The Porsche 959 History

Development of the 959 (originally called the Gruppe B) started in 1981, shortly after the company's then-new Managing Director, Peter Schutz, took his office. Porsche's head engineer, Helmuth Bott, approached Schutz with some ideas about a new all wheel drive Porsche 911. Bott and Schutz knew through experience that a racing program usually helped to accelerate the development of new models. Seeing international rally competition as the perfect arena to test the new car and its all wheel drive system, Schutz gave the go ahead to develop a car for possible production and for competition in FIA Group B. The 959 finished first and second in the Paris-Dakar Rally and the road racing version finished first in class and seventh overall at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1986.
Porsche began with an engine they already had, and moved on with development from there. The powerplant, a twin turbocharged boxer six cylinder engine with an air-cooled block and water-cooled heads, displaced 2.85 liters, about half a liter less than a contemporary 911 engine. The engine had originally been developed for the "Moby Dick" race car and then redeveloped slightly for the short-lived Porsche Indy Car and several other projects before being used in the 961, the 959's racing counterpart.

In an attempt to create a rugged, lightweight shell, Porsche adopted an aluminium and Aramid (Kevlar or Twaron) composite for the body instead of the steel that was normally used on their production cars. The vehicle's weight of 3,190 pounds (1,450 kg) helped to achieve its high performance level.

Porsche also developed the car's aerodynamics, which were designed to increase stability and grip. Though it used the 911 wheelbase the 959 was strikingly different. Distinctions began with a lower body reshaped for good surface aerodynamics and with a profusion of ducts and vents for controlled airflow through it. Aero considerations also dictated a bellypan covering the entire undercarriage, except for the engine. Dominating all was an ultra-wide tail topped by a large loop spoiler. The results: a drag coefficient of 0.31 and zero lift.

The 959 also featured Porsche-Steuer Kupplung (PSK) which was at the time the most advanced all wheel drive system that had been used in a production car. Capable of dynamically changing the torque distribution between the rear and front wheels in both normal conditions and slip conditions, the PSK system allowed the 959 the adaptability it needed both as a race car and as a street car. Under hard acceleration, PSK could send as much as 80% of available power to the rear wheels, helping make the most of the rear-traction bias that occurs during such circumstances. It could also vary the power bias depending on road surface and grip changes, helping maintain traction at all times.

The street version of the 959 debuted at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show as a 1986 model. The car was manufactured in two levels of trim, "Sport" and "Komfort". First customer deliveries of the 959 began in 1987 with production ending in 1988. In total, 263 cars were built, including 37 prototypes and pre-production models. The 959 sold new for $265,000 which is rumored to be half of what it cost Porsche to build each car.