The Porsche 959 was a revolutionary supercar when it
debuted in the 1980s. Three decades later, its performance has long since been
surpassed. But its legend has not. Enter Canepa to bring it up to spec and
beyond.
The company was originally responsible for bringing
the 959 to America. And now it’s announced a new upgrade package to the
prototypical German supercar. Called the 959SC, it thoroughly restores the
original. And in the process, Canepa adds 75 percent more power.
The 959 packs a 2.8-liter twin-turbo flat
six. But where it originally produced 444 horsepower, Canepa’s Genereation III
performance upgrade package boosts output to 800. That’s more than the Carrera
GT’s 603, and more than any version of the 911 to date. It’s also more than the 608 hp that the V8 in the 918 Spyder
kicks out, and almost as much as the hybrid’s combined 887 hp.
The boost comes thanks to a new header, exhaust,
turbos, engine management system, fuel system, and a more powerful ignition
system. Considering that the “standard” 959 could already pull off 0-60 sprints
in the mid-three-second range and top out at nearly 200 miles per hour (320
km/h), we can only imagine what the revised version will do.
Canepa doesn’t just focus on the engine.
Short for Sport Canepa (not supercharged or Sport Classic), the 959SC program
entails a complete restoration. The bodywork is stripped down to the bare metal
and repainted in any color the customer chooses – a nice benefit considering
that Porsche only ever offered it in white, silver, or red.
Plated components are recoated in zinc, the suspension
upgraded and powder-coated. The interior is completely redone in the finest
leather, the steering wheel hand-stitched, and a Porsche Classic
audio/navigation system fitted. Canepa even fits its own set of 18-inch alloys
that replicate the look of the original.
The restoration process entails over 500 hours spend
on the bodywork alone (before it even enters the paint booth), and another 300
on the interior. We don’t even want to know how much the entire process costs.
But considering the pride of place the 959 takes in Porsche’s history, we can
only be grateful to Canepa for undertaking each one, and to its customers for
footing the bill.
