Sunday, June 5, 2011

Porsche 959


Manufacturer Porsche
Production 1986–1989
(337 produced)
Successor Porsche 911 GT1
Class Sports car
Body style 2-door coupé
Layout Rear-engine, four-wheel drive
Engine 2847 cc twin-turbocharged flat-6
Transmission 6-speed manual
Wheelbase 2,272 mm (89.4 in)
Length 4,260 mm (168 in)
Width 1,840 mm (72 in)
Height 1,280 mm (50 in)
Curb weight 1,450 kg (3,200 lb)

The Porsche 959 is a sports car manufactured by Porsche from 1986 to 1989, first as a Group B rally car and later as a legal production car designed to satisfy FIA homologation regulations requiring that a minimum number of 200 street legal units be built.

When Porsche began development of the 959, it looked toward Group B racing as a road-racing laboratory with which to develop technology for production cars. When Group B became focused on rallying events, however, Porsche felt the relevance to production cars was greatly reduced, and the goal of the 959 project shifted to frank state-of-the-art, cost-no-object technological innovation.
Porsche 959 Rally variant

In 1984, however, three 911s modified to 959 specifications (due to the requirement that Group B cars be based on production cars with at least 200 built) were used in the Paris-Dakar Rally, with Jacky Ickx the prime motivator. By 1985 the 959 rally variant was ready, but it experienced a disappointing start: all three cars failed to finish. However, in 1986 the 959 finished 1-2. The 959 was never seriously considered for a Group B Rally season; the cost of completing a full season far outweighed any technical information that would have been gained.

Porsche 959 also the one of 12 List of Fastest Cars in The World  

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