Porsche 959 Nissan Used to Benchmark R32 GT2 Heads to Auction

Benchmarked Machine

Benchmarking is a practice that automakers engage in all the time, and is designed largely to keep tabs on what the competition is doing - as well as sometimes taking ideas from one's rivals. That was precisely the case years ago when Nissan was working on developing an all-wheel-drive system for its R32 Skyline GT-R, when it purchased a Porsche 959 for precisely that reason. Interestingly, Porsche tried to stop Nissan from buying this 959, but failed in that effort - and now, it's going up for grabs at Broad Arrow Auctions' upcoming Amelia Island sale.

Photos: Broad Arrow Auctions

Worked Like a Charm

As most automotive enthusiasts are well aware by now, the R32 was quite the performer - thanks in large part to its AWD system - so Nissan's decision to purchase this 959 and disassemble it, analyze it, and apply those learnings to its own development worked like a charm. However, this example of Porsche's iconic 959 has gone through quite a few changes since it left Nissan's possession. 

Photos: Broad Arrow Auctions

Non Original Items

In recent years, the seller of this 959 has had it restored and modified, with a host of upgrades coming from the legendary Porsche tuning outfit Canepa. That means that it's been completely gone through, with every single nut and bolt refinished or replaced, and in this case, the seller had the car painted a non-original shade dubbed Porsche Oak Green, which is paired with a Tobacco interior. 

Photos: Broad Arrow Auctions

Huge Power Upgrade

Canepa also worked its magic on the 959's twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter flat-six, which has been treated to bigger cams, titanium connecting rods, an upgraded valve train, Borg Warner turbos, tungsten ceramic-coated headers, and a Motec engine management system. The results are rather impressive, as this car now makes a whopping 800 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque, compared to its factory ratings of 444 hp and 369 lb-ft.

Photos: Broad Arrow Auctions

Old Car, Modern Performance

Coupled with a new six-speed manual gearbox, the results of those upgrades are quite impressive, as Canepa says this 959 will do 0-60 in just 2.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 230 miles-per-hour. Those are numbers good enough to rival many modern-day sports cars, all from a machine that's around 36 years old at this point. 

Photos: Broad Arrow Auctions

Big Money Build

Of course, none of this comes cheap, especially when we consider the cost of all of these aforementioned Canepa upgrades, paired with what is already an incredibly collectible and valuable machine. The auction estimate on this special Porsche is a whopping $3,250,000-$3,750,000, in fact, but truthfully, we don't doubt that more than one person is aiming to bring this special machine home, regardless of how much it hammers for.

Photos: Broad Arrow Auctions

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