Porsche 959 : 1987

There had never been anything like the 959 – an everyday sports car with a top speed of 315 km/h, costing 420,000 DM, and packed with technology. The roof, the wings and the back of the bodywork were made of Kevlar. The front skirt was polyurethane and the bonnet and doors were made of aluminium.

Under its outer skin the 959 throbbed with the finest technology. The all-wheel drive was on all the time but depending on the preloaded driving program, different amounts of torque were applied to the front and rear axles. The driver could choose any one of four programs depending on the road quality: dry, wet, ice and traction, the latter of which settings would enable the Porsche to extricate itself from off-road difficulties.

The technical highlights also included three possible settings for shock absorber recognition along with automatic speed-dependant shock absorption correction. A ride-height controller enabled the driver to raise the 959 body for driving over uneven terrain and lower it for motorway driving. To enable drivers to brake the 959 safely at any speed, a special anti-lock system was fitted which controlled each wheel individually.

Depressing the accelerator was guaranteed to put a smile on the face of the 959 driver. The rear-mounted six-cylinder, 2848 ccm engine with water-cooled cylinder heads produced 450 HP thanks to two turbochargers and intercoolers. These combined to catapult the car forward with a barely credible vehemence. ”It reached 100 km/h after just 3.7 seconds” according to the calculations of auto motor und sport and that put the 959 into a class of its own.

Only a very few came to enjoy its qualities, however: 113 examples were delivered in 1987 and another 179 in 1988. The sports package offered was very rarely requested. Nearly all buyers preferred to enjoy their 959 on the roads.

Technical Specifications.
Engine.
six cylinder Boxer, water-cooled cylinder heads, two upper camshafts on each side, four valves per cylinder, two turbochargers with intercoolers.

Power.
450 HP (330 kW) at 6500/min

Displacement.
2884 ccm.

Fuel system.
Bosch Motronic with pressure gauge, tank capacity 85 litres.

Transmission.
Six speed gearbox.

Chassis.
Self supporting plastic and alloy bodywork, independent suspension front and rear on double transverse links, coil springs, variable telescopic shock absorbers and stabilizers.

Dimensions and weight.
wheel base: 2,272 mm
length: 4,260 mm
width: 1,840 mm
height: 1,280 mm
weight: 1,450 kg

Performance.
315 km/h

(source: Porsche)