>>Porsche C88

Porsche C88

Porsche C88 at the Porsche Museum

The C88 was a prototype family car designed for the Chinese market in 1994 by Porsche in response to the Chinese government's invitation to a number of international automotive manufacturers for a new range of cars. It was completed in four months by Porsche engineers and was displayed to the public at the 1994 Beijing Auto Show. The prototype is now on display in the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

The four-door compact saloon body was unlike any other Porsche, and did not feature the Porsche badge anywhere. It was not well received by the Chinese, and Porsche went on to show it in India but without any success.

Porsche has provided its engineering services to a wide range of manufacturers included the Audi RS2, Lada Samara and SEAT Ibiza.

>>Porsche 989

Porsche 989

 

The Porsche 989 was a 4-door performance-oriented touring sedan concept created by Porsche in 1988. The vehicle was never produced.

History

Increased sales of Porsche's 928 model during the mid-1980s prompted executives to consider adding another large, sporty touring vehicle to the lineup, this time a 4-door that could serve as a more practical but equally powerful and exciting alternative to the 928. Porsche engineer Dr. Ulrich Bez was put in charge of the project and given instructions that the vehicle should be luxurious and comfortable but offer a sporting nature superior to that attained by large sedans from Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Bez designed a new front-engine, rear-drive platform with a wheelbase of 2,826 mm (111.3 in) and power coming from a new 80-degree, water cooled V8 engine with a power output of around 300 PS (220 kW; 300 hp).Some discrepancy has arisen as to the engine displacement, which is reported as being between 3.6 and 4.2 litres.

The prototype made from Bez's technical designs was styled by Harm Lagaay, a design which influenced later models and that held many similarities to the 911, despite the difference in engine placement. Specific design influences to later Porsche models include the control-arm suspension and 959-esque headlamps which would later be used on the 993 as well as the overall shape and tail-light design which were adapted for the 996 generation 911.

After Ulrich Bez left Porsche in September 1991, the project lost momentum. The severe slump in 928 sales made executives re-think the viability of the idea, and low overall profits during the 1989 to 1991 model years meant the model would be far more risky for the company to build than had been anticipated during development. In January 1992, development was halted completely. Although Porsche officials initially claimed that the only prototype was destroyed, they now contend that it remains in storage. A rear-view photograph of the prototype (silver color, 17 inch Cup II wheels, unregistered licence plate BB-PW 989) is published in the German classic car magazine Motor Klassik. Autoweek also reported the existence of the prototype.

The Porsche Panamera, launched in 2009, can be considered the successor to the 989 project.

>>Porsche 964

Porsche 964

Porsche 964

Manufacturer	Porsche
Also called	Porsche 911 Porsche Carrera
Production	1989–1994 62,172 built
Assembly	Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg,Germany
Predecessor	Porsche 911 classic
Successor	Porsche 993
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupe 2-door convertible 2-door targa
Layout	RR layout R4 layout
Engine	3.6 L H6 3.8 L H6
Transmission	4-speed automatic 5-speed manual
Wheelbase	89.4 in (2,271 mm)
Length	168.3 in (4,275 mm)
Width	65.0 in (1,651 mm) American Roadster: 69.9 in (1,775 mm)
Height	1989-1991: 52.0 in (1,321 mm) 1992-93: 51.6 in (1,311 mm)

The Porsche 964 is the company's internal name for the version of the Porsche 911model manufactured and sold between 1989 and 1994. It featured significant styling revisions over previous versions of the 911, most prominently the more integrated bumpers (fenders), although it was still obviously a 911. It was the first generation of 911 to be offered with Porsche's optional Tiptronic automatic transmission as well as the first generation to be offered with all wheel drive.

Name

"Type" 964 (nine-sixty-four) or simply 964 (nine-six-four) is in fact the internal code name for the car; the vehicle was badged simply as Carrera 2 or Carrera 4. The official name for the model, as printed on the front of the Owner's Manual, is "Porsche 911 Carrera 2" or "Porsche 911 Carrera 4". The 964 name is now often used to distinguish this car from other generations of the Carrera, especially among Porsche enthusiasts.

Carrera 2 and 4

Porsche 964 Carrera

The 964 was considered over 85% new as compared to its predecessor, the Carrera 3.2. The first 964s available in 1989 were all wheel drive equipped "Carrera 4" models; Porsche added the rear wheel drive Carrera 2 variant to the range in 1990. Both variants were available as a coupe, Targa or Cabriolet. The 964 Carrera was the last generation sold with the traditional removable Targa roof. Later evolutions of the Targa, starting with the 993 generation, replaced that setup with a complex glass-roof "greenhouse" system. A new naturally aspiratedengine called the M64 was used for 964 models, with a flat-6 displacement of 3.6 litres. Porsche substantially revised the suspension, replacing the rear torsion bars with coil springs and shock absorbers. Power steering and ABS brakes were added to the 911 for the first time; both were standard. The exterior bumpers and fog lamps became flush into the car, allowing for better aerodynamics. A new electric rear spoiler raised at speeds above 50 mph (80 km/h) and lowered down flush with the rear engine lid at lower speeds or at rest. A revised interior featured standard dual airbags beginning in 1990 for all North American production cars. A new automatic climate control system provided superior heating and cooling. Revised instrumentation housed a large set of warning lights that were tied into the car's central warning system, alerting the driver to a possible problem or malfunction.

Engine

Engine design: Air/oil-cooled, horizontally opposed, dry-sump lubrication, rear-mounted
Engine displacement: 3600 cc (220 cu in)
Cylinders: Six
Bore and stroke: 100 x 76.4 mm (3.94 x 3.01 in.)
Compression ratio: 11.3 : 1
Fuel/ignition: Electronic fuel injection, DME controller, with twin-spark with knock regulation
Crankshaft: Forged, 8 main bearings
Block and heads: aluminum alloy
Valve Train: Overhead cam, one per bank, double chain drive
Power: 184 kW/247 hp (SAE net)/250 PS (DIN) @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 310 N·m/228 ft·lbf @ 4800 rpm
Engine speed limitation: 6700 rpm

Performance

Top speed: 163 mph (261 km/h), 159 mph (256 km/h) (Tiptronic)
0-60 mph: 5.5 s (manual transmission), 6.2 s (Tiptronic)
1/4 mile: 13.6 s (C2), 14.0 s (Tiptronic), 14.1 s (C4)
Coefficient of drag: 0.32
Fuel consumption approx 24 mpg

Selected dimensions/capacities

Curb weight (to DIN 70020): 3,031 lb/1,375 kg (C2); 3,100 lb/1,406 kg (Tiptronic), 3,252 lb (1,475 kg) (C4)
Wheelbase: 89.4 in (2,270 mm)
Overall Length: 168.3 in (4,270 mm)
Width 65.0 in (1,650 mm)
Height: 52.0 in (1,320 mm)
Front Track: 54.3 in (1,380 mm)
Rear Track: 54.1 in (1,370 mm)
Ground Clearance: 4.7 in (US)
Fuel Tank: 20.3 gal (US)
Engine Oil: 11.5 L (12.1 qt US), oil change volume: 9 L (9.5 qt US)
Transmission Fluid: 3.6 L (3.8 qt US) (C2), 9 L (9.5 qt US (Tiptronic), 3.8 L (4.0 qt US) (C4)

Carrera RS variants

In 1992, Porsche produced a super-lightweight, rear-wheel-drive only version of the 964 dubbed Carrera RS for the European market. It was based on Porsche's 911 "Carrera Cup" race car and harked back to the 2.7 and 3.0 RS and RSR models. It featured a revised version of the standard engine, titled M64/03 internally, with an increased power output of 260 bhp (194 kW; 264 PS) and lightweight flywheel coupled to the G50/10 transmission with closer ratios, asymmetrical Limited Slip Differential and steel syncromesh. A track-oriented suspension system with 40 mm (1.6 in) lower ride height, stiffer springs, shocks and adjustable stabilizer bars without power steering (RHD UK cars did have power steering).

1993 Porsche 964RS Basic in Rubystone Red

A stripped-out interior devoid of power windows or seats, rear seats, air conditioning, cruise control, sound deadening or a stereo system (optionally fitted) and new racing-bucket front seats were part of the package. The trunk hood was made of aluminum, the chassis was seam welded and sound deadening was deleted. Wheels were made of magnesium and the glass was thinner in the doors and rear window. The Carrera RS is approximately 345 pounds (155 kg) lighter than the US version Carrera 2 model. Also available were a heavier Touring variant (with sound deadening, power seats (optional), undercarriage protection and power windows) and an N/GT racing variant with a stripped, blank metal interior and a roll cage. They also came with optional lights on the visors.

A later ultra-limited production version, the Carrera RS 3.8 featuring the Turbo body and a 300 bhp (224 kW; 304 PS) 3.8 litre version of the M64 motor was sold briefly in Europe.

The Carrera RS was not sold in the USA because Porsche Cars North America felt the car's aggressive tuning was not suited to the American market. In 1992, 45 USA-legal cars that were very similar to the Carrera RS were imported to the USA for a proposed "Porsche Carrera Cup" racing series. This Carrera Cup series was to function as a support race for the American CART racing series just as European Carrera Cup has supported Formula One.

These 45 cars were identical to a Carrera RS other than having airbags (with required electric windows), alarm system, American lighting, American bumpers, aluminum wheels, and standard seats. The cars otherwise had the lightweight seam welded chassis, lightweight interior trim, aluminum hood, lightweight door glass, suspension, brakes, G50/10 transmission and M64/03 engine etc. of the Carrera RS. These cars were approximately 200 pounds (90 kg) lighter than a normal USA Carrera 2 model.

The plan was for Andial, the then equivalent of what is now Porsche Motorsport USA, to convert these cars to full racing specification, however, due to lack of sponsor support for the Carrera Cup series, it was cancelled before it began. The 45 cars imported to the USA for this series were then sold, quietly without any advertising so as not to compete with the new RS America, through normal dealer channels. These cars were supplied with a dash plaque which indicated that they were the "Carrera Cup USA Edition".

In order to please devoted American 911 enthusiasts who wanted an RS model, Porsche produced the RS America. The RS America was produced as a model year 1993 and 1994 car based on the USA Carrera 2. The RS America featured a distinctive "whale tail" spoiler, a partially stripped interior with flat door panels (from the European RS) and carpeting along with a luggage shelf replacing the rear seats. Cloth covered sports seats, 17 inch wheels and M030 Sports Suspension were fitted as standard. The logo "RS America" was written on the deck lid along with an "RS" logo in front of the rear wheels. Deleted to save weight were power steering, cruise control, powered side mirrors, air-conditioning, sunroof and radio, although the air-conditioning, sunroof and radio as well as a limited slip differential could be ordered as options. The RS America was listed by Porsche as weighing 2,954 pounds (1,340 kg), 77 pounds (35 kg) lighter than the weight listed for a stock Carrera 2. The standard USA Carrera 2 brakes, engine and gearbox were used.

Engine

Engine Design: Air-cooled or oil-cooled, horizontally opposed (flat), dry-sump lubrication, rear-mounted engine
Displacement: 3605 cc (220 cu in)
Cylinders: Six
Bore and Stroke: 3.94 x 3.01 in (100.0 x 76.4 mm)
Compression ratio: 11.3 : 1
Fuel/Ignition: Electronic fuel injection, DME controller, twin-spark with knock regulation
Crankshaft: Forged, 8 main bearings
Block and heads: aluminum alloy
Valve Train: Overhead cam, one per bank, double chain drive
Power: 191 kW/260 hp (SAE net) @ 6100 rpm
Torque: 312 N·m/230 ft·lbf @ 4800 rpm engine

Turbo

Porsche 964 Turbo

Porsche introduced the 964 Turbo model in March, 1990 as the successor to the 930. Unfortunately, they hadn't had the necessary time to develop a turbocharged version of the 3.6 litre M64 engine, and chose to re-use the 3.3 litre engine from the 930, with several minor revisions that made the engine smoother, less prone to turbo lag and more powerful, with a total output of 320 PS (240 kW; 320 hp) @ 5750 rpm. A total of 3,660 of the 964 Turbos were built.

In 1992 the 3.3 litre Turbo S was introduced. With a power of 381 PS (280 kW; 376 hp) and with a lightweight interior and limited "creature comforts" the Turbo S was one of the fastest cars on the road. With lowered suspension, a front strut brace and manual steering, the Turbo S was geared to performance. About 80 cars were produced during the only year of production.

Porsche released the 964 Turbo 3.6 in January, 1993, now featuring a turbocharged version of the 3.6 litre M64 engine and producing 360 PS (260 kW; 360 hp) @ 5500 rpm, the 3.6 litre powered Turbo was produced only for model year 1993/1994, with fewer than 1,500 of them produced in total, making it one of the rarest and most sought after Porsches produced since the 959.

At the end of 964 production in 1994 the Porsche factory had some 90 Turbo chassis left. These were all transferred to Porsche Exclusiv and built as the very special Turbo 3.6S. The Turbo 3.6S was available either with the traditional 964 Turbo 3.6 body, or with the exclusive Flatnose (German: Flachbau) aka Slantnose option.

Option X83 (Japan), X84 (ROW) and X85 (USA), the Turbo S Flatnose, was available in the US as a $60,179 USD option on top of the base price $99,000 USD Turbo 3.6. The "Flatnose" option was available when ordering the no charge '36S' option '1994 Turbo "S" Model'. In addition to the Flatnose fenders, it also included the 'X88' option or the 'Turbo S' motor, the 'X92' Exclusive front spoiler, 'X93' Exclusive rear spoiler and 'X99' Exclusive rear fender vents. The flatnose option was designed around the model 968 front end for the ROW and USA versions and the 930 style Turbo S front end for Japan (right down to the sill covers on the fenders). 39 Models were made for US markets, 27 for the Rest of the world, and 10 for Japan all in Polar Silver.

Specifications

Turbo 3.3:
Displacement: 3,299 cc
Bore and stroke: 97 x 74.4 mm (3.82 x 2.93 in)
Compression ratio: 7.0:1
Power: 320 PS (240 kW; 320 hp) @ 5750 rpm
Torque: 450 N·m (332 lb·ft) @ 4500 rpm

Turbo S:
Bore and stroke: 102 x 76.4 mm (3.82 x 2.93 in)
Displacement 3,299 cc
Compression Ratio 7.0:1
Power: 381 PS (280 kW; 376 hp) @ 5750 rpm
Torque: 471 N·m (347 lb·ft) @5000 rpm / 490 N·m (361 lb·ft) @ 4800 rpm

Turbo 3.6:
Bore and stroke: 100 x 76.4 mm (3.94 x 3.01 in)
Displacement 3,600 cc
Compression Ratio 7.5:1
Power: 360 PS (260 kW; 360 hp) @ 5500 rpm
Torque: 520 N·m (384 lb·ft) @ 4200 rpm

Turbo 3.6S:
Bore and stroke: 100 x 76.4 mm (3.94 x 3.01 in)
Displacement 3,600 cc
Compression Ratio 7.5:1
Power: 385 PS (283 kW; 380 hp) @ 5750 rpm
Torque: 520 N·m (384 lb·ft) @ 5000 rpm ZF Clutch type limited slip
20% lock under acceleration 100% lock under deceleration

Turbo S LM-GT

In 1993, Porsche developed a highly tuned 964 Turbo S prototype for use in international motorsport. The car, known as the Turbo S Le Mans GT (or simply Turbo S LM-GT), was based on the standard road-legal Turbo S, but stripped down and modified for circuit use. A deep chin spoiler was added to the front, while two air inlets were added just above the rear wheel fenders. An adjustable racing rear wing was added on top of the standard Turbo's wing. Wider fenders were used to house 12-inch (300 mm) wide racing slicks. The interior was completely stripped, a rollcage added, and the windows replaced with plastic. The engine used was not the standard road-car unit, but a smaller twin-turbocharged 3.2 liter unit which produced 475 hp.

The Turbo S LM-GT made its debut at the 1993 12 Hours of Sebring where the car finished seventh overall and first in its class with the Brumos Porsche racing team. From there, the car was entered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, running under the guise of the Porsche factory team. The car would however fail to finish after the engine was damaged early in the race. For 1994, the Turbo S LM-GT would be moved to the hands of Larbre Compétition, where a new 3.6 liter engine based on the 993 unit would be used in place of the 3.2 liter engine. The team opened the year with a second place finish at the 24 Hours of Daytona, before moving on to select rounds of the BPR Global GT Series. The car would win all four races in which it competed, including the 1000 km Suzuka. The Turbo S LM-GT would make a few select appearances in 1995 with Obermaier Racing before being retired.

The development work from the Turbo S LM-GT helped Porsche in creating the 993-generation 911 GT2 in 1995, which would be mass produced and sold to racing customers. Some teams, unable to buy new 911 GT2s, developed their own twin-turbo racing versions of the 964 Turbo to mimic the Turbo S LM-GT, but lacked the success of the factory project.

964 Speedster

Porsche 964 Speedster

There were two very distinct incarnations of the 964 Speedster. The first was the 1989 model year Speedster. Shown at the 1988 Frankfurt autoshow beside the upcoming Carrera 4, the 1989 Speedster actually shared more in common with the 930 turbo than with the upcoming 964 generation 911s, causing it to be looked upon, in retrospect, as a much inferior "driver's car" to the later 1994 Speedster. More than three quarters (641) of the 800 built had the "Turbo look" wide-body option.

The 1994 Porsche 911 Speedster was available either in standard or lightweight trim called “clubsport." Unlike the 1989 model, the 1994 Speedster was based on the new Carrera 2 platform and was not initially available with the "Turbo look" wide-body style. The 1994 Speedster was designed to be a more focused "driver's car" and served as a hybrid between a 964 Carrera 2 Cabriolet and a 964 RS. While it featured a softer suspension set up than the 964 RS, it offered almost none of the comforts of a normal 964 Carrera 2 Cabriolet, though power windows were standard and it was available with air conditioning and a stereo. Porsche planned to build 3000 examples of the 1994 Speedsters in 1992, but only 936 examples were built and sold during the two years of production. Once again, the United States was the most important market with 427 Speedsters heading Stateside. Right hand drive versions were exceptionally rare this time, with only 14 cars having the steering wheel on the ‘proper’ side compared to 139 examples in right hand drive of the pre-964 911 Speedster. In addition, 20 special examples were finished at Porsche Exclusive's workshop at Werk 1 (Factory 1) with the optional “Turbo look” wide-bodies.

For both incarnations of the 964 Speedster the manually folding "pram-like" hood was a basic contraption that required practice to erect quickly (Porsche referred to it as strictly an emergency soft top for inclement weather).

The last 964 Speedster produced was a RHD example finished in slate grey. Known as the Sonderwunsh "Special Wishes" Speedster Leichtbau for its extensive use of light weight materials and its Porsche Exclusive Werk 1 provenance, it is widely regarded as the most collectable version of all. Since 2008, the Sonderwunsch Speedster (pictured) has resided in Hong Kong with its current custodian, Mr. Kevin Yeung, a Hong Kong businessman and philanthropist. The Sonderwunsch Speedster was specified in the same shade of slate grey as the 1970 911 S used by Steve McQueen in the movie Le Mans - and was the only 964 Speedster painted in this colour. Its 964 RS style seam welded chassis was fitted with a similar suspension to the 964 RS. It received the hydraulic brake boost system from the RS and Turbo 3.6 (normal Speedsters used the vacuum boost system from the Carrera 2) along with the same brakes as the Turbo 3.6; with four pot Brembo calipers (painted black) and cross drilled and vented 322mm, 32mm wide disks at the front and 299mm, 24mm at the rear. The car sat on 17 inch 7x17 (front) and 8x17 (rear) aluminum Cup wheels fitted with 205/50 and 255/40 tires. Where a standard Speedster made do with the standard 247 bhp 964 engine, the Sonderwunsch Speedster had 260 bhp. This was down to a blueprinted engine with remapped ignition and DME chip set with aggressive timing advance characteristics. To achieve further weight savings it borrowed the alloy doors and bonnet from the 964 RS while replacing the standard steel standard fenders with hand fabricated fenders made from super strong thin gauge steel. In the end, the Sonderwunsch Speedster took almost 9 months to complete (from start to finish) and was finally delivered to its original owner in London in September 1994 but it was first registered in January 1999 by its second owner in Edinburgh Scotland. In 2010, Spark Models produced a series of 1/43 scale models to salute this car.

America Roadster

A turbo bodied cabriolet version was released in 1992. This had the standard electric spoiler and turbo guards. Mechanically it was the same as the standard model apart from 17" cup wheels and the brakes and suspension which were 'Turbo' specification. Only 250 of this variant were produced in total during the 1992 and 1993 model years.

Porsche 969

The Porsche 969 was a concept based on the 964 platform. It was to be the successor of the 930 turbo model.

The car was conceived in 1982, as a twin-turbo 911 with four-wheel drive and double-overhead camshafts. The project received the in-house code 965 and was developed along with the new, 964 generation of the 911. However, the intended engine (a 3,3 litre, 374 hp flat-six) could not be used due to cooling problems. Various alternatives were considered during the car's development, including a water-cooled version of the traditional flat-six and two variants of Porsche's Indy V8 engine.

Styling-wise, the roofline was shared with the 911, while the slanted headlights and wide tail were a continuation of the 959 design.

Ultimately, the project was scrapped. The problems with engine development and a projected price of over 200.000 DM in the wake of a recession made it clear that the car was not to be the successor of the 911 turbo (the 964 turbo was introduced in March 1990). 15 of the 16 prototypes were destroyed in December 1988 and the sole remaining prototype has not been seen since.

Production figures

Porsche	Total	Subtotal	Grand total
964 C2 Coupé	18,219	34,398	62,172
964 C2 Cabrio	11,013
964 C2 Targa	3,534
964 C2 Cabrio turbo-look	702
964 C2 Speedster	930
964 C4 Coupé	13,353	20,395
964 C4 Cabrio	4,802
964 C4 Targa	1,329
964 C4 Jubilee Coupé	911
964 Turbo 3.3	3,660	5,097
964 Turbo 3.6	1,437
964 Carrera RS 3.6 Coupé	2,282	2,282

>>Porsche 959

Porsche 959

Porsche 959

Manufacturer	Porsche
Production	1986–1989 (337 produced)
Successor	Porsche 911 GT1 Straßenversion
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupé
Layout	Rear-engine, four-wheel drive
Engine	2847 cc twin-turbocharged flat-6
Transmission	6-speed manual
Wheelbase	2,272 mm (89.4 in)
Length	4,260 mm (168 in)
Width	1,840 mm (72 in)
Height	1,280 mm (50 in)
Curb weight	1,450 kg (3,200 lb)
Related	Porsche 911, Porsche 911 Turbo, Porsche 961, Porsche 969

The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built.

In 1986, it held the title as the world's fastest street-legal production car. During its production run, it was hailed as the most technologically advanced road-going sports car ever built and the forerunner of all future super cars. It was one of the first high-performance vehicles to use an all-wheel drive system, providing the basis for Porsche's first all-wheel drive Carrera 4 model. In fact, it convinced Porsche executives of the system's viability so well that they chose to make all-wheel drive standard on all versions of the 911 Turbo starting with the 993 variant. In 2004, Sports Car International named the 959 number one on its list of Top Sports Cars of the 1980s.

1983 Porsche 959 concept car

History

Development of the 959 (originally called the Gruppe B) started in 1981, shortly after the company's then-new Managing Director, Peter Schutz, took his office. Porsche's head engineer at the time, Helmuth Bott, approached Schutz with some ideas about the Porsche 911, or more aptly, a new one. Bott knew that the company needed a sports car that they could continue to rely on for years to come and that could be developed as time went on. Curious as to how much they could do with the rear-engined 911, Bott convinced Schutz that development tests should take place, and even proposed researching a new all wheel drive system. Schutz agreed, and gave the project the green light. Bott also knew through experience that a racing program usually helped to accelerate the development of new models. SeeingGroup B rally racing as the perfect arena to test the new mule and its all wheel drive system, Bott again went to Schutz and got the go ahead to develop a car, based on his development mule, for competition in Group B.

Porsche 959 at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts in 2005

Porsche developed an already existing engine instead of creating a new one from scratch. The powerplant, a twin-turbocharged six-cylinder boxer engine with an air-cooled block and water-cooled heads, displaced 2.85 liters, about half a liter less than a contemporary 911 engine. It was coupled to a unique manual gearbox offering 5 forward speeds plus a "G" off-road gear, as well as reverse. The motor had originally been developed for the "Moby Dick" race car and then been redeveloped slightly for the short-lived Porsche Indy Car and several other projects before being "tweaked" a last time for use in the 961, the 959's racing counterpart. The water-cooled cylinder heads combined with the air-cooled block, 4-valve heads and sequential turbochargers allowed Porsche to extract 331 kW (444 hp) from the compact, efficient and rugged power unit. The use of sequential twin turbochargers rather than the more usual identical turbochargers for each of the two cylinder banks allowed for 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 engines of the period. The engine was used, virtually unchanged, in the 959 road car as well.

In an attempt to create a rugged, lightweight shell, Porsche adopted an aluminium and Aramid (Kevlar) composite for body use along with a Nomex floor, instead of the steel normally used on their production cars. The vehicle's weight of 3,190 pounds (1,450 kg) helped to achieve its high performance level.

2.85-l-Biturbo-Engine

Porsche also developed the car's aerodynamics, which were designed to increase stability, as was the automatic ride-height adjustment that became available on the street car (961 race cars had fixed suspensions). Its "zero lift" aerodynamics were a big part of keeping it drivable. The 959 also featured Porsche-Steuer Kupplung (PSK) which was at the time the most advanced all-wheel-drive system in a production car. Capable of dynamically changing the torque distribution between the rear and front wheels in both normal and slip conditions, the PSK system gave the 959 the adaptability it needed both as a race car and as a "super" street car. Under hard acceleration, PSK could send as much as 80% of available power to the rear wheels, helping make the most of the rear-traction bias that occurs at such times. It could also vary the power bias depending on road surface and grip changes, helping maintain traction at all times. The dashboard featured gauges displaying the amount of rear differential slip as well as transmitted power to the front axle. The magnesium alloy wheels were unique, being hollow inside to form a sealed chamber contiguous with the tire and equipped with a built-in tire pressure monitoring system.

Porsche 959

The 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show was chosen for the unveiling of the Porsche Group B prototype. Even in the closing hours of October 9, finishing touches were being applied to the car to go on display the next morning. After the first two prototypes, the bodywork was modified to include air vents in the front and rear wheel housings, as well as intake holes behind the doors. The first prototype modified like this was code named "F3", and was destroyed in the first crash test.

The street version of the 959 debuted at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show as a 1986 model, but numerous issues delayed production by more than a year. The car was manufactured in two levels of trim, "Sport" and "Komfort", corresponding to the race version and the street version. First customer deliveries of the 959 street variant began in 1987, and the car debuted at a cost of $225,000 USD per unit, still less than half what it cost Porsche to build each one. Production ended in 1988. In total, 337 cars were built, including 37 prototypes and preproduction models. At least one 959 and one 961 remain in the Porsche historic hall in Stuttgart, Germany.

In 1992/1993, Porsche built eight 959s assembled from spare parts from the inventory at the manufacturing site in Zuffenhausen. All eight were "Komfort"-versions: four in red and four in silver. These cars were much more expensive (DM 747,500) than the earlier ones (DM 420,000). The later cars also featured a newly developed speed-sensitive damper system. The cars were sold to selected collectors after being driven by works personnel for some time and are today by far the most sought-after 959s.

The 959 was not street legal in the United States prior to 1999 when the "Show and Display" law was passed, although an unknown number were imported via the "grey market" during the late 1980s as show pieces. During the model's development Porsche refused to provide the United States Department of Transportation with the four 959s they required for crash testing, and the car was never certified by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for street use in the U.S. With the passage of "Show and Display" the crash test requirements were removed and importation of the 959 was allowed, assuming the car could meet the emissions standards applicable in 1987. The 959 can be fitted with a catalytic converter and a rechipped computer which allows it to meet those emissions requirements. As they are pre 1996 they would not be required to pass any emissions testing anymore.

Most owners refuse to modify their 959s, however, and the cars remain collection pieces. Most 959s are in the hands of collectors, but a few do occasionally come to market, with prices in the region of 180,000–250,000 EUR (cars produced in 1987/1988). It is impossible to estimate the price of cars from the highly limited batch of 1992/1993.

The lessons learned from the 959 project about engine management, aerodynamics, suspension tuning, and 4-wheel drive were what enabled the production life of the 911 to be extended to the present day.

Performance

The performance of the 959 Sport is as follows:

• 0–100 km/h: 3.7 s (62 mph)
• 0–160 km/h: 8.3 s (99.5 mph)
• 0–200 km/h: 13.0 s (124 mph)
• 0–1000 meters: 21.6 s (standing)
• 0-1/4 mile: 11.9 s (standing) 

Racing

When Porsche began development of the 959, it looked toward Group B racing as a road-racing laboratory with which to develop technology for production cars. When Group B became focused on rallying events, however, Porsche felt the relevance to production cars was greatly reduced, and the goal of the 959 project shifted to frank state-of-the-art, cost-no-object technological innovation.

Porsche 959 Rally variant

In 1984, however, three 911s modified to 959 specifications (due to the requirement that Group B cars be based on production cars with at least 200 built) were used in the Paris-Dakar Rally, with Jacky Ickx the prime motivator. By 1985 the 959 rally variant was ready, but it experienced a disappointing start: all three cars failed to finish. However, in 1986 the 959 finished 1-2. The 959 was never seriously considered for a Group B Rally season; the cost of completing a full season far outweighed any technical information that would have been gained. The car was produced as a 1/12th scale radio control model from [Tamiya] which is now widely collected by fans (see collectors models)

1986 was also the year that the racing variant, the Porsche 961, made its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Driven by René Metge partnering Claude Ballot-Léna, it finished first in its class and 7th overall. It returned in 1987 but failed to finish after a spin (missed gear change) while in 11th place by Canadian/Dutch driver Kees Nierop of Vancouver. Upon rejoining the track the car was observed on TV monitors in the Porsche pits to be on fire and the driver was told to stop and get out of the car. Sadly Nierop pulled over between marshal stations and this extra time taken to get to the car by the marshals allowed the fire to consume most of the rearend and writing the car off for further racing. Thus ended the career of the 961.

Canepa Design modifications

In 2003, Canepa Design initiated a 959 program. By making their own modifications to the 959's turbo, exhaust and computer-control systems, Canepa could enable the 959 to pass emissions requirements (thereby making it street-legal in the United States) and extract more power from the 959's engine. Total power output from the Canepa-modified 959 is 576 hp (430 kW) and 505 lb·ft (685 N·m) of torque, making the car capable of low 3 second 0-60 times and top speeds in excess of 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). Canepa also modifies the 959's lightweight magnesium wheels to allow the fitting of tires without the unique Dunlop Denloc bead, and fits a modern Michelin high-performance tire capable of handling the increased performance.

"Gates 959"

The "Gates 959" is an infamous car, one of the Porsche 959s built in the mid-eighties, imported by Bill Gates to the United States in 1987. Gates' fellow Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen imported another one, as did Porsche collector Jerry Seinfeld. These cars had not been approved by regulators and had no Department of Transportation‎ and Environmental Protection Agency‎ approval. The "Gates 959" was stored for 13 years by the Customs Service at the Port of Seattle, until regulations were changed to allow "Autos of Interest" to be imported with severe limitations on their use.Gates and Allen both helped pass the "Show and Display" law.

Replicas and conversion kits

Due to the scarcity and price of existing genuine 959s, several companies have offered body kits over the years for Porsche owners to apply to their own cars, mainly the 911 model.