1986 Porsche 959

The Porsche 959 represents the company's relentless pursuit of perfection and its ongoing desire to push the envelope in terms of technology and performance. It was conceived in a 1981 meeting between Porsche chief engineer Helmuth Bott and the recently hired president of the company, Peter Schutz. Bott wanted to explore the ultimate capabilities of the 911, and Schutz approved the idea and to explore its ultimate configuration in Group B competition. The automotive world was stunned in 1983 when Porsche unveiled its new 'Gruppe B' model, identified internally as the Type 961, at the Frankfurt Auto Show. It was endowed with a twin-turbocharged engine, all-wheel drive, and an innovative composite-over-steel body and chassis platform. This new machine, unmistakably a member of the 911 family, was to be the German automaker's entry into the cutting edge FIA Group B international rally championship arena, where the only rule was that there were no rules.

The no-limit policy of Group B competition encouraged many automakers to create incredibly potent and extremely fast vehicles, with homologation requiring at least 200 street-legal examples of which these rally specials could be based. Following several serious accidents, the FIA abruptly canceled Group B, leaving manufacturers like Porsche 'high and dry.' Production of the homologated road cars was already underway and Porsche found itself in a dire financial situation. They had invested significantly in tooling and research, and the company's board of directors had no alternatives but to continue with production and hope to sell these 200 mph road cars to well-heeled customers. In the end, management had nothing to worry about as buyers lined up to place deposits on the Type 959.

The Type 959 rested on the same 89.4-inch wheelbase, stamped steel chassis as the 911 Carrera and the cabin's center section, including its interior, was nearly identical to its 911 sibling. Much of the bodyshell was comprised of fiberglass-reinforced Kevlar, with the nose section being molded of polyurethane, and the front trunk lid and doors from aluminum. The elegant shape and aerodynamic design were formed from extensive wind tunnel studies and testing, achieving a near-zero body lift and low drag coefficient of 0.31. Ducting and venting in the nose funneled cool air to the front brakes and oil radiator. In the back, the body was greatly extended, widened, and ventilated, and topped with a full-width rear wing.

The race-proven 'boxer' six was rear-mounted, with air-cooled cylinders and four-valve, water-cooled cylinder heads. The engine, with its 2.85-liter displacement size, was similar to those of the 'Moby Dick' IMSA GT coupe and Porsche's Indy open-wheel project. With the help of asymmetrical turbochargers, each of them intercooled, provided 450 horsepower at 6,500 RPM. A small turbocharger spun up almost from idle and delivered low-end boost. The second exhaust-driven turbine was engaged at 4,500 RPM. Porsche's Porsche-Steur-Kupplung (PSK) system allowed the driver to vary the 370 foot-pounds of torque between the rear and front axles. As much as 80 percent could be sent to the rear under hard acceleration, all managed electronically. Power was fed to all four wheels via a specially designed Borg-Warner six-speed transmission, which included an extremely low first gear for use in the off-road situations the Type 961 rally car might encounter.

Stopping was handled by large power-assisted, ventilated disc brakes with ABS. The suspension was race-derived, with double-wishbones at each corner, coil springs, and double shocks that could be adjusted by the turn of a knob from the driver's seat. Damping and ride height were electronically adjustable, and the wheels included one of the first automatic pressure-monitoring systems. The special 17-inch lightweight magnesium alloy wheels were wrapped with model-specific run-flat tires created specifically for the 959.

The earliest group of development cars were the 'F-Series' prototype, built prior to the 'V-Series' production cars and the 'N-Series' pilot vehicles. Porsche built twelve F-Series prototypes and all are discernable from each other. The third prototype, 'F3', was the first to receive air vents in the front and rear wheel housings, and intake holes behind the doors. Other 'F-Series' cars were used by engineers to various systems, interior configurations, design features, and configurations. Most of the prototype vehicles owned by Porsche were destroyed at the end of their testing period. F6, F7, and F9 were saved by Porsche importer and dealer Vasek Polak, under the premise that they would be fully restored, rebuilt, and converted to production specification to be sold as a customer car. Polak refused and as a result, Porsche required that the cars never be sold or registered for road use unless it was fully refurbished by the factory. F7 was imported to the United States for display purposes only, where it was put on display at Polak's headquarters in 1988.

The road-going version of the 959 was introduced in 1985 at the Frankfurt Motor Show as a 1986 model. Numerous issues, however, delayed production by more than a year. First customer deliveries of the 959 street variant began in 1987 with an MSRP of approximately US$225,000 each. Two levels of trim were offered, including 'Sport' and 'Komfort.' The 'Komfort' models were built with a broad array of cockpit amenities, including air conditioning and full leather trim, while the 'Sport' models were outfitted with more track-focused trim. The 959 'Sport' was equipped with larger turbochargers that brought horsepower to 508 bhp. Twenty-nine Porsche 959 S examples were built.

Production of the Porsche 959 ended in 1988 with 292 examples built. Including the 37 prototypes and pre-production models, a total of 337 cars were built. Eight additional cars were built by Porsche in 1992 and 1993 using spare parts from the inventory. All eight examples were 'Komfort' models with four finished in silver and four in red.

Prior to 1999, the 959 was not street legal in the United States, and it is not known how many were imported illegally via the 'grey market' during the late 1980s as showpieces. In 1999, they were granted entry into the United States when the 'Show or Display' law was passed but they were never certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for street use in the U.S. as Porsche did not provide the U.S. Department of Transporation with four cars required for crash testing. To comply with emissions standards applicable in 1987, the 959 could be fitted with a catalytic converter and a re-programmed computer, allowing it to pass emissions testing.

by Dan Vaughan

Coupe

The Porsche 959 is a supercar manufactured by Porsche AG from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a road going vehicle designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of street legal units be built. It is widely regarded as Porsche's first true supercar.

During its short production run, 268 road legal versions were built. It was the world's first high-performance vehicle to use an all-wheel-drive system and it provided the basis for Porsche's first all-wheel drive Carrera 4 model. This vehicle convinced Porsche executives to make all-wheel-drive standard on all versions of the 911 turbo starting with the 933 variant. During its lifetime, the vehicle had only one street legal peer - the Ferrari F40.

In 2003, Canepa Design Corporation, famed for their high-quality SUV conversions, began using new hardware and modification techniques to modify 959s, making them more powerful as well as bringing their emissions levels into acceptable standards so they could become street legal under U.S. standards.

Coupe
Chassis number: WPOZZZ93ZFS010063
Engine number: 65F00044

Porsche has long had a tradition of building dynamic sportscars in neat little packages. Cars like the 911 not only set standards for performance, but do so while appearing for the common man. It is precisely this non-elitist sense that removes the company from Stuttgart from much consideration as a producer of great supercars. However, in the mid-1980s, Porsche would introduce a car that would have even the most elite scurrying to compete.

Initially developed to compete in the Group B rally program, the Porsche 959 would be every bit a sophisticated performer. Utilizing composite materials for construction and multi-adjustable elements, the 959 was light, fast and adaptable. One of the early pioneers to use microchip technology to help control functions of the car, the new Porsche was advanced and unlike nothing else at that time. As a result, the car would become owned by some of the most affluent and elite the world has known. From Bill Gates to Paul Allen, the Porsche 959 made the jump to exotic.

Dubbed the 'everything car', the 959 had such innovations as composite panels and structures, an enviable drag coefficient, all kinds of sensors and, later, a self-leveling suspension. The Group B prototype would actually make its debut in 1983 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. A couple of years later, as a result of the need to meet homologation requirements, Porsche would announce that they would begin building the 959 for the street. The 959 would be a remarkable car, but it would also have a remarkable price. Base prices starting at around $225,000, the car was amongst the most expensive in the world. In spite of the price, every single one of the 200 that would be produced would be immediately spoken for.

However, before Porsche began production of the car they would build a total of 21 factory fleet examples that would be used as demonstrators. Many of these would not have all of the advanced features the 959 would become famous for, but they would, nonetheless, present to the world one of the most advanced cars in the world. Though a pre-production lineup, they would still pack the kind of punch needed to attract attention. Boasting of sequential turbochargers and a 2.8-liter air/water-cooled six-cylinder engine, the 959 breathed 450bhp and some 370 foot-pounds of torque. With virtually no turbo lag, the 959 would quickly accelerate and keep climbing up to more than 185mph.

One of those 21 pre-production 959s would be chassis number 10063. This particular example would be registered in Stuttgart in 1986. It would spend a good deal of time on display at the Porsche Zentrum facility and would continue to see use as a demonstrator up through 1989. This meant the car was routinely looked after by the Porsche factory, and therefore, maintained to the highest order. This would include a complete overhaul after it had accumulated 50,000 kilometers. Some of this overhaul would include a new drivetrain, wheels and tires, hydraulic system and much more.

It was then sold to its first owner, Mr. Bertram Lehnan. Mr. Lehnan would keep the car right up through the new millennium and beyond. In fact, Mr. Lehnan would still own the car in 2010 when it was sold for just the second time. At the time it changed hands, 10063 would have just about 9,000 additional kilometers added to the car. Paolo Morigi, the car's new owner, would put just 1,000 kilometers on the car before he would sell it to its current owner.

Recently imported to the United States, the car has undergone some detailing and servicing but remains highly original, including original manuals, service books, tool kit and even an unused set of original bags.

Completed to Komfort specification, this particular 959 'Vorserie' aptly demonstrates to this very day Porsche's ability to produce truly elite performance. Rare in so many ways, it only seems right the 959 stands as one of the very few truly out of reach sportscars of its time. Porsche, once again, had proven a point, but then left it at that.

Sources:

'Lot No. 132: 1986 Porsche 959 'Vorserie'', (http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1065070). RM Auctions. http://www.rmauctions.com/lots/lot.cfm?lot_id=1065070. Retrieved 10 February 2014.

'1985 Porsche 959 News, Pictures, Specifications and Information', (http://www.conceptcarz.com/z23523/Porsche-959.aspx). Conceptcarz.com: From Concept to Production. http://www.conceptcarz.com/z23523/Porsche-959.aspx. Retrieved 10 February 2014.

'Porsche 959 History', (http://auto.howstuffworks.com/porsche-959-history.htm). HowStuffWorks. http://auto.howstuffworks.com/porsche-959-history.htm. Retrieved 10 February 2014.

by Jeremy McMullen

Coupe

The 959 by Porsche was originally conceived for Group B rallying. With the end of FIA's Group B Rally Championship, which required production of 200 street-legal cars, the 959 was offered in 'Komfort' or 'Sport', and a total of 329 cars were produced from 1985 to 1992.

With a 0-60 speed of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 195 miles per hour, 959 was one of the most technologically advanced cars ever offered to the motoring public. It is powered by a 2.8-liter, flat-six engine, sequential stage water-cooled, twin-turbo boxer motor. IN the tradition of Porsche's 935 Le Man's racing engines, the cylinders are air-cooled, but the cylinder heads are water-cooled. In the production cars, the engine produced 450 horsepower at 6500 RPM with 369 ft-lbs of torque at 5500 RPM.

The body has an extremely low drag coefficient due to the integral rear spoiler, underside paneling, optimized cooling guides, low-resistance NACA air inlets, and flush windscreen. The outer skin is made of fiberglass-reinforced Kevlar with aged aluminum hood and doors.

This example is one of 21 early 'Vorserie' pre-production models used to demonstrate the car's capabilities at the Porsche Zentrum sales facility. It was treated to a factory refurbishment to Komfort specs in 1989, when it acquired its unusual factory-installed driving lights, before being sold to its first private owner.

In 1981, the 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 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 showpieces rather than road-legal automobiles.

The 959 uses an aluminum and kevlar composite that keeps the vehicle low in weight while maintaining 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-cylinder 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 distribution 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 supercar status.

by Dan Vaughan