Porsche 959 - the most popular German racing car of the 80s

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Porsche 959 is a sports car produced by one of the most famous German companies. An interesting fact: the production of one such car used to cost the concern twice as much as, in fact, the price of the car for which people bought it. Well, this is not the only interesting fact about this company, so the rest are worth mentioning as well.

Interesting facts

So, as mentioned above, the real cost of the Porsche 959 should have been twice as much as the one that was installed on it. You don’t even need to be an expert to calculate: the release of this model of the company did not, in fact, bring any financial benefit. However, despite this fact, the 959th model significantly refreshed the image of the concern. The Porsche 959 was the car that won the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Paris-Dakar rally. Thus, he replenished the treasury of the brand's achievements. And besides this, he won the love and recognition of thousands of people around the world. This caris the most advanced and technologically advanced car among all that were published in the eighties. Several publications wrote about him. For example, in Sports Car International it was named the best sports car of the 80s, and in Auto, Moto und Sport they wrote that it was the best Porsche of all time. So the concept turned out to be not so unpaid.

Start release

Worth telling about how this Porsche started to appear. The history of the brand is quite interesting, so this topic should definitely be touched upon.

So, for the first time this model appeared to the world in 1983. It was then, in Frankfurt, that this car was presented. At that time, this concept was a prototype of the Group B rally car. It was rumored that the model had no future. There were many disagreements, which concerned mainly technical features. And many critics did not see the point in releasing such a machine at all.

However, the project was approved. And two years later, the serial Porsche 959 appeared to the world. And it was already a sensation.

Appearance

Review of the Porsche 959 should begin with a description of its appearance. The image of the car was created by Luigi Colani. This is the same designer who later had a hand in the Corvette. In general, the car turned out to be specific - for an amateur. But the fact that she attracts the eye is a fact. Many find similarities with the Porsche 911 in the appearance of the model. However, if you look closely, you can understand - this is by no means the case. Despite the rather large number of matches with the image, the 959th version turned outoriginal. No other car has ever had such a body.

The main task of the new model was to take part in the rally. Therefore, the designers focused on aerodynamics, creating a more streamlined body. Due to this, it was possible to deprive the model of sharp corners and other details that protruded above the surface. In addition to the front bumper, decorated with a powerful air intake, the car boasts a huge number of different small ventilation holes. They are located on the sides and contribute to additional cooling of the motor (this feature is especially helpful when the car is driving in extreme mode). The designers also decided to add a large rear wing. All this made the design very functional. Nevertheless, the car turned out to be "muscular". With her appearance, she hinted to potential buyers at serious technical characteristics. Well, that's a separate issue.

Porsche 959 performance and performance

This Porsche car is equipped with a 6-cylinder 3.5-liter engine, which manufacturers have created taking into account all the company's traditions. However, due to the concept followed (which was to create a racing model), some adjustments had to be made.

The power unit for the model was chosen taking into account certain FIA requirements. Still, the car was prepared to participate in group B, which was famous for its power and strength. It was necessary to make the engine no more than 4 liters in volume. Or 2.85 liters - using turbocharging. The developers decidedchoose the second option. They borrowed a 6-cylinder engine from a racing Porsche.

The motor was running a 6-speed mechanics, which was successfully combined with an electronic clutch. The suspension also turned out to be decent - it allowed you to adjust the clearance and could change modes (there was a sport, intermediate and normal).

The car was first entered into a rally in 1985, but unfortunately no victories were achieved. The engineers took this into account. And in 1986, they presented to the public the updated Porsche with a 600-horsepower engine and twin turbocharging. As a result, the Porsche team took first place.

Sales

Interestingly, this model was never sold in the US. The company simply did not want to present it to the Americans. It was unprofitable. And in Europe there were enough potential buyers. By the way, it was planned to release 200 pieces (in series). The model was insanely expensive at that time - a little less than 300 thousand dollars. Then, for the price, many compared the Porsche with the famous Ferrari F40. It cost a little more and was a direct competitor to the 959 Porsche.