been used for multiple projects such as the Porsche Indy Car, 'Moby Dick' race car, and the 961. As a result of the lightweight car and extremely powerful engine, the car could propel from zero to sixty in just 3.6 seconds and had a top speed of nearly 200 miles-per-hour. When a car approaches 200 miles-per-hour, it becomes very unstable. To address these potential issues, Porsche engineered the aerodynamics, suspension, and automatic ride-height to keep the car stable at speeds.

The all-wheel drive system was very advanced. The Porsche-Steuer Kupplung (PSK) system was capable of changing the torque distrubtion between the front and rear wheels. This aided in slippery conditions, under hard acceleration, and other conditions that may cause a weight-distribution bias.

In 1983, the 961 version was introduced. This race-prepared version captured two wins at the 1984 and 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally. It was entered in the grueling 24 Hours of LeMans where it finished 7th place overall.

In 1987, the 959 street version of the 961 race car went on sale for a mere $225,000. Even at that hefty price tag, it was far less than what Porsche had paid to have it developed and produced. Production continued until 1990. During that time, 226 European street-legal examples were produced.

The Porsche 959 and 961, in all respects, were sports cars with super car status.

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