This Porsche 959 Speedster is a True Unicorn

By Tony Markovich - April 19, 2016

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The Porsche 959 is one of the most notable supercars of all time. That’s not hyperbole. Quite literally, it’s the reason the United States has the Show or Display Law.

“Power came from a twin-turbocharged, 444-horsepower, 2.8-liter flat-six, and in an era when a humble Toyota Camry makes nearly 300 horsepower, the amount of poke might seem a bit pedestrian. But 30 years ago? It sounded like science fiction.”

When it was first released in the late ’80s, the 959’s all-wheel-drive system—with active torque distribution to each wheel—was groundbreaking, and the engine was another wonder. Power came from a twin-turbocharged, 444-horsepower, 2.8-liter flat-six, and in an era when a humble Toyota Camry makes nearly 300 horsepower, the amount of poke might seem a bit pedestrian. But 30 years ago? It sounded like science fiction.

Obviously, there was only one transmission available—a six-speed manual.

Car and Driver reported initial tests of a 190 mph top speed and 0-60 times of about 3.6 seconds. Other publications got even more out of it, as some reported speeds of up to 197 mph. That made the 959 the world’s fastest production car, at least until its chief rival, the Ferrari F40, came out.

The 959 was so advanced that it reportedly cost Porsche 300,000 British pounds—approximately $430,000 USD by today’s rates—to build, yet the company sold it for just 150,000 British pounds ($214,000). At the time, even at that discount, it was an insane price to ask of the consumer. Due to safety and emissions rules, it was never officially sold in the United States.

Only approximately 340 959s were built, and it’s one of the cars that set up today’s current supercar renaissance.

But did you know a convertible version was built?

If not, consider your gearhead cred intact. And you can hold the torches and pitch forks, because no healthy 959 was sacrificed at the altar of wind-in-the-hair motoring to make it. There’s literally only one 959 Speedster in existence, and it was created from a total loss vehicle that Porsche World Sportscar Championship driver Jürgen Lässig crashed at triple-digit speeds on the Autobahn .

Now it’s up for sale at a place called ADR Motorsport, a Porsche-only garage in Italy. You can view the full add here.

This unicorn only has 8,100 km (5,033 miles) on it, so you better have a heavy checkbook if you expect to make a qualifying offer. What would you pay for a piece of automotive history?

Oh, and just because, here’s Richard Hammond drag racing the 959 and the F40!