Ultra Rare Porsche 959 Going Up For Auction (Photos)
Just one of 29 genuine examples in the world, this 959 Sport is going up for Auction at RM Sotheby's in Paris for a king's ransom. Let's enjoy this rare car that owes thanks to a certain computer software mogul for ever seeing the road in United States.
1. An Enticing Necessary Evil
It was 1986, and Porsche looked at the racing world for a new challenge; Group B rally racing. The result was the 959, which was built to satisfy FIA regulations that stipulated at least 200 street-legal versions of a car be made in order to compete. Although the 959 itself went into production and produced 345 units, this model is part of a smaller group of 29 Sport models.
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2. Show and Display Pioneer
The 959 was unveiled and the reaction from around the world was an audible gasp of excitement. Unfortunately, it wasn't ever to see our shores due to EPA and DOT regulations, until none other than Bill Gates stepped up and helped to change the laws so that he could get his hands on a 959. Once legal, the above example was purchased by California Porsche dealer and racer Vasek Polak Jr, who picked it up in Stuttgart personally and drove it all over Europe with much abandon. We assume once he got all of his jollies out, he imported the Porsche under the "Show and Display" law.
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3. Retro goodness
Equipped with an air-cooled 450 horsepower flat-six, and four-wheel drive to put all that power down, this hardcore car ruled the automotive world. This Sport version of the car was 220 lbs lighter than the normal Kumfort designation thanks to a conventional coilover suspension system, no air con. The Sport model also did away with the leather interior for a cloth one, although, you did get a leather wrapped roll cage for keep the car nice and stylishly safe and rigid. The car could do 0-60 in 3.6 seconds and rocked a top speed of 198 blistering mph. Later in the life cycle of the 959 Porsche upped the ante by offering power output tunes of 515 all the way to 585 horsepower.
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4. What makes it special?
Of the 29 Sport models Porsche built, this one is lucky number 11 and has only 11,536 miles on the odometer. As mentioned earlier, power of course come courtesy of a flat six like any 911, but one that is twin turbocharged to help push the 2.8-liter up to peak power. The 959 enjoyed being the fastest production car for a whole year, before Ferrari unleashed the F40 upon the world. What people don't recognize, though, is that the 959 was far and away more technologically advanced than the F40, which was just a super light street-legal race car with a huge V12.
>>Join the conversation about the Porsche 959 Going Up For Auction right here in the RennList Forum!
