Porsche 959
It is the
Porsche 959, arguably the most desirable supercar of the 1980s. The 959,
developed to compete in the infamous FIA Group B rally class, is now fetching
millions of dollars at auction, and for good reason—it was, and still is,
considered a technical marvel in terms of its technical advancements and holds
a prestigious position as the forefather to the modern supercar.
One of the primary focuses in developing
the 959 was the implementation of an all-new AWD system, called Porsche-Steuer
Kupplung (PSK), which is recognized as the 959’s crowning achievement. PSK
allowed torque to be split between the front and rear wheels using multi-plate
clutches—rather than the more commonly used center differential—during low
traction conditions, but more uniquely, during non-slip or standard conditions
as well. The success of PSK in the 959 led to the introduction of the Carrera 4, the AWD 911 model,
and is the reason why all 911 Turbo models
beginning with the 993 generation are AWD.
The 959, at its introduction in 1986,
was the world’s fastest street-legal production car, the Sport model capable of
197 mph (Two variants were offered, Sport and Komfort, the Sport model weighed
roughly 100 lbs. less and lacked A/C, power windows, and also did not have the
adjustable ride height and dampening system).
Powering the 959 was a 2.8-liter
flat-six with two sequential turbochargers and water-cooled rather than
air-cooled like earlier 911s due to the excessive heat created by the powerful
450-hp engine. Surrounding the engine was a steel monocoque, rather than a
tubular space frame chassis, which competitors like Lamborghini and Ferrari
were employing at the time. This is why the 959 is not considered to be light
by supercar standards, weighing in at 3,190 lbs. The 959 did manage to save
weight, however, by using lightweight materials in its body panels, like
aluminum for its hood and doors, and fiberglass-reinforced Kevlar for the rest
of its body.
Classic Porsche model values have been
on the rise and the same is true of the 959. With an MSRP of US$ 225,000 back in
the late 80’s, 959’s are now worth over US$ 1.5 million, a recent 1988 Komfort
model selling for US$ 1.7 million at Pebble Beach. It is said
that cars are generally bad investments, but if you know what to look for and
are patient, they can serve as appreciating assets, and unlike stocks or bonds,
can do almost 200 mph.
