Porsche Used Vastly Different Race Cars Two Years with the 959 In Dakar
Harsh lessons learned in 1985 meant that Porsche was ready to win the Paris to Dakar Rally in 1986.
Porsche entered the Paris to Dakar Rally for two years. First in 1985, and last in 1986. In their first attempt, all three works cars failed to finish. The next year, they won, and promptly retired. That’s a vastly simplified summary of what happened, so Porsche has released a video showing just how much work went into their 959 rally car during the off-season.
Porsche’s 953, often called the 911 4×4 was their 1984 entry into the dakar rally. It won. But that system was a bit crude, and adapted from a 911. With the 959, Porsche aimed to start fresh with a new platform, and take victory in 1985 again. It would be a bad showing for Porsche in ’85 with all cars dropping out of the race. That 959 used a similar and simple 4×4 system from the 953. So in the off season, porsche set to work on upgrading the car from the ground up.
Rather than relying on mechanical systems to aid in traction, Porsche used electronics for their new all-wheel-drive system. The 1986 Porsche 959 Dakar racer could have up to 5 different traction modes selected. This would prove to be vital as the route for 1986 would put all competitors through a tough test.
Aside from the power management, the 959’s engine also saw some interesting advances. cooling for the engine was accomplished via air and water. The cylinder heads are cooled by water, and the cylinders themselves remained air cooled.
The car’s power was also reduced, too. Not particularly to abide by any homologation rules, but instead for practical purposes. High octane fuel simply wasn’t available on some of the routes for the Dakar rally. De-tuning the engine meant the 959 could run on less than ideal fuel while not detonating the engine.
In all, these changes to the car were vital in Porsche’s 1986 Dakar victory. As well, lessons learned here would set the stage for future Porsche performance achievements.
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