The history of 959
Manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989 as a homologation special for its 961 Group B rally car, the 959 was developed as the most technologically advanced road-going sports car ever built, it was the world's first ultra high-performance vehicle to use an hydraulic all-wheel-drive system with four different selectable settings according to street conditions.
During its lifetime, the 959 was all but completely unsurpassed in terms of its performance, and even today the Porsche can easily compete with a McLaren-Mercedes SLR.
The twin turbocharged flat six engine, with an air cooled block and water cooled heads displacing 2.85 litres had originally been developed for the 935 'Moby Dick' race car, then was redeveloped slightly for the Porsche Indy Car before being adapted a last time for use in the 961. The sequential twin turbochargers allowed for a smooth, seamless delivery of power across the engine rpm band, in contrast to the abrupt on-off power characteristic that distinguished Porsche's other turbocharged motors. It has been speculated that the engine, which was used virtually unchanged in its 450bhp specification for the 959, was capable of over 600bhp in fully modified form.
In an attempt to create a rugged, lightweight shell, Porsche adopted an aluminium and Kevlar construction for the body together with a Nomex floor as opposed to the traditional steel that was normally used on its production cars. The Stuttgart factory also developed the car's aerodynamics for increased stability, as well as the automatic ride height adjustment available on the road car, and its 'zero lift' dynamics were a big part of maintaining driveability across the speed range, essential for a car capable, via a six speed gearbox, of 0-60mph in a mere 3.7 seconds and a maximum speed exceeding 200mph.
In total, only 281 cars, of which 226 were 959 road models in the so called “Comfort version” and 29 as “Sport Lightweight version” were produced. The sales price at the time was 215.000 EUR/175.000 GBP.
The specific history of this car:
First registered in December 1987, this superb example of the 959 “Sport Lightweight Version” had only one previous owner and has never been raced or been involved in an accident. It has been only registered and driven during summertime. The matching numbers and originality was confirmed in October 2006 by Porsche Classic, Zuffenhausen, where the car still gets its service and maintenance until today. The 959 odometer reading original 18.000 kilometres (11.300 miles)
Finished in Indish Red with black-coloured carpets including the forward luggage space, this 959 has a black all-leather interior, including the doors, roof lining, dashboard, instrument bezels, control knobs and seats. The car is equipped with manual adjustable speed-related dampers, hydraulic level control system, hydraulic differentials and single ABS per wheel.
Offered in truly excellent and as new condition, this flawless example represents a rare opportunity for the serious collector to acquire both a high specification, limited edition Porsche and highly capable and much sought after supercar.
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