Sold 1988 Porsche 959 2146372996 Tweet

Click here to view high resolution photos 2.85L Flat 6-Cylinder 450HP 5,202 original miles Extremely well-preserved example of Porsches first supercar The first streetcar to feature a 6-speed manual transmission Twin KKK Turbochargers and Intercoolers Accompanied by a Porsche Certificate of Authenticity One of 106 Komfort examples built for 1987 The twin-turbo all-wheel-drive Porsche 959 was Porsches response to the challenge of creating the worlds fastest street-legal production car. With an aerodynamically optimized body, a twin-turbo flat-six engine, an electronically controlled chassis, and an all-wheel-drive, the 959 was considered by many to be the most technologically advanced road-going sports car ever built when it hit the market. Conceived in the early 1980s as a four-wheel-drive Group B competitor that would showcase Porsches advanced technology, the 959 was the first racing vehicle to feature space shuttle-level technological complexity. In an attempt to create a lightweight shell, Porsche adopted an aluminum and Aramid (Kevlar) composite for body use along with a Nomex floor instead of the steel normally used on their production cars. The body construction included a polyurethane nose cap, aluminum doors, and a front lid for strength and lightness akin to Formula One. Run-flat Bridgestone tires were added to the advanced antilock braking system, which was managed by high-speed microprocessors. The 959 was first displayed in concept car form at the 1983 Frankfurt Motor Show, and despite the subsequent abandonment of the events for which it had been intended, entered limited production a couple of years later. Two versions were offered: Sport and Komfort, their names reflecting each models level of interior trim. Representing the ultimate in automobile design, the 959 successfully adapted state-of-the-art racing technology for road use, and even today, its specification remains unparalleled. The Porsche 959 is a highly sought-after and rare sports car that was difficult to acquire due to its limited production and high demand. Despite its hefty price tag of $300,000 each, the factory had a waiting list for the 283 units built and actually lost money on each car. The model was nicknamed Porsches gift to its favorite customers. The desirability of the Porsche 959 was so strong that even collectors in the United States, where the cars could not be legally imported, sought ways to obtain them through a grey market. However, the Show and Display Law 1999, supported by Porsche legend Bruce Canepa, eventually allowed for the legal importation of 959. At the cars heart is a unique, 2.85L version of the classic, six-cylinder, air-cooled boxer engine equipped with water-cooled, double-overhead-camshaft, four-valve cylinder heads. The latter had been developed initially for the 1981 Le Mans-winning 936 and were further refined on the even more successful 956/962 that triumphed at La Sarthe every year from 1982 to 1987. In 959 specification, this formidable twin-turbo-charged unit produced 450bhp, an output which, combined with the lightweight part-composite bodys drag coefficient of just 0.32, proved sufficient to propel the 959 past 195mph and onto the front rank of all-time supercars. Indeed, at the time of its introduction, the 959 was the worlds fastest street-legal production car. The 959s sophisticated four-wheel-drive six-speed transmission paved the way for that of the Carrera 4; computer-controlled, it provided variable torque split with alternative programs for dry, wet, icy, or off-road conditions. There was double wishbone suspension all around, with electrically controlled ride height adjustment; the ABS brakes delivered race-car levels of retardation, and the run-flat tires were monitored for pressure loss, all of whic