catalogguy

The 959 is a rear-engine car and considered a 911 variant. Here is a good link:
<a href="http://www.1-stop.co.uk/porsche/959_page.htm" target="_blank">http://www.1-stop.co.uk/porsche/959_page.htm</a>


[quote]Originally posted by ian:
<strong>

No no no, my friend the 98 Turbo S and the 959 are no where near the same car. Yes they do have some similaritities, but the 959 was a mid engined car. Sure they both have crazy hp, and AWD but they are very different. There was actually a test in Excellence not to long ago that talks about how the 959 is not a quick as the last two generations of twin turbos. But give the 959 credit where it is due the car is over 10 years older than those cars and will still give them a good run. 959's are 1/2 million dollar car because they are exclusive. But for my money I'm taking an F40, came out around the same time and were always compared with eachother, and I will go againset the porsche crowd and say ferrari all the way on that one.</strong><hr></blockquote>

deni durrell

the fact is that the 959 still to this day has the most advanced four wheel drive system on the planet. i also read a review (maybe you guys have too, located <a href="http://www.fortunecity.com/silverstone/lancia/58/959/959_9.htm" target="_blank"> here</a>) of some german guy who took a 959 to Milano to a track to test it against an F40. Needless to say, the 959 was heavy and slower and the F40 (like 10 seconds), but due to the advanced 4wd syetem, the 959 would spank the ferrari on any type of road other than smooth and dry. that's why it was designed! also porsche took a beating with this car, money-wise. i believe they lost much money on the car but i thnk it was done strictly for reasons of R & D. I wouldn't be surprised if the Cayenne has 959 technology. In any case, the car won most Paris-Dakar races it ever entered (don't have the numbers). anyways, read the link so I don't have to say things twice. doesn't bill gates have one?

ian

Great link Deni,

and I'm sorry for post the 959 as mid engined, I'm a little out of it today.

Nothing like some alergys to really crack your mind out.

Peckster

Nice photos, tifosiman, but what are you doing hanging out around Porsche types?

Danno

"Needless to say, the 959 was heavy and slower and the F40 (like 10 seconds), but due to the advanced 4wd syetem, the 959 would spank the ferrari on any type of road other than smooth and dry. that's why it was designed!"

I remember that comparison, might even have the article around somewhere. The F40 driver was none other than F1-driver Gerhardt Berger, so of course the F40 was wickedly fast! I think they also turned the sprinklers on to wet the track the 959 really showed it strength then.

Lemon Yellow 87 n/a

Both the F-40 and the 959 are my fav. 80s supercars. However, the F-40 is my favorite Ferrari, and the 959 is not my favorite Porsche, so I'd opt for the F-40 (Although I would shed a tear at having to make such a difficult choice). My favorite Porsche you ask??? The 959 is in the top 5 for sure but I will always love the first Gen 911 GT1. God I love that machine, I'd buy one in white, but then again I dont have a million bucks, so untill then I'll stick to my fast looking yellow 944.

deni durrell

yo danno, check the link.. it's in there up above &lt;up arrow&gt; in my post.

imo, *any* four wheel drive "car" is cool, (even those amc eagles! doh!)


future addition to the fleet: 1989 911 C4, or similar when I figure it out.

*Michael.*

The 959's are going for 180-200k Dollars over here. For someone to buy a 959 as a collectors car in the states for half a million would be stupid. It's not like if you by it in the states it is street legal.

Check out <a href="http://WWW.Mobile.de" target="_blank">WWW.Mobile.de</a> , There are several 959's for sale on there.

Finn

check out <a href="http://www.mobile.de" target="_blank">http://www.mobile.de</a>
There is 8 959's for sale at the moment.The cheapset is 148229 euros...
click 'suchen' and place porsche to marke field. For modell field type 959, after that click 'suche starten'

Finn

*Michael.*

[quote]Originally posted by Michael Adkins:
<strong>
Check out <a href="http://WWW.Mobile.de" target="_blank">WWW.Mobile.de</a> , There are several 959's for sale on there.</strong><hr></blockquote>

tifosiman

John Peck,

I divide my time evenly between my two passions: bicycle racing and Porsches. It doesn't hurt that I am the marketing guy for a bike company. I get to spend all day talking about bikes and bike racing and get paid for it. Now, if I can only get a part time job as a "lot boy" at the Porsche dealership on the weekends.....

Tifosiman

Eric

Michael,

Actually, the 959 is now quasi "street legal" in the US. Somehow it involves limited-use mileage and collector/historical registration--I think the pics of the black 959 show its Ohio "Classic" tag.
I remember when these first came out and (I think) it was Steve Jobs and Paul Allen who had purchased some of the first and they were trying to convince the govt. to allow them to use a computer program to simulate crash-testing the cars and showing that they would meet US crash standards--the govt. didn't go for it.
The 959s are true marvels--while the bare bones F40 would top out at 201MPH--the 959 would do 198 WITH leather, stereo, A/C, etc. and that wonderful AWD which led to the intro of the Carrera 4(In a much simpler lay-out). They remain, one of my all-time favorites.

LastV8

Kierf, I see no one save Eric really answered your question and simply started to bash or praise the 959. The storefront you saw on Wilshire is like a fancy garage for a collector or broker. Sometimes it's empty other times it'll be filled with cars like the ones you saw. A few days ago it was filled with Lamborghini Diablo race cars of just about every color. On occasion it'll only have one or two cars in the middle of the floor.

I do not know who owns the store but in the two and a half years I've been living here and driving past that place on occasion, I've just seen all manner of cars parked there. Sometimes they sit a while and get dusty and then they vanish to be replaced by a bunch of other exotics.

Also using that same legal rule that Eric just mentioned I saw a McLaren F1 out of Scottsdale Arizona at California Speedway a few weeks ago. It is my understanding that you get about 2500 miles per year in the US with those non US certified exotics.

jim968

I'm sure that _if_ I could afford either an F-40 or a 959, I wouldn't have to worry about using either as a daily driver.... But I'll bet the 959 would win hands down as being drivable in traffic, day-to-day reliable, and comfortable on a commute or a long trip. Guess I'm just getting old, but I'd take the 959 in a heartbeat. I _hate_ cantankerous machinery!

Besides, I figure Paris-Dakar is the ultimate competition motoring credential. Read "Against Gravity" (?) sometime....it really puts racing in perspective.

BTW, around '90 or so, there was a body kit for the 911 to convert it to the 959 'look'... so if you see a '959,' look _real_ carefully.

Jim, Lunchtime!!!

Manning

Tifosiman said:

[quote] It doesn't hurt that I am the marketing guy for a bike company. <hr></blockquote>

Bicycle company...Dayton, OH...Huffy? Do they count as bikes?