1988 saw the end of production, and 292 cars had been built. 337 automobiles in total, including 37 prototypes and pre-production variants, were produced. There are still at least one 959 and one 961 in Stuttgart, Germany’s Porsche Historical Hall.
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The 959 Is Very Uncommon.
The 959 was created for FIA Group B homologation, which required the production of at least 200 road-going vehicles. However, by the time production ceased in 1988, Porsche had produced 37 prototypes and pre-production models in addition to 292 road-legal cars.
Porsche opted to produce a small batch of eight additional cars in 1992 after realizing that it still had 959 spare parts. These unique 959 models were sold to hand-selected collectors and were far more expensive than the previous models.
Porsche 959 owned by Bill Gates
On September 16, the yearly Forbes 400 list of the richest people in America was made public. The list this year boasts the largest combined fortune in the list’s history, with a combined wealth of $2 trillion, up from previous year’s $1.7 trillion. With a net worth of $72 billion, Bill Gates is currently ranked as the richest person in America. Microsoft’s 57-year-old founder, Bill Gates, is known for his wealth, charitable work, and, surprise, his love of Porsches. Silver Bill Gates Porsche 959 is a unique beauty.
In 1979, Gates made his first Porsche 911 Turbo purchase, and rumors have it that he was frequently stopped while driving the blue sports car. Later, this 911 was sold at auction for $80,000. But that’s not what we’re talking about today—the Gates 959 is the vehicle that showed Porsche could do far more than just build air-cooled 911s. Gates campaigned against this car for many years.
The Porsche 959 was the German automaker’s most stunning vehicle to date and may have been the best vehicle of the 1980s. Instead of the typical 5-speed manual transmission, this twin-turbo supercar has a 6-speed version. It had a top speed of more than 195 mph and could go from 0 to 60 in less than 3 seconds. These are astounding figures for both a car introduced in 1986 and a car introduced today. It makes sense why Gates felt such a strong connection to this car.
While most Porsches can be imported from Europe to the USA rather simply, the 959 had numerous issues that made it impossible for US citizens to own one of these supercars. Gates was one of the residents who ordered a Porsche 959 only to have it seized at customs. The 959 had not yet passed the requirements for crash testing, and it did not adhere to EPA guidelines, according to the justification given for the impounding. For more than ten years, Gates’ German supercar stood idly by.
Gates collaborated with others to create the “Show and Display” rule because he was eager to get his hands on his Porsche 959. According to this law, privately imported automobiles that satisfy a requirement of “historical or technological value” would be excluded from the Federal Motor Safety Standards (FMVSS). Cars may also be excluded from the FMVSS if fewer than 500 units of the particular model were produced. Given that the Porsche 959 was only manufactured 337 times, this was wonderful news for Gates.
Gates was finally able to get his hands on his 959 and feel real Porsche power thanks to the passage of the “Show and Display” rule. Even now, he is occasionally observed driving his car around to make sure he stays within the 2,500 on-road mile annual mileage cap imposed by the “Show and Display” regulation.
Even After Being Crashed On The Way To Auction, This Porsche 959 Sold For $467,500
This one-of-294 Porsche 959 Komfort suffered extensive damage as a result of an odd accident while being brought to the auction, but it didn’t deter the bidders.
Despite being totaled and appearing to be a write-off due to an unusual accident on the way to the auction, this Porsche 959 nonetheless brought in $467,500.
The 959 was being hauled in an enclosed, dedicated car trailer, according to a story on Car & Driver (North American IP address required). At the time, the entire assembly separated from the vehicle carrying it. I’m sorry. Once off the pavement, the trailer ran into a tree. Oh my god twice. The tie-down straps that had been used to hold the automobile broke after the initial collision, causing it to also strike the tree, which is why the car’s nose has a hole in the shape of a tree trunk.
You don’t need us to inform you that the front has been severely damaged. The left-hand drive, one of only 294 “Komfort” type cars ever produced, collector’s item has also lost its passenger-side front wheel, probably due to a few bent or damaged suspension parts.
The heartbreakingly broken 959 does start and (sort of) drive, according to a video taken by auctioneers Mecum prior to the eventual sale, but it’s obviously not in a good way. Someone still had a strong desire for it, though, clearly. The value of this unique antique German beast, which has only 3657 kilometers on it, will increase significantly following the repairs.
Which party was operating the tow car—the seller or a contractor employed by Mecum?—is unclear. In either case, we hope the, ahem, adequate insurance coverage was in place.
Model Guides for the Porsche 959: Komfort vs. Sport
The Porsche 959 came in two primary models. The Porsche 959 S or “959 Sport” had larger turbochargers that raised power output to 508 horsepower and higher peak speed, as well as 100kg reduced weight, whereas the 959 Komfort was the standard model marketed. The 959 Sport was much more uncommon, with a run size of just 29 vehicles. It’s important to remember that official Porsche 959 production ceased after the 1988 model year, but in 1992/1993, Porsche constructed eight additional vehicles using spare parts from the stock at the Zuffenhausen manufacturing facility. Four of the eight were “Komfort” variants and four were silver. These automobiles were far more expensive than the prior models and included a newly developed speed-sensitive damper system.
There are how many Porsche 959s?
The former professional racer may be this nation’s finest authority on the 959, Porsche’s first supercar, so he would know. The company only produced 292 units of the production model between 1986 and 1988 (and as many as eight more in 1992 and ’93), but with it, they introduced ground-breaking technologies like sequential twin turbo-chargers, a suspension system (for the Komfort variant) that automatically adjusted the car’s ride height to improve stability, and an all-wheel-drive system that changed the torque distribution between the front and rear wheels under hard acceleration or in accordance with the driver’s preferences. The fastest production car at the time was the Porsche 959 Sport, which had a lighter coil-over-shock suspension and could accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. Its highest speed was also higher than 197 mph.
He then sped through a mind-bending 60–120–60 mph run before grinning and saying, “I could do this all day.”
Porsche enthusiasts in particular and car collectors in general highly prize the Porsche 959 due to its rarity, cutting-edge engineering, and performance potential. The car has become more alluring, particularly in recent years. The Porsche 959 was a financial failure during its short manufacturing run despite being a technological success for the company—much of its technology would eventually filter down into succeeding models. “Larry Bean”
* In Germany, a Porsche 959 cost the equivalent of around $420,000 in 1986 when it was first purchased. Due to the high cost of manufacturing the automobile, Porsche reportedly lost a lot of money on each sale.
* A 1986 Porsche 959 Sport currently has an average value of slightly over $1 million, per the collector car insurance firm Hagerty. A concours-condition 959 Sport is now worth about three times as much as it was three years ago, going from roughly $625,000 to $1.85 million.
*A 1987 959 Komfort sold for around $1.5 million at the Pebble Beach auctions in 2015, and a 1988 Komfort sold for more than $1.7 million.
* Porsche is reported to have produced 337 instances of the 959 in all, including eight examples that were assembled in 1992 and 1993 using leftover parts and 37 prototypes and preproduction versions.
In the US, how many Porsche 959s are there?
Any Porsche 959 is a seductive machine, and this 1988 example in black over caramel brown, which will be up for auction in August at Pebble Beach, is no different.
One of the most intriguing supercars ever produced is the Porsche 959. They used to be quite uncommon to see in the United States; only 50 or so of the 329 (or 337; production counts vary) models constructed made it over under show-and-display waivers. The good news for American auto collectors and enthusiasts is that importation of cars like this 1988 example has been allowed because the bulk of 959s are now older than 25 years.
This gorgeous black car is listed by Gooding & Company as a “Komfort” model, which Porsche utilized to distinguish its road-going vehicles from its racing counterparts (known as “Sport”). The 959 was well ahead of its time in terms of speed and technology, powered by a 444-hp, twin-turbocharged 2.8-liter flat-six coupled to a six-speed manual. Our test of the vehicle in 1987 resulted in a zero-to-60 time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 190 mph, which was our highest top speed to that point. The car’s all-wheel-drive system, which could distribute torque according on the dynamic load on each wheel and could also be locked at a set torque split, was one of its many ground-breaking technological innovations.
Reviews, specifications, pricing, and more about the Porsche 911 GT3 and GT3 RS.
There aren’t many facts available about this specific automobile, but the auction house does say that it’s one of only three with this eye-catching color scheme and that it has received factory maintenance its whole existence. The projected sale price is between $1.6 million and $1.8 million, which, if verified, would indicate the sharp rise in vintage Porsche prices over the past few years.
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Is the Porsche 959 updated?
Recent spy photos reveal Porsche is finally constructing a new 911 Safari with an emphasis on off-road driving, based on the 992-generation Carrera. However, a few aftermarket tuners couldn’t wait for Porsche to develop a new 911 with rallying as its inspiration, so they built their own. Singer, known for its beautiful Porsche 911 restomods, debuted its new rally-ready Porsche 911 earlier this year under the name All-Terrain Competition Study.
The rally-ready Porsche 911 is also being built by Marc Philipp Gemballa, the son of Uwe Gemballa, through his own business Marc Philipp Gemballa GmbH. The new custom Porsche 911 off-roader, code-named Project Sandbox, has been teased in render drawings since last month, but leaked photographs give us our first proper look at it.
According to the picture, development appears to be far along. Project Sandbox, based on the 992-generation Porsche 911, was motivated by the storied Porsche 959 that won the Paris-Dakar rally in 1986 but will still be a road legal vehicle. It appears from the big hood vent that the 911 construction is based on the new 911 GT3, however the 911 Turbo S with all-wheel drive would make more sense for an off-road 911.
Although a unique body modification offers larger fenders and massive side vents, the rear wing inspired by the Porsche 959 is the most eye-catching exterior improvement. A rear diffuser that is aggressive and motorsport-inspired, as well as a slim full-width light bar, are all seen in further photographs of the revived Porsche 959. The thick tires boost the sports car’s off-road capability.
While the 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six in the new 911 Turbo S produces 640 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque, Gemballa and famous Porsche expert Ruf are working together to boost the output to over 740 hp and 686 lb-ft. Only ten instances of the launch edition will be produced, and all ten have already been purchased. The price for the subsequent 30 examples, which Gemballa will construct, has not yet been disclosed.
Alternately, this might be the brand-new 911 Safari Porsche has been spotted testing lately. In any case, perhaps not too much longer till the formal unveiling of this new Porsche 911 with rally-inspired styling.